2io The National Geographic Magazine 



iinique forms an elongated oval, con- 

 taining on land about eight square miles 

 of destruction. This oval is partly over 

 the sea. The land part is bounded by 

 lines running from L,e Precheur to the 

 peak of Mont Pelee, thence curving 

 around to Carbet. There were three 

 well marked zones : 



" First. A center of annihilation, in 

 which all life, vegetable and animal, 

 was utterly destroyed. The greater 

 northern part of St. Pierre was in this 

 zone. 



" Second. A zone of singeing, blis- 

 tering flame, which also was fatal to all 

 life, killing all men and animals, burn- 

 ing the leaves on the trees, and scorch- 

 ing, but not utterly destroying, the trees 

 themselves. 



" Third. A large outer, non -destruct- 

 ive zone of ashes, wherein some vegeta- 

 tion was injured. 



" The focus of annihilation was the 

 new crater, midway between the sea and 

 the peak of Mont Pelee, where now 

 exists a new area of active volcanism, 

 with hundreds of fumaroles, or minia- 

 ture volcanoes. 



"The new crater is now vomiting 

 black, hot mud, which is falling into 

 the sea. Both craters, the old and new, 

 are active. Mushroom-shaped steam 

 exp'osions constantly ascend from the 

 old crater, while heavy ash-laden clouds 

 float horizontally from the new crater. 

 The old ejects steam, smoke, mud, 

 pumice, and lapilli, but no molten lava. 



' ' The salient topography of the re- 

 gion is unaltered. The destruction of 

 St. Pierre was due to the new crater. 

 The explosion had great superficial 

 force, acting in radial directions, as is 

 evidenced by the dismounting and carry- 

 ing for yards the guns in the battery on 

 the hill south of St. Pierre and the statue 

 of the Virgin in the same locality, and 

 also by the condition of the ruined 

 houses in St. Pierre. 



"According to the testimony of some 

 persons, there was an accompanying 



flame. Others think the incandescent 

 cinders and the force of their ejection 

 were sufficient to cause the destruction. 

 This must be investigated. I am now 

 following the nature of this hill." 



On Monday, May 26, Mr. Hill started 

 on horseback from Fort de France for 

 Morne Rouge and Mont Pelee. He 

 reached Morne Rouge safely Tuesday, 

 where he succeeded in getting a num- 

 ber of photographs. A close approach 

 to Mont Pelee was impossible, so he 

 started back in a southerly direction. 

 During the two nights he was camping 

 out he made some important observa- 

 tions of volcanic action, and on his re- 

 turn issued the following statement : 



' ' My attempt to examine the crater 

 of Mont Pelee has been futile. I suc- 

 ceeded, however, in getting very close 

 to Morne Rouge. At 7 o'clock on Mon- 

 day evening I witnessed from a point 

 near the ruins of St. Pierre a frightful 

 explosion from Mont Pelee, and noted 

 the accompanying phenomena. While 

 these eruptions continue no sane man 

 should attempt an ascent to the crater 

 of the volcano. Following the salvos 

 of detonations from the mountain gigan- 

 tic mushroom-shaped columns of smoke 

 and cinders ascended into the clear, 

 starlit sky, and then spread in a vast 

 black sheet to the south and directly 

 over my head. Through this sheet, 

 which extended a distance of 10 miles 

 from the crater, vivid and awful light- 

 ning-like bolts flashed with alarming 

 frequency. They followed distinct paths 

 of ignition, but were different from 

 lightning, in that the bolts were hori- 

 zontal and not perpendicular. This is 

 indisputable evidence of the explosive 

 oxidation of the gases after they left the 

 crater. This is a most important obser- 

 vation, and it explains in part the awful 

 catastrophe. This phenomenon is en- 

 tirely new in volcanic history. 



" I took many photographs, but do 

 not hesitate to acknowledge that I was 

 terrified ; but I was not the only person 



