New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-20
PELEES OBELISK GONE.

One extremely unique effect of the latest
outbreak of volcanic force on the island of
Martinique was the development last winter
and spring of a vertical shaft rising one thou
sand feet from the summit of Pelee. Scarcely
less wonderful is the disappearance of that
shaft during the last summer. Professor f. o.
Hovey, of this city, tells the story briefly in
the last number of Science"
Between the end of April and the early part
of August the obelisk underwent numerous al
terations In height The subsistence was by no
means regular. After this had amounted TO
a hundred feet there was a recovery to half
that extent. Other less conspicuous gains fol
lowed later losses. Most of the movements
were slow, but between July and there was
a shortening which amounted to about one hun
dred and sixty feet. The total diminution in
height does not seem to have exceeded six hun
bred feet, but as the cone out OF which the
shaft protruded had increased its elevation fully
four hundred feet in the mean time, the col
umn disappeared from view. A second spine
or tooth, reaching above the dome, was detect
ed on September s, and within week it grew
twenty metres. For time it looked as II last
winters performance was to be paralleled
That hope was disappointed, however. On Sep
TENDER IL fresh eruption wrecked the later
shaft, and no further reference is made to it in
PROFESSOR hOFey CpluSo w"
to the opening of October.
Concerning the method by which a column
twice as high as the Washington Monument
could be erected on the summit of volcano
one has difficulty in reaching a satisfactory con-
lecture Possibly the task would be easier if
Peiee produced lava, but it does not. The only
materials elected since its activity was re-
newed eighteen months ago are dust, small
rocks steam and gas. Rivers of mud have
flowed down its sides, but these are supplied
by n mixture of two Of the substances just
mentioned Could the obeisk have been man.
ufactured out of molten rock half century
ago, or at still earlier period, and remained
like q loose plug in one of the passages open
ing into the main crater? The suggestion does
not seem credible 1t would also be curious 10
know how far below the visible top of the noun
tain the lower part of the shaft extended. Again,
was it not odd that the slender mass remained
in a vertical position? How was it kept there I?
Within the last few weeks a striking contrast
to the general type of volcano to which Peee
belongs has been afforded by the eruption of
ATauna Lon. The Hawaiian cone discharges
lava in enormous quantities, but makes little
ado over IL. Whether the chimney through
which that fluid comes up from the earth's in
terror be exceptionally broad and straight, IT is
impossible to tell It is safe to say that the
comparative serenity of the outpouring is due
in part to the fact that little water is encoun-
tered on the way TO the surface. The sudden
| conversion of that fluid into steam when II
meets molten rock would result In an explo-
sion like that OF dynamite. Some incident Of
that sort. DO doubt, explains the violence with
which Pelee occasionally shoots dust and steam
TO height of four five miles above IT'S sum
nit. Interesting is the general dissimilarity
between volcanic action in the two regions, ii
finishes no clew 10 the mystery under con-
! si..aration- 1t Is no easier To guess how an