THE
ERUPTION
OF
PELÉE
27
of scorching and asphyxiation (the inhalation of an extremely heated vaporous [or gaseous] atmosphere). The measure of the work done b y electric discharges has not been determined. Seemingly not less t h a n thirty thousand lives were lost in this catastrophe, representing the entire population of Saint-Pierre and the people of a number of adjoining faubourgs and settlements, the zone of most destructive devastation being measured on the ocean front b y the interval which separates the anse immediately n o r t h of Carbet and Sainte-Philomène. I n the middle line or zone of the sector of devastation the destruction, following the area of concentrated force, was necessarily most complete. I n it the houses were most thoroughly wrecked and few of the corpses showed any vestige of clothing covering the body; and it appears t h a t there were no persons directly within this zone, excepting the prisoner Ciparis and a certain Léandre, so little burned as to be able to survive their injuries. Laterally to this zone of greatest destruction the force of annihilation was a gradually decreasing one, so as to permit houses to stand and the corpses to retain their covering; and in the further exterior, to inflict wounds of a purely scorching nature which were not necessarily fatal or even of consequence. The zone of absolute destruction was a comparatively small one, and probably did not much exceed eight or nine square miles; b u t considerably beyond it extends a region of minor devastation, over which the vegetation was in great measure destroyed, temporarily at least, b y singeing, cindering, and the weight of fallen ashes. The explosion of May 8, while being responsible for the destruction of the life of Saint-Pierre and of its associated settlements, was only in p a r t responsible for the appearance of the city as we now see it; the eruption of May 20, which was perhaps as violent as the one t h a t preceded it b y twelve days, gave new characteristics to the ruins. Whatever seismic movements m a y have accompanied or preceded the great catastrophe, it is certain that, if they existed a t all, they m u s t have been of very minor consequence, otherwise some record beyond a passing notice would have been made of t h e m in the Saint-Pierre journals.* And it is a fact t h a t no earthquake shock was noted a t Fort-de-France on the morning of the 8th, nor, indeed, a t any time previous to August 24, six days before the second deathdealing eruption of Mont Pelée. I n this negative aspect the eruptions of Pelée seem to differ from those of the Soufrière of St. Vincent. The barometric records kept a t Saint-Pierre indicate a remarkable atmospheric stability during several days preceding the storm, the mercury column registering regularly, u p to and inclusive of the 7th of May, seven hundred and sixty-two millimetres, only once falling to seven hundred and sixty-one; it m a y be t h a t early on the 8th, as the sudden movement of the needle in M. Clerc's aneroid possibly indicates, there was a sudden or marked fall, b u t of this we have no record; nor is any abrupt change, except t h a t represented b y a momentary depression of three millimetres, indicated in the registry of the Meteorological Observatory of * S o m e slight shocks are n o t e d in Les Colonies of May 1 as h a v i n g been felt on April 29.