Volcanoes And Their Eruptions

VOLCANOES AND THEIR ERUPTIONS

Prof. Russell Talked of Them Last Evening

INSTRUCTIVE LECTURES

It Told of the Recent Disaster at Martinique and St. Vincent

The first lecture of the season to be given during the summer school was given by Prof. Russell in Sara Caswell Angell hall Monday evening.

He told in a most interesting way of the investigations which he made recently of the volcanic eruptions at Martinique and St. Vincent. He told of the loading of the boat "Dixie" with supplies with which to relieve the sufferers at Martinique. This loading was done under the supervision of the government and was completed within four days.

The party which made the trip was composed of five expert geologists, 24 press representatives and 13 men from the army. There were also two men who owned property at Martinique which was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Pelee.

The journey was a most interesting one, lectures being given on board by different scientists among the party.

On their arrival at Martinique they found the decks of the steamers in the harbor at Fort de France covered with fine dust to a depth of one or two inches. In the valleys the dust fell to a depth of fifty or sixty feet.

Martinique is on a group of islands composed of fragments of rocks.

Mt. Pelee has for many years had a lake in its crater which was as calm and peaceful as any woodland lake and not since 1851 has there been any sign of disturbance until the late awful catastrophe which destroyed completely so much property and so many human beings with its awful rain of fire.

To give an idea of the extent of the damage done several stereopticon views were shown.

A statue 11 feet high and 9 feet in diameter was thrown with great force by the explosion 45 feet from its pedestal.

The people in the port had been scalded by the hot water which was thrown out of the crater by the eruption, the people on board the steamers In the port suffering equally with those in the town.

At St. Vincent the eruption was an explosion of steam which was directed downward. In this crater there was a lake similar to that of Mt Pelee.

Red hot stones of various sizes were thrown as far as Georgetown and did incalculable damage.

The destruction at both places was complete as far as the devastating lava and boiling water reached. The last eruption on May 20, completed the work begun by the first. The party of which Prof. Russell was a member arrived the day after the last eruption.

The lecture given last night was largely attended.