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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



once again awed the inhabitants. The cloud ascended majestically to a great 

 height and was lit at close intervals by flashes and streaks of red lightning. 

 It is reported from Cumberland that ashes fell from the eruption this morn- 

 ing. 



With such an account ten miles from the scene of action, it is not 

 remarkable that the story has lost all semblance of truth when it reaches 

 New York. 



When the scientists were embarking on the Dixie, the}' were con- 

 stantly asked 'Well, doctor, just what do you expect to do when you 

 get to Martinique?' It was at that time a difficult question to answer, 

 but may now be answered by telling briefly what we have done. The 



Tig. 3. St. Pierre : U. S. Tug Potomac in the Harbor, May 10, 1902, starting to search for the 



remains of Consul Prentis. 



Dixie arrived at Fort de France at daylight, May 21. At 10 :30 that 

 morning a party of officers, scientists and correspondents were taken on 

 the Potomac to St. Pierre and landed. The second great eruption of 

 Pelee had taken place the day before, so that every one was on the alert, 

 and we were warned by Lieutenant McCormick, commanding the Po- 

 tomac, that if the tug's whistle blew we were to make for the boats at 

 once. We wandered through the dreary ruin, which has been described. 

 I was impressed by the completeness of the destruction of the masonry 

 and the absence of visible large volcanic fragments. The streets were 

 filled with masonry rubble, mostly rounded sea-worn bowlders, and 

 everything was coated with green-gray powder or sand. The roofs were 

 gone, an occasional timber was burning, bodies were still numerous if 



