Mont Pelée and the Tragedy of Martinique
A Study of the Great Catastrophes of 1902, with Observations and Experiences in the Field

From tropical paradise to tragic chaos - a remarkable eye-witness account of the catastrophic 1902 Mont Pelée eruptions.

Angelo Heilprin (Author)

9781108072496, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 May 2011

422 pages, 64 b/w illus. 2 maps
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.62 kg

The geologist and explorer Angelo Heilprin (1853–1907) was one of the first scientists to climb the erupting volcano Mont Pelée in 1902. This study, published the following year, records his on-the-spot observations and the scientific data he collected. The erupting volcano tragically destroyed the city of St Pierre, transforming the tropical paradise of Martinique into disastrous chaos. Heilprin's account includes close-range photographs of the erupting volcano taken by the author himself, illustrating the various phases of its activity. These famous photographs are still widely used today. Heilprin pays tribute to the people of the island, describing the courteous assistance he received during his visits. He compares the Pelée eruptions with Mount Vesuvius and its effects on Pompeii, providing important historical context. The book is recognised as being the most thorough study of the eruption sequence and its consequences - one of the greatest natural disasters of the twentieth century.

Preface
1. Impressions of Martinique
2. Saint Pierre and its ruins
3. The cataclysm of May 8
4. Days of fear and trembling
5. The last day of Saint Pierre
6. Vicar-General Parel's chronicle
7. After the conflagration
8. Vesuvius and Pompeii - a parallel
9. Across the island to Assier
10. To the storm-cloud of Pelée's crater
11. The geography of Mont Pelée
12. Père Mary, Curé of Morne Rouge
13. Clouds of passage
14. A second visit to Martinique
15. Battling with Pelée
16. A night of illumination, and the destruction of Morne Rouge and Ajoupa-Bouillon
17. The soufrière of St. Vincent and the afterglows
18. The volcanic relations of the Caribbean basin
19. The phenomena of the Eruption
Appendix
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: Earth sciences [RB]