thereof, *
be at any time amal-
gamated with the Canadian Pacific Railway
or with any of its branch lines or with any
branch lines leased by the Canadian Pacific
Railway, or under its control."

In fact the C. P. R. offered to take from the Manitoba government these lines of the Northern Pacific roads in Canada, relieving the government from any liability on the bonds. They further offered to make a reduction on grain shipped to Lake Superior of 4 cents per 100 pounds, or from 14 cents to 10 cents, and a reduction of $2.40 per ton on salt and a reduction of 15 per cent. on local freight rates, and also they offered to pay the government a cash bonus of $10,000 a year for the first ten years, of $20,000 a year for the second ten years and of $25,000 a year for the third ten years, and to pay the salary of a railway expert of

terests, and they so manipulated the public
sentiment against the C. P. R. that its offer
was rejected and the less favorable one to
the Canadian Northern was passed.

But this Canadian Northern contract
means, according to Premier Roblin: "that
the people of Manitoba will enjoy a privi-
lege enjoyed by no other province in Can-
ada or state in the United States, that the
Lieutenant-Governor in Council has the
right and authority to make all tariffs from
that time forward until the contract is re-
voked." Although this is contested by some
on the probably legally correct ground that
a province authority has not the power to
fix an inter-province tariff on railways out-
side of the province (Lake Superior does
not touch Manitoba), yet in practice it will
probably work. To get this power, Mani-
toba has had to assume an enormous liabil-
ity. If successful, she will not have to pay
a cent and will have the power, although its
actual use will, of course, be guided if pos-
sible by the railroad and likely be hampered
and limited. If the road is not successful,
she may have to pay such large amounts
as will cripple her financially for years, and
there is a possibility that she may have to
take back and operate a bankrupt railway
system, part of which goes through the
United States.

$5,000 a year to judge between them, and to build certain new lines without a bonus. Mr. Oliver, member of Parliament for Alberta, which is just west of Manitoba, has figured that this, at the lowest çalculation, would mean a saving in freight rates to the people of Manitoba alone of $760,000 a year, and instead of any liability on the part of the government to pay interest, there would be a small income. Of course, this was much better than the other offer, but the people had become so incensed against the C. P. R. because of previous high rates and bad treatment that they would not really consider this offer, which would round out and complete the C. P. R. Railway monopoly. Also Messrs. Mann and Mackenzie, the two men who really controlled the Manitoba legislature, were connected with other and opposing railroad in

In any event, this is one of the most interesting experiments in government control of rates, with contingent liability for interest, while the railroad is privately operated, that has ever been made, and the outcome will be watched by all students of our troublesome railway problem.

The advocates of public ownership and operation, as well as control of railways, have been rapidly growing in Manitoba, and they consistently fought this measure both in the Manitoba legislature, in the press, on the stump and in the Dominion Parliament, where Mr. Pattee, the labor leader from Manitoba, and Mr. Richardson, another radical from there, brought in strong arguments and a great mass of resolutions, etc., showing a great change in sentiment in Manitoba against this bargain, and in favor of complete public ownership and operation. Mr. Pattee urged with great force the attachment of a referendum clause, and brought in the testimony of the Republican governor of South Dakota as to the value of the referendum there, but it was defeated. The Dominion Parliament ratified the action of the Manitoba legislature and its motives

MARTINIQUE.-Professor Angelo Heilprin, representing the National Geographical Society, succeeded in reaching the summit of Mont Pelee May 31, 1902. A little expedition, composed of landed proprietors of Martinique, was especially organized for this purpose, by Consul Ayme and Professor Heilprin, who became the leader. They left Fort de France May 29 at noon. The next day (Friday) was spent in studying the newly formed craters on the northern flank of the mountain. Saturday morning the professor determined to reach the top of the crater if possible, and with this purpose in view he set out at 5 o'clock a. m.

lent explosion covered him from head to
foot with viscid and semi-solid matter. He
still persisted, however, in his observations,
and twice afterward he was showered with
the same substance. When he returned to
Vive he looked like a statue of mud cov-
ered with ashes. The weight of foreign
matter carried upon his person, the poison-
ous atmosphere he breathed, and the diffi-
culties which he encountered, reduced him
to extreme fatigue, notwithstanding he had
approached the summit on its most access-
ible side.

