JUNE 19, 1902] 
NATURE : 
179 
and the disturbances became more noticeable as the days 
went on, until, on May 5, the Soufritre gave definite 
warnings of its renewed activity. The Rev. J. H. 
Darrell, writing from Kingstown, St. Vincent, on May 9, 
gives, in the Dominica Guardian, the following account 
of the subsequent eruptious of this volcano ':— 
It was on Tuesday, May 6, at 3 p.m., that the mountain 
commenced its series of volcanic efforts. A strong shock of 
earthquake, accompanied by a terrible noise, occurred, and the 
voleano began to emit steam. At 5 p.m. louder and more 
frequent explosions were heard, the detonations succeeding 
each other at rapidly diminishing intervals. At 7.30 p.m. 
columns of steam issued from the old crater with terrific noise. 
These lasted until midnight, when another heavy explosion 
occurred, 
At 7 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7, there was another sudden 
and violent escape of pent-up steam, which continued ascend- 
ing until 10 a.m., when other material began to be ejected. It 
would seem that this was the time when the enormous mass of 
water in the lake of the old crater was emitted in a gaseous 
condition. By 12 o’clock noon it appeared that there were 
three craters vomiting lava—the old crater that had contained 
the lake, the second crater that opened in 1812, and a third 
crater that had burst open in the present eruption. Six dis- 
tinct streams of lava were visible, running down the sides of 
the mountain. The mountain heaved and laboured to rid itself 
of the burning mass of lava heaving and tossing below. By 
12.30 p.m. it was evident that it had begun to disengage itself 
of its burden by the appearances as of fire flashing now and 
then around the edge of the crater. There was, however, no 
visible ascension of flame. These flame-like appearances were, 
I think, occasioned by the molten lava rising to the neck of the 
volcano. ‘Being quite luminous, the light emitted was reflected 
fom the banks of steam above, giving them the appearance of 
ame. 
From the time the volcano became fully active, tremendous 
detonations followed one another so rapidly that they seemed to 
merge into a continuous roar which lasted all through the night 
of May 7 and up to 6.30a.m. on Mayg. These detonations 
and thunderings were heard as far as Barbados, 100 miles 
distant, as well as in Grenada, Trinidad and the south end of 
St. Lucia. At 12.10 p.m. I left in company with several 
gentlemen in a small row boat to go to Chateaubelair, where we 
hoped to get a better view of the eruption. As we passed 
Layou, the first town on the leeward coast, the odour of sul- 
phuretted hydrogen was very perceptible. Before we got half 
way on our journey a vast column of steam, smoke and ashes 
ascended to a prodigious elevation. The majestic body of 
curling vapour was sublime beyond imagination. We were 
about eight miles from the crater, as the crow flies, and the top 
of the enormous column, eight miles off, reached higher than 
one-fourth of the segment of the circle. I judge that the awful 
pillar was fully eight miles in height. We were rapidly pro- 
ceeding to our point of observation, when an immense cloud, 
dark, dense, and apparently thick with volcanic material, 
descended over our pathway, impeding our progress and warning 
us to proceed no further. This mighty bank of sulphurous 
vapour and smoke assumed at one time the shape of a gigantic 
promontory, then appeared as a collection of twirling, revolving 
cloud-whirls, turning with rapid velocity, now assuming the shape 
of gigantic cauliflowers, then efflorescing into beautiful flower- 
shapes, some dark, some effulgent, others pearly white, and all 
brilliantly illuminated by electric flashes. Darkness, however, 
soon fell upon us. The sulphurous air was laden with fine dust 
that fell thickly upon and around us discolouring the sea; a 
black rain began to fall, followed by another rain of favilla, 
lapilli and scoriz. 
