Tempest Anderson, the first "volcano-chaser".

An exhibition at Yorkshire museum commemorates the centenary of the death of the first volcano-chaser : Tempest Anderson.

Brief Biography:
Born in 1846, Tempest Anderson studied medicine at the University College of London, before practicing ophthalmology in York . In his medical practice , he developed various optical instruments to better observe and measure defects of the human eye . Never married , he devoted much of his time to philanthropic activities , the other being devoted to scientific societies , including the Yorkshire Philosophical Society .
 

Tempest Anderson portrait by William Orpen , an Irish painter / 1912 / Yorkshire museum 's Tempest Anderson Hall.

His hobbies past to climbing the alpine peaks lead to geology, glaciology and later to volcanoes, for which he felt a real fascination.
In 1900, he visited and photographed most of the Europeans volcanoes, the Icelandic volcanoes and the USA.

But it was in 1902 , that Tempest Anderson brought his greatest contribution to science : the Royal Society asked him to accompany Dr. Flett, of the Geological Survey, to study the recent eruptions of Mount Pelee in Martinique , and Soufriere of St Vincent, both located in the Caribbean.

He watched the pyroclastic flows and was one of the first to compare with the avalanches observed in the Alps, in detailed descriptions to the Royal Society . At his death in 1913, he left half of his estate to the Yorkshire Philosophical Society , founder of the Yorkshire Musem , which still retains several thousand photos.

Centenary exhibition at Yorkshire Museum allows you to find documents and materials of the time, much less powerful and heavier than today . Photo Lorne Campbell / Guzellan / Daily Mail on line .

Here are some pictures depicting the damage due to the eruption of the Soufriere of St. Vincent in 1902 :

La Soufriere de St Vincent - damage of the pyroclastic flows - Photo Tempest Anderson 1902 / Guzellan / Daily Mail on line .

 Map of St Vincent 2004 - Soufriere is located north of the island - doc . GVP

The eruption in May 1902 a few days before that of Mt Pelee on the near island  La Martinique .

In it , a paroxysmal pyroclastic flow killed 1,565 people , and defines the "type of Soufriere St. Vincent cloud ", these features are clouds emitted from an open crater , accompanied by a vertical eruption column reaching several miles high before collapsing in several directions ( according Lacroix 1904).

On the slopes of La Soufriere St. Vincent - Photo Tempest Anderson 1902 / Guzellan / Daily Mail on line

 Soufriere St Vincent - Photo Tempest Anderson 1902 / Guzellan / Daily Mail on line .

 

Sources :

- YPS - Yorkshire Philosophical Society - Dr. Tempest Anderson (1846-1913) - link

- Daily Mail on line - Amazing adventures of Victorian volcano-chaser captured in photographs documenting his life's work on the edge of some of the most terrifying volcanic eruptions in history.

- Over-blog - La Soufrière de St Vincent - link