he trees, and
scorching, but not utterly destroying, the trees themselves; third, a
large outer, nondestructive zone of ashes, wherein some vegetation was
injured.

"The focus of annihilation was the new crater midway between the sea
and the peak of Mount Pelee where now exists a new area of active
volcanism, with hundreds of fumaroles or miniature volcanoes. The new
crater is now vomiting black, hot mud, which is falling into the sea.
Both craters, the old and the new, are active.

"The destruction of St. Pierre was due to the new crater. The
explosion had great superficial force, acting in radial directions, as
is evidenced by the dismounting and carrying for yards the guns in the
battery on the hill south of St. Pierre and the statue of the Virgin
in the same locality, and also by the condition of the ruined houses
in St. Pierre. According to the testimony of some persons there was an
accompanying flame. Others think the incandescent cinders and the
force of their ejection were sufficient to cause the destruction. This
must be investigated. I am now following the nature of this."

Professor Hill started on Monday, May 26, to visit the vicinity of
Mount Pelee, and returned to Fort de France Wednesday morning, nearly
exhausted. Professor Hill was near the ruins of St. Pierre on Monday
night during the series of explosions from Mount Pelee, and was able
to describe the volcanic eruption from close observation. Speaking
personally of his expedition he said: "My attempt to examine the
crater of Mount Pelee has been futile. I succeeded, however, in
getting close to Morne Rouge. At seven o'clock on Monday night I
witnessed, from a point near the ruins of St. Pierre, a frightful
explosion from Mount Pelee and noted the accompanying phenomena. While
these eruptions continue, no sane man should attempt to ascend to the
crater of the volcano. Following the salvos of detonations from the
mountain, gigantic mushroom-shaped columns of smoke and cinders
ascended into the clear, starlit sky, and then spread in a vast black
sheet to the south and directly over my head. Through this sheet,
which extended a distance of ten miles from the crater, vivid and
awful lightning-like bolts flashed with alarming frequency. They
followed distinct paths of ignition, but were different from lightning
in that the bolts were horizontal and not perpendicular. This is
indisputable evidence of the explosive oxidation of the gases after
they left th