A Suggested Field for Exploration 



291 



mala erupted, and thousands of lives 

 were destroyed. Early in 1903 Colima 

 in Mexico erupted, and many more lives 

 were lost. Since the eruption of Mont 

 Pelee, on May 8, blasts even more ter- 

 rific than the first fatal one have burst 

 repeatedly from its mouth.* 



We know that all these phenomena 

 are related to each other in a general 

 way, but what that relation is we are 

 unable to explain. The Royal Society 

 of England in 1902 sent two geologists 

 to Martinique and St Vincent to study 

 conditions there ; the French Academy 

 of Sciences did likewise ; the National 

 Geographic Society sent two eminent 

 American geologists, Prof. I. C. Russell, 

 head of the department of geology, Uni- 

 versity of Michigan, and Robert T. Hill, 

 of the U. S. Geological Survey, and one 

 foreign-born geographer, C. E. Borch- 

 grevink ; Harvard University and the 

 National Geographic Society jointly 

 sent Dr T. A. Jaggar, of the Depart- 

 ment of Geology of Harvard Univer- 

 sity ; the American Museum of Natural 

 History sent one geologist, Dr E. O. 

 Hove} r , who is still in the field, and 

 Prof. Angelo Heilprin, of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, has 

 made three separate trips to the same 

 region. But each of these expeditions 

 has observed and studied only one point 

 in the region of volcanic disturbance, 

 and that point on the extreme eastern 

 end of the belt. No one has gone to 

 Colima or Santa Maria, on the western 

 end, the ashes from whose craters are 

 different from the ashes from Mont Pelee 

 and Souffriere. The conclusions of all 

 these expeditions deal with one locality, 

 with one point of weakness only. What 

 is needed is a careful examination of all 

 the principal points of disturbance on 



* Consult "Mont Pelee and the Tragedy of 

 Martinique," by Angelo Heilprin, pages 257- 

 270. Philadelphia : J. B. Lippincott & Co. 

 '9«3- 



the belt, Santa Maria in Guatemala, 

 Colima in Mexico, etc., so that the 

 phenomena at the various points on the 

 belt may be carefully compared. 



The trouble with all past investiga- 

 tions of volcanoes has been that the 

 study has not been sufficiently complete 

 and general. Krakatoa, Vesuvius, and 

 Mauna Loa have each been examined 

 and carefully watched by expert geolo- 

 gists and special commissions, but these 

 investigations have been handicapped 

 by being limited to a small area of ac- 

 tivity. An opportunity like the present 

 for studying active volcanic conditions, 

 not at one point only, but at several 

 connecting points extending over a wide 

 region, has never before been presented. 



A more comprehensive study of vol- 

 canic action will throw light on the 

 forces writhing beneath the earth's 

 crust. What is beneath the upper 

 strata we do not know. By a system- 

 atic study of such a region as the vol- 

 canic belt of Central America great and 

 invaluable information may be gained 

 as to the origin and history of the earth. 



But a far greater discovery may result 

 from such investigation ; it may be pos- 

 sible to foretell when volcanic disturb- 

 ances are to occur, and thus to prevent 

 such a series of catastrophes as have 

 horrified mankind during the last eigh- 

 teen months. 



To carry out a careful and thorough 

 study of this long volcanic belt would 

 require probably less than $5,000, a 

 mere trifle compared to the vast sums 

 at present being expended to further 

 exploration in the north and south polar 

 regions. A wiser expenditure for scien- 

 tific exploration could not be made, in 

 view of our absolute ignorance today of 

 the causes of volcanic action and the 

 tremendous revelations that are possible 

 from a comprehensive study of the 

 extended region of present volcanic 

 activity. 



