Gilpin observer., 1908-05-28

1t has been said that love knows no
fear. 1t can be said with equal truth,
also, that science knows no fear, neith-
or does 1t recognize any obstacle
which is too great to be overcome in
the discovery of some new truth con-
corning this wonderful world in which
we live. 1t is this supreme devotion
which has led many a scientist to face
danger and privation gladly in order to
unravel the mysteries OF life and of
nature. The latest illustration of this
truth is the case of Prof. Hovey of the
American Geographical society and his
wife. who are about to risk their lives
by taking up their residence upon the
slope of Mt. Pelee, the most deadly
volcano OF modern times.
Within easy memory, for it is less
than six years ago, Pelee blew its
head on and five minutes later its
toll of dead was more than 10000
probably 10000
The city of St Pierre was over
whelmed. Its buildings were first
swept down by a tornado of heated
air and gas, then burned by explo-
sions and the molten rocks that rained
upon them, then given a final burial
beneath lava. mud and dust.
A few survived-a score who hap
pened to be in a building protected
from the first terrible blast by pro-
iecting ridge of the mountain-an-
other score who were in ships in the
haybor and recovered from their ter
rible burns after working their dam
aged craft to another portland lone
prisoner in dungeon. whose thick
walls saved him. They were pitiful
few. those saved in the city.
Within year after Vesuvius last
hurled lava down its slopes, the peas
ants who had fed in terror returned
for the pruning of the vineyards on
the hillside. So, although after long
interval. because the disaster was
greater. the peasants of the island of
Martinique are beginning to return to
the site Of st. Pierre and the surround
ing country, and to resume life as
though Mt. Pelee had never demon
strated its power of death.
1T will not happen again." they are
already saying these leisurely chill
dren OF the tropics. AT least, never
in our time"
Scientists are not at all sure that
it will not happen again. So far as
they know of volcanoes, they know
that the volcano that has once been
deadly is likely to be deadly again,
even though hundreds or perhaps
thousands OF years may elapse be-
tween outbursts. II is distinct
theory among many students that
volcanoes break out periodically, and
that there is a definite way of timing
those periods, II continuous scientific
research could only cover a sufficient
number OF years to get necessary data.
Now, the only place to study the
workings of a volcano is very dan.
gerous place-upon the mountains
very slopes, as near as may be to the
crater itself. Newspaper readers the
world over are familiar with the story
of that savant who lives on the slopes
of Vesuvius as II to study the mon.
ster's thoughts, and who calmly con.
tnued his Investigations and records,
even when the eruptions of two years
ago threatened his life. He survived
and added to the laboriously gathered
facts Of the world concerning volca.
noes. Had he lost his life. 1t would
have been only one more name upon
the long list of scientists who have
died that the cause of research might
live.
Prof. Hovey has decided to study
Pelee. He will take for his class.
room the slopes Of the mountain,
where the tropical vegetation is break.
ing through the gray ash that de-
stroyed all living things. and the site
of the city itself, where swift-growing
trees and grasses are hiding the ruins.
For more than year, fire and
deadly gases enveloped the city and
its surrounding territory at inter-
walls, and It seemed as II all vegeta.
ton must have been as effectively
killed as were the inhabitants OF
few years ago. But nowhere does
vegetation grow more rapidly than
In Martinique. Nowhere In the world