ataclysm did not come without warning. As early as March 23, a
scientist ascended the volcano and reported that a small crater was in
eruption. By the end of April, to quote from Heilprin, "vast columns of
steam and ash had been and were being blown out, boiling mud was flowing
from its sides and terrific rumblings came from its interior. Lurid
lights hung over the crown at night-time, and lightning flashed in
dazzling sheets through the cloud-world. What further warnings could any
volcano give?"

On April 25, a crater broke into a small eruption, throwing out showers
of rock-material, which, however, did not reach the town, distant a mile
from the foot of the volcano. On May 5, an avalanche of boiling mud,
many acres wide, tumbled down from the volcano, and went roaring along
the bed of the Riviere Blanche at the rate of a mile a minute. A large
sugar factory was engulfed and some 159 lives lost. On May 6 and 7, the
sulphur fumes were so strong in the streets that horses, and even
people, dropped from suffocation.

Again--what further warning could any volcano give?

There were other warnings. On April 30, light ashes had begun to fall.
On May 1 an excursion was announced for the summit of Mont Pelee for
those who wished to see a volcano in action, but that morning a deeper
coat of ashes blanched the streets. The Jardin des Plantes--one of the
richest tropical gardens of the West Indies--lay buried beneath a cap of
gray and white. The heights above the city seemed snow-clad. The country
roads were blocked and obliterated, and horses would neither work nor
travel. Birds fell in their noiseless flight, smothered by the ash that
surrounded them, or asphyxiated by poisonous vapors or gases that were
being poured into the atmosphere.

"The rain of ashes never ceases," the local paper wrote on May 3. "At
about half-past nine, the sun shone forth timidly. The passing of
carriages is no longer heard in the streets. The wheels are muffled.
Many business houses are closed to customers.... The excursion which
had been organized for tomorrow morning cannot take place, the crater
being absolutely inaccessible. Those who had planned to take part will
be informed on what date this excursion will become possible."

On May 4 the paper wrote: "The sea is covered in patches with dead
birds. Many lie asphyxiated on the roads. The cattle suffer greatly,
asphyxiated by the dust of ashes. The children of the planters wander
aimlessly ab