Evening star., 1936-01-05
By John Francis Steele.

~ ~ OIh ~tCsC ASICCtCs
r TAD it not been for the Pelee
disaster on the Island of Mar
Unique in 1902, in all proba-
a u bility, the name of Perret
would never have been known in the
field Of science. At that time Frank
Alvord Perret, Connecticut Yankee
with a French name pronounced
Parray), was young electrical engi-
neer in New York tinkering around
with inventions and other electrical
devices.
Today as one of the worlds most
outstanding volcanologists, he does not
feel quite at ease unless he is in some
uncomfortably hot place trying out his
test tubes on Vesuvius, Pelee. Sou
friere and the like No little embryonic
mud foe can 60 a trickling down the
side of a volcano without Prof. Perret
having a name for it. These little
trickles known as Strombolian are
ever delight to his eye. No little caper
can 90 uncharted and unidentified by
him.
His work as a scientist has taken
him around the world twice and to
virtually every upheaval of Importance.
He has spent 80 years studying active
volcanoes. Much of that time has been
passed in Italy AS early as 1904
he became assistant to Prof. Matteucci
at the Royal Observatory. Vesuvius,
Italy. He has done direct research
work at Vesuvius, Stromboli, Etna,
Messena, Saskurashima, and was the
director of the Hawaiian expedition
of the Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology, spending the Summer of 1911
at the crater of Kilauea.
The decorations he bears are signif-
cant: Uf1ziale della Corona D'Italia
and the Chevalier de la Legion
d'Honneur.
As director and foundateur of the
Musee Volcanologique at st. Pierre,
Mr. Perret has collected many valu-
able relics not only from there but
from the worlds most famous VOL
canoes In this marvellous collection
Of objects excavated from the ruins
of st. Pierre are iridescent and
melted glassware, perfume sealed In
glass, books still legible, carbonized
bread, spaghetti. loaf of cheese and
linen. Then there is the fragment of
q cruciflx from the church, the tower
from which was reckoned the latitude
and longitude of the Island of Mar
Unique. One sees the grating Of the
dungeon Of Auguste Cyparis, the only
survivor Of the 1902 disaster, when
the lives of 10000 people were snuffed
out in almost the twinkling of an
eye.
FROM the layman's point of view
there is nothing so interesting
as small light bulb still bearing
parts Of ashes and lava in which it
rested for 90 years. Since unearthing
1t Mr.. Perret has guarded it with
Jealous care. The instant the light
shone forth when his nervous fingers
turned the switch, he declares to be
the most dramatic moment of his
career.
This museum is on that sad little
thoroughfare with the imposing name
Rue Victor Hugo. Looking over the
coping toward the sea the eye falls
upon ruined walls, grim reminder of
the former glory of the dead city.
To the left one sees Mount Pelee,
with snowy sombero, basking in the
tropical sunlight, with its once ter
rible path to the sea, quiet as coun-
try lane in Yorkshire
Martinique-Le pays des revenants
was known to Columbus at Matt
nino, where all the inhabitants were
women Of Amazonian type. The
place Is remembered If for nothing
else as the birthplace Of Josephine,
Empress Of Napoleon. A beautiful
statue to her stands in the Place. de
la Savane and can easily be seen
from the harbor She looks pathetic
and lonely in her immortal marble.
There was activity of commerce
on the island, but also time for
leisure and plenty of gayety.
Then came the ill-fated morning
Of May 8, 1902. There had been
D feeling Of uneasiness on the island
rs Pelee had been roaring out like
some huge beast held in leash.
Nuees ardentes Claiming clouds in
termittently arose from the crater.
Three days before q sudden rush of
boiling lava had engulfed q sugar
factory and destroyed a village Of
$50 persons, roared madly along the
Riviere Blanche and hurried to the
waters edge, turning the sea into
Beething torrents Of steam.
The fiery monster struck early in
the morning as If all the demons of
hell had gathered in the night for
hideous conclave. It was 1852 a. m.
to be exact. A few minutes later every
vestige of human life was wiped out
save that Of one poor colored man,
Auguste Ciparis, a prisoner in dun
geon which was under protected hill.
Through the small gratings Of his
cell hot ashes crept in and scorched his
body. Three days later, more dead
than alive, he was rescued by persons
searching In the ruips.
The city went DIN under n yAYi-