The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 29, 1902, Page 1

Call, VOLUME XCI-NO. 180. REAL LAVA IS THROWN FROM CRATER OF PELEE Terrific Explosion Causes Even Scientists| to Flee From the Island. | X -+ [ | i A | | 4 | ; George Kennan d his companion, Mr. | ceeded ‘ v] +_ From the Special Correspondent of The Call and the New York Her- ald. Copyright, 1902, by the New York Herald Publishing Company. ORT D FRANCE, Martin- 28 —Developmen conditions of Mont Pe- indicate ruptions to come greater and more de- Tu than dny that have The volcano an _explosion was agein active which to-day, ruiser Cincinnati. * Robert L. Hill, the Washington sclen- tist, concerning whom great fears were expressed yesterday by those who knew that he was intending to approach the crater of the volcano just before the eruptiof of Monday night, has returned | bhere. He was at Fons St. Denis when the eruption took place, and had an ex- perience similar to that which befell the | atives of the Herald and The ough he had not got as near to Pelee’s crater as they. He was less than five miles from the crater when the ex- | plotion took place and was compelled. to | to save hise life. He and Colonel Ayme, American Consul now sleep on the Cincinnati. EJECTS MOLTEN ROCK. £ researches have been more pro- ive than he had expected. He is au- therity he assertion that Mont Pelee is now eje g true lava (molten rock), matter not nlike that which covered p This is the first time that the iction of real lava by any of the anoes in this part of the world has been noted, and the highly important fact may presage terrible results, Hill will not discuss the matter, but cther men of science here agree that the corditions now known to exist are more threatening than thote that were ob- served before the destruction of - St Pierre. Hill has also explained that the terrific lightning in the clouds Monday night was caused by the ignition of the s thrown off by Mont Pelee, com- tining with the oxygen in the air. This, he believes, offers the best explanation of the destruction of St. Plerre. Hill =aye that the entire northern end of the island is too dangerous at this time to permit further investigation. H for took place this morning driving | he American scientists on board | at | the extreme northern,end of the island. They are safe, but had a narrow escape at the _time of the eruption’ Monday night. During one of the explosions this morning.. great :quantities’ of gaseous smoke were ejected by the volcano. It is fezred, that should such gas. settle over the fsland there would be danger of a Tepetition of the disaster which destroy- ? St. Plefre,‘and that every living thing in Martinique might be obliterated. The exodus -of -inhabitants- continues,- and - if confldence is not restored soon the isl- and will be entirely depopulated. HILL’S TERRIBLE TRIPF. | Scientist Gives His Version of His } Investigation. | FORT DE FRANCE, island of Martin- {ique, May 28.—Professor Robert T.. Hill, United States geologist and head of the expedition sent to Martinique by the Na- | tional Geographical Society, who ieft Fort de France Monday on horseback for the voleano, returned here this morning. He was . completely. .worn..out by, his_ trip. | Professor Hill relates an Interesting story of the examination of the district through which he passed. He left Fort de France Monday afterncon. He was gccompanied |by a Mr. Cavanaugh, an army officer, from the British island of Trinidad, and |2 boy named Joe, who was to act as | interpreter. The party set out on horse- | back and took the direct north road for | Morne Rouge. Between the hamlets of | Deux Choux end Fonds St. Denis the | party entered upon the outer edge of the zone of ashes. Except for occasional | patches all the country to this point was green and smiling. Upon reaching the Raibaud plantation, one mile southwest of St. Plerre, the explorer met the clear line of demarcation of the zone of flame tion. Monday night was spent in a de- serted house at Fonds St. ‘Denis, from which Hill witnessed and studied the vol- canic eruption of that night. At this point the horses of the party became ex- hausted. ¥ HILL'S HORSE FAILS. Early next morning Hill pushed on to Mont Parnasse, where several peo- ple were killed in the eruption of May 8 He encountered no human be- ings, but he did meet a number of aban- doned cattle, which tried to follow him. From Mont Plrx:_a.pse_the