Volcanic Disturbances in West Indies 



67 



to obscure the understanding of the 

 events by individual interpretation and 

 hypothesis. Nevertheless, it may not 

 be presumptuous to suggest that confla- 

 gration, death, and fatality in St Pierre 

 may ultimately be explained by either 

 of two theories : 



1. The heat-blast theory. This hy- 

 pothesis assumed that the lapilli, gases, 

 and steam of the ejected cloud were 

 sufficiently hot to have inflamed the city 

 and destroyed the people by singeing, 

 suffocation, and asphyxiation. It does 

 not account for the forces exerted radi- 

 ally and horizontally, nor the flame. 



2. The aerial-explosion theory. The 

 explosion of gases within the erupted 

 cloud after their projection into the air 

 would account for all the phenomena 

 observed. 



The aerial explosion, if it occurred, 

 was most probably a combustible gas, 

 but science is still unable to state its 

 nature. The discussion of explosive 

 gases involves a line of scientific spe- 

 cialization which the writer does not 

 possess ; but as sudden and mysterious 

 as was the great secret it has left its 

 traces and clues which the detectives of 

 science will follow up. Metal surfaces 

 of objects in the ruins will be examined 

 and analyzed for traces of sulphur and 

 chlorides. The deposits from the nu- 

 merous steaming fumaroles are already 

 within the chemical laboratory. Even 

 the ash and rocks of the island will be 

 submitted to minute investigation. 



And then there were those frightful 

 lightning bolts ! What of them and 

 their igniting power? 



THE RECENT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN 

 THE WEST INDIES 



A Letter to the National Geographic Society 

 By Israel C. Russell 



TOGETHER with Robert T. Hill 

 and C. E. Borchgrevink, I had 

 the honor to be a member of 

 the commission sent by the National 

 Geographic Society to examine the re- 

 sults of the recent volcanic eruptions on 

 the islands of Martinique and St Vin- 

 cent. Owing to the courtesy of the 

 President of the United States, we were 

 enabled to accompany the U. S. S. 

 Dixie on her mission of relief to the 

 stricken islands. The Dixie was "in 

 command of Capt. R. M. Berry, U.S.N., 

 and as one of my primary duties I wish 

 to convey my thanks to him and his able 

 officers, and especially Lieut. Comdr. 

 F. A. Wilner and Lieut. J. B. Berna- 



dou, for their genial hospitality and 

 never-failing desire to assist in our 

 work. 



The Dixie sailed from Brooklyn on 

 the evening of May 14, and after a 

 pleasant voyage reached Fort de France 

 early on the morning of May 2 1 . The 

 time spent on the Dixie was most en- 

 joyable. Among our companions were 

 Dr T. A. Jaggar, of Harvard Univer- 

 sity, and Dr E. O. Hovey, of the Amer- 

 ican Museum of Natural History, who, 

 like the commission sent by the National 

 Geographic Society, had in view the 

 study of the recent volcanic eruptions. 

 The relief stores sent by the United 

 States Government were in charge of 



