Vol. XIII, No. 7 WASHINGTON 



July, 1902 



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REPORT BY ROBERT T. HILL ON THE 



VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES IN 



THE WEST INDIES 



Washington, D. C, June 24., igo2. 

 Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, 



President National Geographic Society. 



Dear Sir : I transmit herewith ray report on my investigations of the recent 

 volcanic eruptions of Mont Pelee, Island of Martinique. I had previously made 

 two visits to the island and was somewhat familiar with its topography and geology. 

 My researches consisted of ten days' study on the island, from May 21 to May 30, 

 inclusive. Most of the time was devoted to studying the physiographic effects 

 of the volcano, the nature of its eruptions and ejecta, and the procuring of 

 evidence from eyewitnesses concerning the facts of the catastrophe. I traveled 

 extensively over the surface and margins of the area of the disaster on foot and 

 horseback and circumscribed the coast with boats. 



During my stay I was placed under repeated obligations for courtesies extended 

 by U. S. Consul Ayme, Captain McLean, of the U. S. cruiser Cincinnati; Lieu- 

 tenant McCormick, commander of the U. S. tug Potomac ; Admiral Servan and 

 officials of the French fleet ; Mr Ferdinand Clerc, the leading planter of the 

 island, and innumerable members of the negro and colored peasantry, whose cour- 

 tesy and hospitality were graciously extended on every occasion. Special thanks 

 are due Captain Berry and all the officers and sailors of the Dixie, who by self- 

 deprivation accommodated our party on their vessel. Thanks are also due Mr 

 J. S. Diller and Dr George Steiger, of the U. S. Geological Survey, for their 

 prompt petrographic examination and chemical analyses of the specimens col- 

 lected, and for their prompt reports published elsewhere in this Magazine. 



In the present article I have endeavored to present a technical statement of the 

 actual events of the great eruption. The time has been too limited for me to 

 thoroughly digest and interpret the data collected. Later I shall present some 

 further remarks and my final conclusions on the phenomena in the Century Mag- 

 azine for September. It is also but just to remark that the accompanying article 

 does not pretend to be a complete or final presentation. I appreciate that my 

 associates. Professors Russell and Jaggar, who accompanied the Dixie, and Pro- 

 fessor Heilprin, who arrived on the island as I was leaving, all collected informa- 

 tion and data equally as valuable as mine, and that they may have deductions of 

 greater importance. 



Very truly yours, Robert T. Hill, 



Geologist, U. S. Geological Survey. 