Nothing daunted by his terrible experi-
ence, Professor Heilprin started out again
on Sunday and succeeded in reaching the
crater, in company with Mr. George Ken-
nan and Mr. Varian.

The volcano was active, but amidst a thousand dangers he at last reached the summit and looked down into the chasm. Here he spent some time in making careful observations. The opening of the crater itself he found to be a crevice about 500 feet long by 150 feet wide. Formerly the edge of the crater was a high bluff or shoulder; this, the explorer thinks, has fallen into the fiery abyss, and this change may have taken place at the time of the great explosion on May 20. Mr. Heilprin learned, as had been suspected, that there were three separate vents through which steam issued, and he made the important discovery that the crater at the head of the River Fallaise has synchronous eruptions with the crater at the summit of the volcano, and that at such times it ejects precisely the same matter, showing an intimate connection between the two. During his visit they both showed a phenomenon which, so far as known, is new. Mud was thrown up in high columns, whereas heretofore it has bubbled or boiled out and flowed downward in great streams.

"Five of us started for the crater of the volcano last Sunday, and three of us reached it," said Mr. Kennan. "We crossed Lake Palmiste, which is now dry and full of bowlders and huge, ragged rocks. We then climbed on up and reached the edge of the crater. We found it to be a huge chasm, or crevasse, with perpendicular walls. We could not see down into the crater more than one hundred and fifty feet. It was like looking into a white, hot furnace. The chasm opens out towards St. Pierre, but the enormous columns of steam cut off the view in that direction. There were hundreds of fumaroles all about us. What was thought to be a cone of cinders in the crater was learned in reality to be a huge pile of gigantic rocks. There were crusts of sulphur everywhere, but we saw no ashes or cinders in or near the crater. The whole, vast bed of the old crater and of Lake Palmiste is emitting steam through thousands of

During the course of one eruption of the river crater, an enormous mass of intensely hot mud was ejected. This flow reached the rum distillery on the Vive plantation and extinguished all the fires there. It may invade the whole of this plantation, which is the center of one of the richest districts of the island, and in this case the damage will be great.

Prof. Heilprin arrived at the summit at about 1:30 p. m. and remained for more than two hours. During this time several violent explosions of steam and cinder-laden vapor took place and his life was repeatedly endangered. Ashes fell about him in such quantities that at times his vision was completely obscured. One particularly vio

orifices.

"The ascent to Lake Palmiste is up a long and sharp incline, covered with ashes. These had been soaked by the rain, and as we proceeded there were terrifying gorges, full of hot, volcanic debris, on each side of us. Every footstep dislodged ashes and our footing was most insecure. There were also clouds of sulphurous smoke, through which the sunlight swept at intervals. The ascent was the most terrifying experience of my life, yet Professor Heilprin the previous day had sat enveloped in darkness on the lip of what was once Lake Palmiste, and had descended the horrible arete in a thunderstorm of volcanic clouds and almost complete darkness. Mr. Leadbetter was with him."

Since the terrible events of May 8 and the few succeeding days (see p. 1427) Pelee has been in a state of continua! agitation. On May 20 there was a terrible explosion, and on the 24th it was still throwing redhot ashes over the entire northern portion of the island. Passing steamers reported that the fiery shower extended twelve miles out to sea. New crevasses were continually opening in the burning mountain, and as a result of the examination of the island by the French cruiser Tage, Admiral Servan stated that he feared the entire northern end of the island might at any moment sink into the sea. The population were vacating the perilous isle as rapidly as they could obtain transportation.

On the 26th of May the volcano constantly poured out masses of yellow mudcolored vapor and also huge columns of black smoke, which seemed alive with flashes of lightning. One column, which rose to the height of a mile and a half, was alight with fire from the fierce reflection of the incandescent mass within the crater, the whole being accompanied with fearful detonations. On that night another terrible explosion took place. The population of Vive plantation became panic stricken and fled to a point some miles away.

Another enormous explosion occurred on the morning of the 28th. The mountain was comparatively quiet on June 3, but volumes of steam were still issuing from it and the lower craters were continually pouring forth quantities of mud.

