Mt. PeleeJessie Stivers

CountryMartinique

◦Part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean◦French territory

City

St. Pierre◦On Martinique’s west coast◦First permanent colony on the island

Mt. Pelee eruptedMay 8th, 1902

In 1902…• First Rose Bowl is held• First movie theater is built in U.S

In January 1902, Mt. Pelee shows signs of eruption

Many citizens are not concerned

April 23, the volcano becomes more activeScientist reassures safety of the town

RumorsMany believe mayor didn’t want people to

leaveUp coming election was important

Mt. Pelee erupted May 8, 1902 at 7:50 am

St. Pierre’s population was about 30,000Eruption killed all but 1

SurvivorLouis-Auguste CyparisHis sturdy underground prison cell saved

him

Volcano~Landform where magma erupts through

earth’s crust

A volcano is formed by two plates pushing together

As the magma’s pressure builds, it forces its way through” fissures” (small cracks in earth’s crust)

There are two types of volcanic eruptions –quiet and explosive

QuietLava flows down the mountainNot many ashes or fumes

ExplosiveLoud, many ashes and fumesMt. Pelee was an explosive eruption