The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-26

eruption of August 60. Some of these
were broken into many fragments through
striking on other rocks. others laH5ed III
ashes and were not even cracked Es-
pecially on the eastern side of the 1our-
tai nthe bread crust bombs are more
numerous than in June. These gene- ally
are taken to be fragments of lava VIII ~
have reached the air in a fluid or parity
fluid condition, and the increase in num-
Der over the earlier eruptions, which may,
however. be more apparent than real, indi
Gates an increase of temperature or
diminution in the proportion of water
vapor. Such diminution, if it has occur
red, would of Itself raise the temperature
in the volcano
Furthermore this increase in the num-
Der of fluid or pasty masses reaching the
surface would be an argument for the
correctness Of the theory that the great
spine of the cone is proposed of such
lava Not even yet, however, has there
been any stream of molten lava flowing
down the sides Of Mont Pelee during the
series of eruptions.
Investigation of the material filing the
gorge of the Riviere Blanche confirms the
idea that the volcanic dust. sand and
gravel which form by far the largest pro-
portion thereof issued from the cone In
q dry or comparatively dry condition,
theory that is further indorsed by studies
at St Vincent The steam and hot air
permeating the mass of dust. sand and
gravel as it came from the cone caused
the whole mass to act like one fluid and
flow through the gorge in torrent
The solid particles were incandescent,
and the steam rose in vast clouds as II
was liberated from the flowing mass, so
that the comparison with a stream OF
actual lava given by many observers is
not surprising. The flowing mass car
ried along with it from the crater many
large blocks of ancient lava, and the
liberated steam carried into the atmos-
phere great quantities of the finest dust.
The eruption" of January %. which
frightened the tourists on the royal mail
steamer Esk. and which was extensively
announced in the United States and else
where, was one of the dust clouds roll
ing down the Blanche. just like scores
or hundreds of others, and did not merit
particular mention.
These dust flows down the Riviere
Blanche must not be COMPOUNDED with
the mud flows down the same canyon.
The mud flow which overwhelmed the
Usine Guerin seems TO have been caused
by the waters of the Etang Sec breaking
through the temporary dam formed by
new ash, but succeeding ones have been
caused by the rain soaked dust and ash
rTa e ha nr-af ar
and the remainder of the drainage basin
of the Blanche descending in terrible ava
lanches.
The dry mud flows are hard and com
pact. while the dust flows are so soft and
loose that one sinks in them to the knees.
The mud flows are black or nearly so.
while the dust flows are very light gray
in color and have calcined appearance.
A considerable portion of the great
area which was so injured by the accu-
of ash as ii be included with
in what was called the zone of devasta-
ton is now largely green again through
returning vegetation. The coating of ash
has been washed off by the copious rains
giving grass, herbs, plantafn, etc,
chance to sprout again from the old roots.
Trees and tree ferns have put on new
fronds, branches ard leaves. Even the
bluffs surrounding st Pierre are again
covered with verdure.
The area included within the zone Of
humiliation shows no sign of return
ing life except along the bluffs facing
away from the crater and in other spots
which were sheltered from the fury oe
tho
west side forms a V. with the Apex at
the crater and the broad portion extend
ing from st. Pierre to Precheur, while it
spreads, roughly speaking. in somewhat
circular manner two miles down the
slopes of Mont Pelee on the north. east
and southeast sides. The ruins of st.
Pierre are grassworn, but that is due to
the great amount of old earthly material
which has washed down from the sur
rounding bluffs, bringing the seeds with
it. Aside from the grass amid the ruins,
the appearance of the city has not
changed materially since last July.
Some walls which were weak then have
fallen; a few streets have been swept
clean of ash and deeply quilted by the
rains: the iron bridge over the RoXe-
lane has been destroyed much volcanic
sand has been washed up on the beach
by the ocean. the evidences of wrecks in
the roadstead have disappeared, lighter
has been washed ashore near Place Ber
tin and the iron statue of the Virgin has
rolled down to the Corbet road from its
unstable position on the edge of the bluff.
Some excavation of value has been car
Of Ri
ment. The whole place already has a
very ancient look-dead city of the past
The reports regarding the eruption If
August so greatly exaggerated the ex-
tent of devastation wrought by that out
burst Morne Rouge and Ajoupa-Bouil-
Ion suffered the great loss of life stated
fifteen hundred TO two thousand souls
but the great sugar cane fields in The
northeastern part of Martinique were not
injured. and now the sugar factories are
running as busily as If no disaster had
visited the island. The tremendous foods,
however which rushed down the valleys
of the Rivieres Capot, Basse Pointe, Ma
coubs. and Grande soon after the various
eruptions have left fun evidence of their
occurrence. \ large proportion Of the VII
lagos Of Basse Pointe and Grande FL
Were has been washed out to sea or
buried under ten 70 fifteen feet of sand,
gravel and powders
The material brought down each of the
four rivers extended its delta two hun
dred yards or more into the sea. but the
surf has gained again on the new de-
posits and in six or seven months tine
has cut away about one-third of these
points and has spread the material along
the coast for miles.
-Th. litfIa harhnr IT Rasse pninfe was