The electric flashes were marvellously rapid in their motions 
and numerous beyond all computation. These with the thundering 
noise of the mountain mingled with the dismal roar of the lava, 
the shocks of earthquake, the falling of stones, the enormous 
quantity of material ejected from the belching craters, produc- 
ing a darkness as dense as a starless midnight, the plutonic 
energy of the mountain growing greater every moment combined 
to make up a scene of horrors. It was after five o’clock when 
we returned to Kingstown, cowed and impressed by the weird- 
ness of the scene we had witnessed, and covered with the still 
thickly falling grey dust. Of what this material is composed I 
am unable to give a certain opinion ; but it appears to consist of 
NO. 1703, VOL. 66} 
comminuted rock, produced by attrition of the material as in- 
successive outbursts it is hurled aloft and then tumbles back 
again to the burning crater to be ejected finally as impalpable- 
dust. So minute are the particles that they find their way 
through the finest chinks of a closed room. Large areas of 
cultivation have been buried under the fall of the dust. Its 
effects upon vegetation will probably be beneficial ultimately, 
but inthe meantime great suffering as well as inconvenience is 
occasioned thereby. The awful scene was renewed yesterday 
(May 8) and again to-day. At about 8 a.m. the volcano 
shot out an immense volume of material which was carried in a 
cloud over Georgetown and its neighbourhood, causing, not only 
great alarm, but compelling the people by families to seek shelter 
in other districts. 
More than 400 lives have been lost on the windward side of 
the island, chiefly from lightning, and we have not yet heard from 
other parts of the island in that neighbourhood. The flowing. 
lava on the leeward side of the mountain has buried up the 
Wallibou and Richmond villages and estates, while on the 
windward side of the mountain the estates of Lot Fourteen, 
Rabacca, Overland, Tourama, Orange Hill, Mount Bentinck, 
Langely Park and portions of others have been obliterated. 
It is now 2 p.m. (May 9). A dense gloom still envelops 
the mountain, but there has been no further eruption since 
8 a.m. Several streams and rivers have dried up in various parts 
of the island, and we are threatened with a water as well asa 
food famine. 
As already announced, the National Geographic 
Society of Washington has sent a special expedition to 
Martinique and St. Vincent to investigate the volcanic 
conditions of the West Indian regions. Thé members 
consist of Mr. Robert T. Hill, of the U.S. Geological 
Survey ; Prof. Israel C. Russell, professor of geology in 
the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ; Commander 
C. E. Borchgrevink, the Antarctic explorer ; Dr. T. A. 
Jaggar, of Harvard Univefsity ; Mr. G. C. Curtis, of 
Cambridge, U.S.A., and Dr. Angelo Heilprin, president 
of the Philadelphia Geographical Society. 
The expedition is one of the most important and best 
equipped commissions ever sent out to study actual 
volcanic action. Results of scientific and practical con- 
sequence may therefore be expected from the work of 
the members of the party. On their return to the United 
States they will report the results of their observations 
to the National Geographic Society. ‘ This report, form- 
ing a series, will be published in full in the journal of the 
Society, the Wational Geographic Magazine, the June 
number of which contains a preliminary account of the 
observations already made. 
Upon arriving at Martinique, Dr. Hill embarked on a 
steamer and examined the coast as far north as Macouba 
Point, the north end of the island, making frequent land- 
ings. After landing at Le Précheur, a little village five 
miles north of St. Pierre, he walked through an area of 
active volcanism to the destroyed city. Dr. Hill, accord- 
ing to the Associated Press despatches from Fort de 
France, was the first man to set foot in the active area of 
craters, fissures and fumaroles. 
On hisreturn to Fort de France he issued a brief 
statement as to his observations to the National 
Geographic Society, and it is here abriged from the 
Society’s magazine. 
The zone of the catastrophe in Martinique forms an elongated 
oval, containing on land about eight square miles of destruction. 
This oval is partly over the sea. The land part is bounded by 
lines running from Le Précheur to the peak of Mont Pelée, 
thence curving around to Carbet. There were three well- 
marked zones :— 
(1) A centre of annihilation, in which all life, vegetable and 
animal, was utterly destroyed. The greater northern part of 
St. Pierre was in this zone. 
(2) A zone of singeing, blistering flame, which also was fatal 
to all life, killing all men and animals, burning the leaves on 
the trees, and scorching, but not utterly destroying, the trees 
themselves. ‘ 
(3) A large outer, non-destructive zone of ashes, wherein 
some vegetation was injured. 
