Outside Reading

The Tragedy of Pelee I

Basking in the warmth of tropical Caribbean waters and sunshine lay the small island of Martinique. A French possession, it boasted the beautiful and thriving port of Saint-Pierre, the largest and most impor­tant city in the Lesser Antilles, called "the Paris of the West Indies". The charm of its crooked, narrow streets bordered with low, tile-roofed stone houses set in a background of tropical flowers and vegetation gave the appearance of an alluring travel poster. Like a diamond in a perfect setting, Saint-Pierre nestled between a concave two-mile strand of wave-lapped beach and a small volcanic mountain called Pelee.

It was May 8, 1902. To be more exact it was 7:50 a.m., and a sleepy populace was arising to meet the new day. They needn't have both­ered. Four deafening whiplash reports signaled the beginning of the end for Saint-Pierre and all but two of its thirty thousand inhabitants. At 7:59 Mount Pelee literally burst apart, and within three minutes the city was a shambles. Everyone in it, less the two survivors, died a horrible, burning death.

Pelee, located about six miles northeast of the city, was not at all impressive in the ranks of the world's volcanoes. Only 4,430 feet high, the mountain was actually a favorite with the residents of Saint-Pierre. Its ravines and forested slopes provided enjoyable holiday interludes, as did its crater lake, where picnics were often held by light-hearted and light-footed residents and tourists alike.

The mountain had two craters. At the summit was L'Etang de Palm-istes with its pleasant lake, and lower on its flanks to the southwest was L'Etang Sec, a dry crater and the last known site of volcanic activity.

Pelee had been active before, in the historical past, but with no harmful effects. In 1851 ashes were ejected from L'Etang Sec after its crater lake had been evaporated by thermal activity. On the night of August 4 of that year, a mild eruption scattered a light blanket of ash over Saint-Pierre while the people slept. On the fifth, Mount Pelee rumbled and shook and threw up a column of vapor and ash, the latter sprinkling the countryside like gray snow. But this mild activity quickly ceased, without giving any further trouble, and was soon forgotten.

Ш Suggest how the following could be expressed in Russian:

basking in the warmth of tropical Caribbean waters; it boasted the beautiful and thriving port; crooked, narrow streets; houses set in a background of tropical flowers; houses... gave the ap­pearance of an alluring travel poster; a diamond in a perfect set­ting; town... nestled between a concave two-mile strand of wave-leaped beach; to be more exact; they needn't have bothered; deafening whiplash reports; literally burst apart the city was a shambles; less the two survivors; not at all impressive; in the ranks of the world's volcanoes; the mountain was a favourite with the residents; provided enjoyable holiday interludes; resi­dents and tourists alike; the last known site; with no harmful effects; eruption scattered a light blanket of ash; rumbled and shook; threw up a column of vapor and ash; this activity quickly ceased; without giving any further trouble

Give a detailed account of

^e the island of Martinique

• the port of Saint-Pierre

• the day of May 8, 1902

• the volcano Pelee

• the historical past of Pelee

, n

In May, 1901, a group of picnickers, upon arrival at the summit, found a small jet of steam rising from the margin of the old crater lake. It smelled of sulphur and had killed all the vegetation nearby. On April 2,1902, further evidence of such fumarolic activity was discovered by a Professor Landers in the upper reaches of the Riviere Blanche, an intermittent stream whose valley was etched into the flanks of Pelee. On April 23 of the same year, three small explosions and accompany­ing earthquakes were strong enough to be noticeable in Saint-Pierre. On Friday, April 25, explosions producing ash and steam occurred in L'Etang Sec, and from that time onward, until the May 8 cataclysm, the activity was more or less continuous, though varying in intensity.

On April 27 it was discovered that a lake some 650 feet in diameter had formed in the previously dry bed of the crater L'Etang Sec; along its margin was a small conical mountlet, about thirty feet high, which was throwing out steaming vapors and ash.

From April 29 to May 5, the fall of ash in Saint-Pierre intensified, causing increasing hardship in breathing, sore throats, and irritation to the eyes. Wild and domesticated animals seemed to suffer the most,

for they could not seek refuge indoors from the ashes and the poison­ous fumes. It was reported that these animals sensed the coming erup­tion even before the first signs of activity. This is not at all uncommon, for animals seem to have an extra sense which warns them of such things as violent electrical storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural calamities. Wildlife left the vicinity of the mountain, and the birds were no longer heard singing in the forests on its slopes. At 11:30 a.m. on May 2, the first really violent eruption occurred, with heavy steam and ash ejections, accompanied by spectacular dis­plays of lightning. Ashes began to fall over the entire northern half of the island. The activity intensified, and as the eruptions became in­creasingly violent the populace of Saint-Pierre became more and more worried. Schools closed, as did commercial stores, since very few people cared to go forth from the security of their houses into the dust and dirty ash fall. Life in the city came to a standstill.

Ш Suggest how the following could be expressed in Russian:

upon arrival at the summit; a jet of steam; it had killed all the vegeta­tion nearby; further evidence; fumarolic activity; the upper reaches of the Riviere Blanche; an intermittent stream; the valley was etched into the flank of Pelee; accompanying earthquakes; strong enough to be noticeable; from that time onward; varying in intensity; the previously dry bed of the crater; causing increasing hardship in • breathing; sore throats; irritation to the eyes; wild and domesticated animals; seemed to suffer the most; seek refuge indoors; sensed the coming eruption; this is not at all uncommon; seem to have an extra sense; natural calamities; the vicinity of the mountain; the birds were no longer heard singing; spectacular displays of lightning; the entire

northern half of the island; the eruptions became increasingly vio­lent; very few people cared to go forth; the security of their houses; life came to a standstill