exnloygr pro- from a negro and continued on his way. and destruction, although not of annihila-_ photographs. He found that a close ap- proach to. Mont Pelee was impossible, and as his actual position was dangerous he started back in a southerly direction. At Champe Flore, Hill's horse gave out complétely, and he secured the services of native guides, who led him by wild mountain paths back to Fonds St. Denis and Deux Choux. Tuesday night was spent ‘at the latter place. From this point Hill sent a messenger into Fort de France with a request that a carriage be sent for him. Wednesday morning the professor left Deux Choux and walked to within fifteen kilometers of Fort de France, where he borrowed an old horse The carriage met him five kilometers from Fort de France and brought him back to.town, where he arrived at 11 o'clock this. morning.’ WITNESSES EXPLOSION. Professor Hill heard the explosion of this morning while on his way into Fort de France, and he says a cloud of black smoke at a great height was drifting slowly_to the southeast, Speaking personally of his expedition to Mont Pelee Professor Hill sald: “My attempt to examine the crater of Mont P‘e\e;e has been futile, T Succeeded, however, Yn getting very close to Morne Rouge. At 7 o'clock Monday night I wit- nessed from a point near the ruins of St. Pierre a frightful explosion from Mont Pelee and noted the accompanying phe- nomena. While these eruptions continue no sane man should attempt to ascend to the crater of the voleano. Following the £alvos of detonations from the moun.. tain gigantic mushroom-shaped columns of smoke and cinders ascended into the clear, star-lit 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 light- ning-like bolts flashed with alarming fre- quency. They followed a distinct path of ignition, but were different from light- ning in that the bolts were horizontal and not perpendicular. This is Indisput- able evidence of the explosive oxidation of the gases after they left the crater. This is a most important observation, and explains in part the awful”catastrophe. This phenomena is entirely new in vol. canic history.' -~ [ “I took many photographs, but don’t hesitate to acknowledge that I was terri- | some hours before me became scared, ran PRICE FIVE CENTS. TO GRANT AMNESTY Great Britain’s Stand Concerning Cape i Rebels. English Will Become the Official Lan- | | Minor Details Delay Peace in South Africa. LONDON, May %.—The Daily Chronicle this morning declares that the negotia- tons of the present week will witness the termination of the war in South Africa. The paper says it Gnderstands the Gov- ernment has declined to grant the Cape Colony rebels unqualified amnesty or to fix a date for the establishment of self- government, and that English wi]l prob- ably be the official language in the two countries. Against this idea of a speedy anounce- ment of peace is the decision reached in Parliament yesterday ‘to debate the edu- cational bill next Monday, and to prepare further debate om the budget, wiich seems to show that affairs in South Af- rica ‘'may require a greater period of time for settlement. s § It is now regarded as certain that the Chamberlain party will be victorious, and the Government has decided to ré- tain the tax on grain. Joseph Chamber- lain, the Colonial Sccretary, 1s agaln in- disposed, and some people believe his in- disposition merely “diplomatic.” PRI IR R R A IR fied. But I was not the only person so trightened. Two newspaper correspond- ents who were close to Morne Rouge | threc miles down the mountain and has- tened into Fort de France. ““The people on the northern end of the jsland are terrified, and are fleeing with their cattle and effects. 1 spent Tuesday night in a house at Deux Choux with a crowd of 200 frightened refugees. “Nearly all the phenomena of these vol- canic outbreaks are new to sclence, and many of them have not yet been explain- ed, The volcano is still intensely active, and I cannot malse any predictions as to ‘what nfim:na:-m,f e s Weérnando Clerc relates the following story: ‘Mr. Kennan and his party. have been with me. We got around the mountain and reached the new crater not far from Ajoupa Bouillon. We discovered that it had broken out at the very head of the river Falalst and about 200 yards from the high road. Our party rode directly to the edge of the crater, as it was then quies- cent. We saw that a great slice of the mountain had