Martinique has suffered from occasional hurricanes, as in 1767, when 1,600 persons perished, and in 1839, 1891, 1903 and 1928. Earthquakes have also been fre quent, but the most terrible natural disas ter was the eruption of Mont Pele in 1902, when St. Pierre, formerly the chief com mercial centre of the island, was destroyed. Early in the year manifestations of vol canic activity had occurred; on April 25 there was a heavy fall of ashes, and on the 2nd and 3rd of May a heavy eruption destroyed extensive sugar plantations north of St. Pierre, and caused a loss of some 150 lives. A few days later news that the Souffriere in St. Vincent was in eruption reassured the inhabitants of St. Pierre, as it was supposed that this out break might relieve the volcano of Pele. But on May 8 the final calamity came without warning; a mass of fire swept over St. Pierre, destroying the ships in the harbour, among which, only one, the "Roddam" of Scruttons, escaped. A fall of molten lava and ashes followed the flames, accompanied by dense gases which stifled those who had escaped. The total loss of life was estimated at 40,000. Consternation was caused not only in the West Indies, but throughout the world, and at first it was seriously suggested that the island should be evacuated, but no countenance was given to this proposal by France. Relief measures
were undertaken and voluntary subscriptions raised. The material losses were estimated at £4,000,000; but, besides St. Pierre, only one-tenth of the island had been devastated, and although during July there was further volcanic activity, causing more destruction, the economic situation recovered more rapidly than was expected.
See Annuaire de la Martinique (Fort de France) ; H. Mouet, La Martinique (Paris, 1892) ; M. J. Guet, Origines de la Martinique (Vannes, 1893) ; G. Landes, Notice sur la Martinique (with full bibli ography) (Paris, 1900) ; M. Dumoret, Au pays du sucre (Paris, 1902) ; and on the eruption of 19o2, A. Heilprin, Mont Pelee and the Tragedy of Martinique (Philadelphia and London, 1903) ; A. Lacroix, La Mon tagne Pelee et ses eruptions (Paris, 1904) ; and the report of Drs. J. S. Flett and T. Anderson (November 20, 1902) , who investigated the eruptions on behalf of the Royal Society ; cf. T. Anderson, "Recent Volcanic Eruptions in the West Indies," in Geographical Journal, vol. xxi. (1903).