The sun., 1905-09-12
VOLCANOES OF DOMINICA.
HUNDREDS or DORMANT AND
ACTIVE CRATERS ON ISLAND.

Sulfur-Piles OF Hot Sand-Lake Of
Boiling Water-springs That Shift
The little island Of Dominica in the Lesser
Antilles, although only about twenty
miles In length by seventeen miles In width
possesses probably more active volcanic
orators than any spot Of equal area IN the
Western Hemisphere, writes A. Hyatt
Verrill In the American Inventor. or almost
wholly volcanic formation. this island gem
rises from the blue Caribbean Sea In a series
OF mountain tiers to a height Of $500 feet
above the sea-
Sailing along the coast one can trace
orator after crater and ancient mud flows
by the score. from the northern extremity
at Cape Melville to Soott's Head at the
southern end Of the island. Now long dead
and covered with q dense mass OF tropical
vegetation or mantled with the green Of
lime or bronze Of cocoa plantations, these
bowl shaped oraters seem innocent enough
and one can hardly realize the tremendous
forces and enormous eruptions that In
long past times must have been exerted
In producing these innumerable peaks,
cinder piles, lava flows and orinkled ridges.
Scattered among the myriad dormant
Orators and mainly along the central ridge
are numerous depressions where steam
and hot water rise to the surface and where
sulfur in more or less quantity occurs.
These localities are known to the natives
as Soufrieres, or 'sulfur springs and
are one and all nothing more or less
than the last remnant Of activity In oraters
which not 80 many ages since doubtless
belohed forth steaming mud. gases and
L., ~, L.,
have dwarfed the recent eruptlons OF
Morne Pelee IN tho nelghboring island OF
Martinique. Strangely enough, although
but eighteen miles distant. the Martinique
eruption seemed not to affect the craters
Of Dominica In the least.
Beginning at the southern end OF Domin-
ioa. known az Soott's Head or Cachacrou,
and from which frowning Morne Pelee Is
plainly visible. one finds in the beautiful
semicircular Bay Of soufriere perfect
gigantic crater its seaward wall broken
down, to be sure. but with the grand sweep
Of Its rim still plainly to be traced. Back
from this the activity appeared to have
reoeded In a series Of oraters which can
be plainly followed up the Soufriere Valley
till the slopes OF Tete Morne are reached,
where in small bowl shaped depression
Of some 200 acres are the last remnants
OF existing activity In this valley. Piled
against the mountain side are huge de-
posits Of siliceous sand mixed with sulfur
and continually emitting clouds OF steam
and large quantities Of boiling water from
innumerable fumeroles. The steam, I'm
like that Of many other parts Of the island,
is entirely free from noxious gases, but
carries with, it large quantities Of sulfur.
L. Il l- k~1 kh, liz
rocks and sand as the steam oondenses.
Underneath the upper layer OF white
silica, which Ia from few inches to ten or
twelve feet in depth, is dark, blush black
clay almost exactly similar to that thrown
out es the % recent sFSaptionas Sip as Martinique
2l2 to 285 degrees-and the water which
everywhere percolates through it is almost
Jet black in color, but after flowing short
distance loses this inky appearance until
a few hundred feet away 1t Is crystal clear.
1t is highly charged with lime; alum and
iron In solution, however, and Is supposed
by the natives to possess wonderful me-
dicinal properties.
Nearly all tho rocks In this locality con-
tain a fairly large amount OF iron pyritee,
veins and pockets, in large quantities.
All analyses also show the presence Of a
small quantity OF silver-about ono ounce
to the ton. In many places, mainly around
the projecting rocks and boulders, there
are considerable deposits ofthe rare mineral
ume Of steam discharged from the fumeroles
varies from dayto day. At times the hill.
side is almost hidden by dense clouds Of
vapor, while at other times mere thread
OF steam appears,
ThLs variation does not appear to depend
in any way upon climatic conditions, for
although after heavy rains the entire sur
face OF the active portions Of the crater
steams, the vapor from the crater itself is
often far greater during a prolonged spell
OF dry weather than during a rainy period.
At no recent time, however: has there been
any indication Of an explosion or eruption,
and only at the extreme upper edge OF the
crater is there any indication of pressure
from beneath the surface. At that point
are number Of small geyser-like fumeroles
elected with considerable force and with
a loud rumblng or roaring sound.
These small geysers are not stable by
any means, but shift about from place to
place over an area Of some two or three
crater is the fact that the crater proper
is divided up into eight distinct deposits
Of sulfur and silica, each in a small crater
OF it's own and each sending. forth steam
and hot water but separated from one an
fur which are covered with a luxuriant
forest growth.
Throughout the district, however, one has
but to dig few yards beneath the ap-
parently dead and cold surface to meet
hot water or steam, and even at the beach
at the village of Soufriere, fully mile from
the visible activity, the sand six inches
beneath the surface is 80 hot that it Ia not
uncommon for visitors to boil eggs by merely
burying them in the beach. Across the
valley from these craters and separated
by a narrow but precpitous ridge Of some
2,ooO feet in height lies another and very
perfect crater known as Morne Palate.
In this crater the piles OF sand and sulfur,
hot water and other conditions are almost
exact counterparts, but smaller than at
Souf1ere.
The next spot Of any considerable activity
on the island Is at the famous Boiling,
or Sulfur Lake, situated In the Grand
Soufriere Hills, about five miles in direct
line from Souiriere. and almost the same
distance from the capital town Of Roseau.
This is the largest and most active OF any
crater In the island and ia well worthy
OF visit to all interested in the volcanic
conditions Of the West Indies. despite the
great difficulties experienced in travelling
over the awful mountain trail leading
through the primeval forest to the crater.
The crater proper is some two miles in
length by half a mile in width and is a most
desolate and depressing waste Of red, burnt
rock and tufa, huge laval boulders glaring
white silica sand and patches of yellow
sulfur. The whole IL pervaded with q most