fallen, leaving exposed a perpendicular cliff. In this cliff were five huge tunnels, which were not smoking. The crater is a great sloping oval depres- sion, from which smoke issues, as it does from the great crater, with the exception that here there wecre few ashes in the smoke. .The river Falailsi is boiling hot and so muddy that a quart of water weighed four pounds. Volcanic stones of the nature of pumice float.in this water. “mr. Kennan witnessed the explosion of Monday night and was much interested in the phenomena. The explosion was ac- companied at intervals by a bright light, which lasted for half an hour at a time. This light was steady and {lluminated the entire mountain top. Professor Hill says he did not see this light. I left Mr. Ken- nan and his party in good health and safe. They seemed to be in no hurry to come back to Fort de France.” o MISERY ON ST. VINCENT. Abandonment of the Island Is Again Considered. KINGSTON, Jamalca, May 28.—Cable advices from Kingstown, St. Vincent, to- day state that the island, which for past years has been sinking under the weight of its troubles, has reached the height of its misery. La Soufriere, which after hav- ing devastated the whole northern portion of the island, quieted down somewhat, is again’ belching forth immense clouds of smoke and blasts of superheated steam and is threatening further eruption. The noise from the volcano is terrific. Clouds of vapor and smoke are charged with electricity, which manifests {tself in alarming electric storms. The rainfall is excessive. Rivers are pouring down floods of llquid mud, and such places as have hitherto escaped destruction dealt by the volaano dre being swept away by the in- undation. Already the idea of abandoning the island has been mooted by Sydney Oliver, Colonial Secretary of Jamaica. When five years ago a hurricane of unusual violence swept the island almost bare, bringing to the verge of ruin the poverty-stricken agriculturists, it was proposed to draft people to British Gulana, Trinidad and Jamalca. = The British Government came to their aid and they got their heads above water once more. Now, however, the scheme is being revived, Sugar bounties, emancipation and other causes as far back as the beginning of the last century set the colony on the downgrade. Between 1852 and 1596 the value of exports and imports decreased two-thirds and since then they have been rapidly declining. The sugar industry {s almost dead. * -The pay of laborers is 16 cents a day and they can only get about ten days work a month. * 4 NEW CRATERS ARE FORMED. French Governor Reports on Mont Pelee’s Latest Work. -PARIS, May 23. Governor of Mar- tnique, M. I'Huerre, cabled from Fort de France, ‘under date of to-day, May 28, 5 g p \ HALF MILLION MEN MAY QUIT Sargeht Says 'Bituminous Miners Will Join Strike. T. LOUIS, Mo., May 28— Frank P. Sargent of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and a member of. the National Board of Arbitration, of which Mark A. Hanna f1s chairman, is of the opinion that if the strike of anthracite coal miners is not settled within the next eight or ten days there will probably be a sympathetic strike in the bituminous coal flelds. * Sar- gent said to the Assoclated Press repre- sentative to-day:. - 3 e oy p to last Monday, whén T Teft New York, both sides were standing firm, and from the condition of things I think the country will see a bitter contest.. I was told by President Mitchell that the miners were never in better financial condition than now to enter a strike and they are confident of winning. For some time the anthracite miners have had plenty of work and have been able to lay up money. President Mitchell is of the opinion that they will be able to hold out at least six months, and doubtless longer. In the meantime everything pos- sible is being done to arbitrate the differ- ences. b “I am of the opinion that if the strike is not settled within the next eight or ten days miners in the bituminous fields will be asked to go out in sympathy for their Eastern brethren. A convention of hituminous miners to decide what action to take in the matter is under contempla- tion, but the date or place of meeting has not yet, to my knowledge, been decided upon. Should a sympathetic strike be decided on probably as many as 450,000 miners in the bituminous fields will go out. “The coal barons believe they are mas- ters of the:situation, while the working- men