Tragedy of Pelee: A Narrative of Personal Experience and Observation in Martinique Book

The small coastal city of St. Pierre, on the Caribbean island of Martinique, was once a peaceful and tranquil French colony. Unfortunately, its inhabitants were living in the shadow of Mt. Pelée, a dormant volcano that was part of the West Indies chain. On May 8th, 1902 word got back to Paris that the city of St. Pierre had been utterly destroyed by a volcanic blast from Pelée. Due to its proximity, the United States immediately sent relief efforts, including food and disaster supplies. Several Navy ships were transporting the supplies to the Caribbean. On board one of these ships, among the army officers, newspaper men and scientists was the author of this book, asked to cover the story by The Outlook, a European newsmagazine.

Before the eruption the volcano lay dormant, except for a brief rumble in 1851. It had no cone, and not much of a peak, as would be associated with most volcanos. There were two small craters, one at the summit and one about half way down, that were normally dry lake beds, sometimes filled with water. In fact the summit crater, Lake Palmiste, became a favorite place of resort for picnic goers and excursionists alike. The area was not streaked with ancient lava beds, in fact, its lower slopes were green with indigo, tobacco and sugar-cane, while up near its 4,400 foot summit grew wild bananas, arborescent ferns, shrubs and vines. It looked much like any one of the hundreds of peaks that spring up on Caribbean islands in this part of the world. The area is not known for its volcanic activity.

Although most of the destruction had already occurred before they arrived, the reporter and other journalists, scientists and laymen looked on, as Mt Pelée continued to erupt. The stark contrast after the volcanic blast, of being as barren and gray as an ancient lunar landscape, left the residents of the island with an inimical reminder of the cataclysm that had befallen them. This book will be of interest to those who are fascinated by volcanoes and would like to read about a first-hand account of the awesome power of nature's most engaging spectacle. Today, the volcano lies dormant once again, and only occasionally does the peaceful, easy-going life of a Caribbean islander, or the infrequent tourist sometimes intrude upon the slopes of the sleeping giant. 257 + 14 illustrated pages.