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Show MONT PELEE IS PUZZLING. Mont Pelee, from which there was another violent eruption on Monday, was quiet again last week, according to a New York Herald dispatch from Fort de France, but the dispatch adds, the lnhabitans of the island are in a terrified state. The volcano is puzzling all the scientists, scien-tists, some of whom say the mountain has thus far only made a beginning. Morne Rouge was saved from destruction de-struction last night only by a miracle, says a priest who was there. Two correspondents, believing the volcano had, for a time .at least, subsided, sub-sided, planned an expedition to the mountain for the purpose of securing photographs. Several natives were employed em-ployed as guides. I After a weary march which took most of Monday, Morne Rouge was reached about half past 7 o'clock in the evening. The correspondents were welcomed by a kindly disposed priest, who gave such information as was in his possession. He insisted upon a pause being made for refreshments, and in his humble home food was prepared. pre-pared. It was this generous courtesy of the priest that saved the expedition from destruction. The original plan was that the visit should be made to the crater as soon as possible, and quick return be made to Fort de France to avoid all danger. While the evening meal was being prepared the priest pointed out the work of ruin that had been accomplished. He said he had refused re-fused to leave his post, though he was not at all certain Morne Rouge would not be swept from existence, as was St. Pierre. It was while he was talking talk-ing that the explosion came.. From their homes the inhabitants of the village vil-lage ran in a panic. Some did not wait to see what was happening, but hurried hur-ried over the mountains in the direction direc-tion ot Fort de France. Scores went into the churches, fell on their knees, but by far the greater number ran without daring to look behind. The display of lightning was terrific and awe inspiring: When the start was made on the re- I turn trip to Fort de France the guides and servants .were gone. The correspondents corre-spondents had to find their way across the hills as best they could. Behind, Mont Pelee continued to belch fire, ashes, ash-es, smoke and mud. The detonations were of sufficient strength to make the ground trmeble. It seemed as if the mountain tops swayed. To add to the horror of the situation the travelers encountered every now and then a Fer I de Lance, deadliest of all snakes. Scattered Scat-tered specimens of the serpents, of which thousands have been killed by the eruptions, were seen, amid the glare from the volcano and the flashes of ! lightning, gliding over the rocks and hurrying away as if they, too, had learned that their mountain home was no longer safe. |