are equally confident - of - their strength and. their chances “of ' success. There are 180,000 men idle as a result of the strike in the anthracite’ fields.” Sargent was asked if he thought the strike would later’ involve the railroad men. “No,” he said, “I do not think the strike will spread among the rafircad men. It is against their rules to go into such a strike. Aside from the freight handlers on the coal roads affected by the present strike I do not belleve it will be felt by the railroads. In the event of a strike among the bituminous miners any one can see that the effect will be disas- trous, because almost every line of busi- ness would feel the result.” e HANNA'S ACT CAUSES HOPE. Senator Strives to Compel Settlement of the Strike. WILKESBARRE, Pa., May 28.—Senator Hanna may be behind a movement now under way to have the State of Pennsyl- vania begin legal proceedings against the coal trust. A chain of circumstances point to this. Hanna is backing Attorney General Elkin for Goverpor ef Pennsyl- vania. Elkin wants the votes of the min- ers and other laboring men. - Yesterday he and Governor Stone had a long conference with District Presidents Nichols, Duffy and Fahey of the United States Mine Workers. —_ LABOR . LEADER WHO PRE- DICTS SYMPATHETIC STRIKE IN BITUMINOUS FIELDS. - -+ Politiclans, coal operators and others here knowing the situation make these conclusions: That Elkin will do all he can by prosecuting the coal trust to win union votes; that Hanna is encouraging him in this because he desires to settle the sirike before it embraces the soft coal regions and jeopardizes his interests there and also because he is eager, since the opera- tors have practically ignored his efforts for_conciliation and arbitration, to com- pel them to treat with the miners. The situation to-day is this: Distriet presidents are walting for the return from the West of President Mitchell i order to discuss the new legal aspect of the situa- don with him and then, with his ex- pected approval, the union will request the State authorities to begin proceedings on the ground that a coal trust is unlaw- ful under the common law and In open conflict with the constitution of Eennsyl- vanfa. At present the district officers will say nothing, but so strong is their bellef in the ability of the administration to fdrce the coal trust to the wall and compel the operators to treat with the union that there has spread like a ray of sunshine through the region a rumor that peace is in sight and there-is to-night among the strikers greater confidence in the outcome of the strike than there has been at any time since its inception. This confidence emanates from the district presidents and lesser officers and the return of President Mitchell is eagerly awaited. @ itk iR e @ confirming the press dispatches announc- ing that a fresh eruption of ‘Mont Pelee occured during the evening of Monday, May 2, causing a great panic at Fort de France. The cinders and scorfa, ' how- ever, the Governor added, did not touch the town, falling entirely on the north of the island. Calm is now restored at Fort de France. - The Governor abandoned his . proposed visit to the devastated places on the isl- gnd, owing to the torrential rains and rough seas. Several craters, the Governor further reported, were vomiting. thick smoke. - Another eruption of ' Mont . Pelee oc- curred as the French cruiser Tage passed St. Plerre recently, resulting.in a sudden inflow. of mud from the bed of the river Blanche. The Governor concludes that his latest visit to St. Pierre confirms the previous reports that the southern por- tion of that town was apparently de- stroyed by an inexplicable phenomenon, resembling 'a. frightful hurricane, which swept fgom north to south. The fall of scoria formed a layer a foot decep. The northern part of the town is buried under a bed of mud. It is impossible to ade- quately describe the desolation at St. Plerre. — DUST FALLS ON VESSELS. Passing Steamers Get Evidence of Pelee’s Eruption. ST. JOHNS, Island of Antigua, B. W. T., May 25.—The British steamer Fontabell, GENERAL WOOD IS AMUSED Becomes Facetious in Discussing €uban , Expenses. |Says All Accounts Are Open to the : Public. A.Georgia Statesman, | However, Seeks ‘ Information. | Epecial Dispatch to The Call. CALL BUREAU, M06 G STREET, N. W., WASAINGTON, May 25.