Mount Pelee: The Volcano That Destroyed the City of St. Pierre on the Island of Martinique

The Breath of Hell

The village of St. Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, was once known as the “Paris of the West Indies.” The island, northeast of Venezuela, was most famous as being the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife, the Empress Josephine. But after May 8th, 1902, the island became more famous for a different, horrible reason. The eruption of volcanic Mt. Pelee made a celebrity out of one man, Louis Cyparis. His notoriety came from the awful fact that out of over 28,000 people living in St. Pierre, he was the only survivor of what could only be described as “the breath of Hell.” 

St. Pierre was a gorgeous town, alive with natives and tourists alike. It was full of red tiled cottages and tropical beauty, a prosperous destination for many Europeans. In January of 1902, the volcano suddenly sprung to life. Few were alarmed in the village, as it seemed to be only minor activity. On April 23rd, a series of explosions at the top of Mt. Pelee were followed in the next few days by clouds of sulfurous gases, earth tremors and tons of ash descending into St. Pierre. Insects and snakes, fleeing from the sides of the mountain, invaded the streets, with some 50 people perishing from snake bites. On May 5th the water in a lake located in a crater at the summit reached its boiling point. When the rim of the crater gave way, the water mixed with volcanic debris to form a wet concrete-like mix called a lahar. This came down the volcano at high speeds, killing 23 workers in a distillery near the mouth of the River Blanche. It flowed into the sea, causing what could be described as a miniature tsunami that flooded the St. Pierre waterfront.