The volcano Mount Pelee was known to be active. The first indication that it was about to erupt was when a party of picnickers climbed the volcano and reported sulphurous vapours rising from several points near the summit of the mountain on the south side. This south side faced the town
of St Pierre, the thriving capital of Martinique; but the town stood 4 miles (7 km) from the summit, and the people of Martinique thought themselves safe. Indeed they even began to hold the latest election, and people actually moved towards the capital so as to vote. Their confidence was to be mistaken. 4 miles is nothing when faced with the awesome power of a volcano.

On the 25 April, the eruption proper began, with some small explosive activity. This began to
build up ominously, and volcanic ash began to sprinkle St Pierre. In spite of this, the local newspaper asked, “Where better is there to be than St Pierre?”
Then came 5 May. On the volcanic peak was a deep crater, in which water had collected. This water was gradually heated and, as magma rose, was ultimately displaced, sweeping down the valley of the River Blanche, mixing with volcanic ash, soil and boulders and forming a mudflow, known as a lahar. Thirty men died, and when the mudflow struck the sea 1 mile from St Pierre it knocked up a powerful wave, known as a tsunami, which caused a handful of deaths and
flooded some of the shore at the capital.
A report was commissioned, but there were no experts amongst them; the science of ‘volcanology’ did not yet exist. The report released was a standard ‘don’t panic’ statement, and yet many felt comforted. Some people wisely began to migrate to the second-largest city of Martinique, the Fort de France; their lives were to be spared.
On 8 May 1902 at 7:50 am, a series of deafening blasts was heard and an enormous black cloud rose from the volcano. This cloud travelled, not vertically, but laterally, down the volcano’s slopes and into St Pierre. Within a few minutes, everyone was dead, apart from one prisoner in the jail. He was in a cell below ground with only one small air vent; ironic that this should save his life,
even if he still endured terrible burns to his back.