A collection of 14 albumen print stereoviews published by H.C. White Co. on the same peach-colored mounts from 1902. This series reflects the eruption of Mount Pelée from that same year and the damage it caused to the island of Martinique. 

Eruptive activity began on 23 April 1902 with phreatic eruptions, where magma heats ground water and produces steam. These phreatic eruptions continued off and on over the following days, eventually increasing and mixing with weather phenomena like lightning in the eruption clouds, trade winds carrying ash, a mudflow sweeping down a river on the southwest flank of the volcano and the onset of tsunamis. The fifth of May also saw a change in eruptions, from phreatic to magmatic due to magma breaching the surface. 

At 8 a.m. on 8 May 1902, a pyroclastic surge — a fluidized mass of turbulent gas and rock particles — erupted along with a ground-hugging cloud of incandescent lava particles. It moved down the same southwest flank and reached the town of Saint-Pierre two minutes later. The hot ash from the trade winds ignited a firestorm from the burned-down masonry and from casks of rum found around the town. The eruption and the subsequent destruction and fire caused the deaths of nearly everyone in the town — a population of 28,000. 

Smaller eruptions continued throughout the summer and fall, killing an additional 3,000 people. The volcano finally ceased activity on 5 October 1902. Despite all the bad this disaster caused, it did mark the beginning of modern volcanology and brought to public attention just how dangerous active volcanoes could be. 

Included in this lot are the following images: 

1. 8211 (11) The Ghastly Ruins of Southern Portion of St. Pierre,—that part of the City farthest from Mont Pelee, Martinique, W.I. [West Indies]. 

2. 8208 (8) All the remains of St. Pierre's Beautiful Cathedral where hundreds met Death May 8th, 1902, Martinique, W.I.

3. 8204 (4) St. Pierre's Fort, dismantled and ruined in one minute by the Terrible Volley from Mont Pelee, Martinique, W.I.

4. 8216 (16) Grim and Threatening Mont Pelee from the Bay, the portion of St. Pierre most deeply buried in Volcanic Mud and Ashes, Martinique, W.I.

5. 8203 (3) Statue of the Virgin, showing Statue hurled 40 feet from Base by the Fury of Mont Pelee, Martinique, W.I.

6. 8214 (14) On the Water-front of St. Pierre, where Houses are buried three to four feet deep in Volcanic Mud, Martinique, W.I.

7. 8215 (15) A Volcano-swept Hill-side in St. Pierre, buried twenty to thirty feet in Ashes and Lava, Martinique, W.I. 

8. 8207 (7) Looking over the Desolated City of St. Pierre toward Pelee, Veiled in Smoke, Martinique, W.I.

9. 8205 (5) Mont Pelee and the Terrible Ruins of St. Pierre, Martinique, W.I.

10. 8213 (13) How St. Pierre's Strongest Buildings of Stone and Iron crumbled before Pelee's fiery outburst—Shapeless Ruins of Caminade Warehouse, Martinique, W.I.

11. 8209 (9) St. Pierre, looking West, showing the utter destruction of the Cathedral where hundreds were worshipping, Martinique, W.I. 

12. 8217 (17) The Awful, Seething Crater of Mont Pelee,—from the side opening near Centre came the dreadful Eruption of May 8th, Martinique, W.I.

13. 8210 (10) The wrecked City of St. Pierre, Scene of the most horrible disaster of modern times, smoking Mont Pelee in background, Martinique, W.I.

14. 8202 (2) General View of St. Pierre, Harbor and Mont Pelee, after the Eruption of May 8th, 1902, Martinique, W.I.

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