Located on the French Caribbean Island of Martinique, Mt Pelèe is named after the Hawaiian Goddess of fire, Pele. This volcano is 4,583 feet above sea level and can be noticed in an observatory controlled by the French. Mount Pelèe has not been active since the 1929-1932 eruption; although that eruption was much less mild than the eruption of 1902. Mount Pelèe is a diverse type of volcano called a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Stratovolcanoes are usually half lava and half pyroclastic material. They are made up of many layers of ash, lava, tephra, and pumice.
In January 1902, Mt. Pelée began to display a large increase in fumarole activity; although, the public showed little concern. On April 23, minor explosions began at the top of …show more content…
It killed over 29,000 people and left only 2 survivors. On the morning of May 8th, the volcano erupted with a loud roar. A large black cloud made of very hot gas, ash, and rock, rolled down the south side of Mt. Pelée at more than 100 miles per hour; it was directed by the V-shaped notch at the summit. In less than one minute it hit St. Pierre with hurricane strength. The blast was powerful enough to carry a three-ton statue sixteen meters from its mount. One-meter-thick stonewalls were blown to pieces, while the burning heat of the cloud lit massive bonfires. Thousands of barrels of rum stored in the city's warehouses exploded, sending a river of burning liquid throughout the streets and into the ocean. The cloud continued to move over to the harbor where it ruined at least twenty ships anchored offshore. The hurricane strength of the explosion capsized the steamship Grappler, and its burning heat set fire to the American sailing ship Roraima, killing lots of of the passengers and crew. The Roraima had the awful luck of arriving only a few hours before the eruption. Those on board could only watch in shock as the cloud fell on them after destroying the city of St.