September 19, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



All 



last week's eruption, he was not equipped 

 with means to complete the work. 



While more geological study is needed, the 

 chief problem of Pelee is the nature of its 

 gaseous ejecta, and it is no longer within the 

 power of a geologist single-handed to solve 

 it, but a carefully planned and equipped co- 

 operative expedition accompanied by physical, 

 ■chemical and photographic apparatiis is 

 r.eeded. 



In order to advance knowledge a party 

 should be sent to Martinique for an indefinite 

 stay of several months, with spectroscope, 

 seismographs, chronographs, special photo- 

 graphic apparatus and all necessary equij)- 

 ment to study the eruptions with special refer- 

 ■ence to their electrical, magnetic, gaseous and 

 •other jjhysical behavior. Furthermore, some 

 society or individual should have seismo- 

 graphic stations established throughout the 

 West Indies and oxir southern coastal plain — 

 :and this could be probably aided by our Coast 

 and Geological Surveys, or by the Weather 

 Bureau. 



A temporarj' and healthful observatory and 

 laboratory could be established on the slopes 

 ■of Carbet overlooking Pelee, from which studies 

 -could be made with perfect safety. The talk 

 about the danger of the annihilation of the 

 island is all wrong. The recent deaths were 

 :all within the previous zone of danger coin- 

 ■cident with the slopes of Montague Pelee 

 proper, but the rest of Martinique, except 

 villages at sea level in reach of tidal waves, 

 is perfectly secure. 



INTever was there a time so propitious or 

 important for concerted effort to secure 

 new and important light upon the behavior 

 ■of volcanoes, and some society or individual 

 should immediately raise the funds to con- 

 duet and direct this important work. 



Americans are letting a great opportunity 

 pass to add to knowledge, and I humbly beg 

 that those who are in a position to equip such 

 an expedition or to influence our learned so- 

 cieties or individuals, give this subject their 

 serious consideration. 



Koi;t. T. it ill. 

 U. S. Geologicax Survey. 



SIR. BOECHGEEVINK ON THE ERUPTION OF MT. 

 PELEE. 



To THE Editor of Science: There are cer- 

 tain features of the article ' History's Greatest 

 Disaster,' by C. E. Borchgrevink, descriptive 

 of the eruption of Mt. Pelee, Martinique, in 

 May of the present year, and published in the 

 July number of Frank Leslie's Monthly, which 

 are so inaccurate or misleading tliat they 

 should be corrected. 



On page iii of the ' Martinique Supple- 

 ment ' referred to there is an illustration with 

 the caption : " This remarkable photograph 

 was taken during the grand eruption [of Mt. 

 Pelee] of May 20th. The camera was knocked 

 from the photographer's hand and was 

 not recovered till the following day. The fate 

 of tlie photographer is unknown." The facts 

 are that this photograph was not taken on 

 May 20; it does not represent an eruption 

 of Mt. Pelee ; the photographer did not lose his 

 camera; he is still doing business in Kings- 

 town, St. Vincent. The photograph was taken 

 by J. C. Wilson, photographer, of Kingstown, 

 St. Vincent, and it represents an eruption 

 of La Soufriere. 



On page iv there is an illustration with the 

 caption, ' The smoking lava beds of Pelee.' 

 This illustration was not made from a photo- 

 graph of any part of Mt. Pelee, but from a 

 photograph of the mouth of the gorge of the 

 Wallibou river, St. Vincent, with Richmond 

 Peak (a part of Morne Garou) in the back- 

 ground. 



On page xiii of this article on Martinique 

 there is a picture labelled, ' The two craters of 

 La Soufriere.' These so-called craters are not 

 on Martinique. The illustration was made 

 from a photograph of the Pitons of St. Lucia, 

 which is a stock picture in all photographers' 

 shops. 



The last instance to be noted is one on page 

 xvi,whichis called ' General view of the island' 

 — presumably of Martinique, since the article 

 deals solely with that island. This illustration 

 is not of Martinique. It is a composite, made 

 up from two photographs of La Soufriere, St. 

 Vincent, taken from nearly the same point of 

 view. In the middle distance we have, be- 