In summing up the results of investigations up to June 4, Professor Heilprin says: "The location of the new crater has been accurately determined; it is positively known. that there has been no overflow of molten matter from this crater; there has been no subsidence of the mountain and the height of Mont Pelee is unchanged; the crater does not contain a cinder cone; there has been no cataclysm and no topographical alteration of the country. The temperature of the basin of Lake Palmiste, taken three inches below the surface, was 124 deg. Fahrenheit. "The new crater is a crevasse, running north and south and expanding into a bowl. This crevasse nearly rifted the mountain; it runs transversely to the old crater and might be called a huge gash. From it volcanic material has been freely erupted. The principal output of the crater, while we were there, was steam. The phenomenon was limited and was not essentially differ

ent from that of other volcanoes in action.

"Positive assurance was gained that no molten matter has flowed over the lip of the new crater. Several observations taken with the aneroid barometer showed that the height of Mont Pelee has not been changed. I agree with Professor Robert T. Hill, the geologist of the United States government, that Mont Pelee has erupted no lava and that there has been no cataclysm or any serious topographical alterations. der cone was visible in the crater; what was taken for a cone is a pile of ejected rocks. Perhaps the bottom of the new crater may contain a cinder cone, but we could see down only about 150 or 200 feet. I believe, however, that the crater is much deeper than this. I do not know the exact materials of which the pile of rocks in the center of the crater is composed; but it seems to be matter which has been ejected from the crevasse. This pile of rocks has no vent.

"I think Mont Pelee has freed itself from the interior pressure, and that the volcano is not liable to further violent eruption. It is not safe, however, to make predictions about volcanoes.

"The eruption of Mont Pelee of May 8 was unique in that it resulted in the greatest destruction of life and property ever known by direct agency of a volcano.

"The phenomenon of explosion of flaming gases is probably new, but a careful study of observations is necessary before an opinion can be reached. The electrical phenomena are also new. They probably did not play the chief role in the destruction of St. Pierre, but were developed by and aided the other forces.

"I have specimens which show the effect of the bolts of lightning. The latter were small and intense and penetrated within the houses of the city. For rapidity of action and for lives lost Mont Pelee holds the record among volcanoes."

MASURITE is a new explosive of wonderful power, which is much safer to use than many of the others, as it fails to detonate under the most trying conditions which are liable to be brought about accidentally. It takes its name from its inventor, Mr. F. L. M. Masury, and under his supervision convincing tests on a working scale were recently carried out at his country residence in the presence of interested spectators. These experiments af

turer.

forded conclusive evidence that although diminished at the pleasure of the manufac-
masurite possessed a great destructive
power at the right time, it was nevertheless
insensible to shock, concussion, heat, or cold,
as far as its liability to explode by any
of these means is concerned, and that it
could be exploded at the proper time only by
means of a double-strength exploder.

One of the tests consisted in striking a
quantity of the explosive with a hammer,
and also with a heavy sledge, both on stone
and an anvil. and in allowing a 50-pound..

MOA, EGG OF.-One of these priceless relics of an extinct species of birds is now in the possession of the Otago University Museum at Dunedin.

New Zealand is without snakes, turtles or frogs, but it is rich in remarkable specimens of fauna; a hundred years or more ago the gigantic bird called the moa appears to have been abundant, and individually may

weight to fall on a masurite cartridge,-all
with no effect except breaking up the
cartridge and scattering the contents.

Masurite in cans was shot through with
bullets without exploding; red hot irons
were run through the powder, both loose
and in cartridge form, the result being sim-
ply to fuse and burn it while in direct con-
tact with the heated surface, the fire in the
powder going out upon the removal of the
iron.

And yet this apparently lifeless product has a strength equal to 40. per cent. dynamite, and the power can be increased or

have existed in years comparatively recent. Skeletons have been found in an excellent state of preservation in many of the "hunting grounds" and even reddish brown feathers have been discovered which seem to establish a relationship between the dead moa and the living emu. The wonderful specimen which has been acquired by the University Museum was found by men who were dredging for gold in the Molyneux River near Cromwell on South Island. On removing a portion of the high bank, a deposit of fine powdery sand was exposed, and here they discovered an unbroken egg