Description of the attraction
The dormant volcano Mont Pele, also called Montagne Pele, rises 8 km from the town of Saint-Pierre on the north coast of Martinique. It reaches a height of 1397 meters above sea level, which makes it the highest point of the island. Its name Montagne Pele, which in French means "Bald Mountain", he received around 1635. This is the name of this volcano by the first European settlers who arrived in Martinique after its recent eruption. A depressing picture appeared to their eyes: the slopes of the volcano were covered with ash, there was no vegetation on them, so the mountain seemed deserted and lifeless.
The most famous eruption of the Mont Pele volcano took place on May 8, 1902. The volcano behaved restlessly since the 50s of the 17th century, but did not cause much destruction, so the inhabitants of the nearest towns resigned themselves to the formidable neighbor and even ceased to be afraid of him. In early May 1902, a pyroclastic avalanche consisting of gas heated to 800 degrees, stones and ash, in a matter of minutes covered the city of Saint-Pierre, the nearest to the volcano. Approximately 30 thousand people died in the first three minutes of the eruption. Only a few members of the English ship "Roddam" and two local people managed to escape from the rampant elements: a convict sitting in an underground dungeon, and a resident of the outskirts, who managed to hide, but still received serious burns.
Eruptions of Montagne Pele are rare but devastating. This type of eruption was named Pelei - in honor of this particular volcano.
Soon Saint Pierre literally rose from the ashes. Locals collected objects melted during the eruption and placed them in the Volcanic Museum. now anyone can see them.