—“All ex= | penditures in Cuba are matters of public | record. No money has been expended ex- cept on competent and proper authority.” This was the statement made to-day by General Leonard Wood on his arrival in Washington. He had just’read the eriti- | cisms made of the expenditures of his de- partment, and remarked that he did not consider any farther reply necessary. Ex- penditures for champagnes, whisky, ete., which had been emphasized, General Wood said, were doubtless ordered for public entertainments and he remarked, face- tiously, that it wouid be unusual to pro- vide sand or lumber for such purposes. ACCOUNTS OPEN TO ALL. General Wood added that Congress had asked for Cuban accounts two years ago. They had at once been furnished. If Con- gress wanted these accounts up to date they would be furnished again. In fact, | the accounts were open to any one. General Wood reached Washington this morning. He was accompanied by Colonel Scott and other members of his staff, and is temporarily making his headquarters at the Metropolitan Club, although he will live aboard the Kanawha for several | days. | One of the first acts of General Wood | was to make an oral report to Secretary Root in the discharge of his stewardship in Cuba, the withdrawal of American | troops and inauguration of the Cuban re- public. He called on President Roosevelt later. “The people of Cuba are a good, hard- working lot,”” remarked General Wood. “There'ls less than 2 per cent of Ameri- cans on the island. When one stops to b to-day Cuba has no beggass, one m! be impressed with the belief that there is some virtue in the people of the island. The Cubans are deeply grate- ful fo the United States.” SEEKS INFORMATION. General Wood's assistants in the ad- ministration of Cuban affairs to the num- ber of about twenty army officers and civilians will soon arrive in Washington. The work of settling their accounts, the general estimates, will take about six ‘weeks or two months. Representative Bartlett of Georgia to- day introduced a resolution requesting in- formation from the Secretary of War as to the amount of salary or other compen- sation paid General Leonard Wood as mil- itary Governor. General of Cuba, and by what authority such payments were made. MONEY WAS EXPENDED, BUT OFFICIALS ARE SAFE Civil Service Commission Passes Upon tke Cases Against Federal Authorities. WASHINGTON, May 2.—The Civil Service Commission has decided that funds were solicited and collected for the Presidential campaign of 1900 from em- ployes under Collector of Internal Reve- nue Henry of Terre Haute, Ind., with his approval and co-operation, but holds that the evidence does not justify the institu- tion of criminal proceedings agalnst him or any of his subordinates. TRe report says William E. Houck, & storekeeper and gauger, and Deputy Col- lectors Klift and Hall paid money for campaign purposes, but they acted under implied coercion. The dismissal of B. de Baum is recom- mended by the commission. —_— ARCHBISHOP JOHN EKEANE IS SELECTED FOR HONORS Correspondent of a London News- _paper Says He Will Have Corrigan’s Place. LONDON, May 2.—According to, the Rome correspondent of the Dally Mail, Archbishop John J. Keane of Dubuque, Towa, will be named by the Pope to suc- ceed the late Archbishop Corrigan of New York at the consistory to be held in July. @ iiriririninieiii - @ from New York for various West Indian ports, has arrived here and reports hav- ing passed St. Pierre, Martinique. during the afterncon of May 27, when vast cal- umns of smoke and flashes from Mont Pelee were visible forty miles away. Dust fell on the steamer when fifty miles from the island. The Fontabell had previousiy landed relief supplies at Fort de France. ROSEAU, Island of Dominica, May 28.— The British steamer Savan, from London for Barbadoes and West Indlan ports, has arrived here. She passed Mont Pelee, Isi. and of Martinique, at 9 o’clock this morn- ing, when a thick, black smoke was aris. ing from the volcano, and the officers of the Savan belleved, from the great quan. tity of dust which fell on the steamer, that another great eruption had occurred, Brought by Gulf Stream. CHARLESTON, §. C., May 3.—A con- siderable quantity of pumice looking ma. terial, believed to be from the volcances fh.the West Indfes, is drifting on the shores in this vicinity. Fishermen have also brought in pieces from the sea. It is dark In color and brittle, with varied streaks. It i{s supposed the gulf stream brought it. to this region. ., . | |