Pelasgian
one of an ancient and widely diffused prehistoric tribe which was the common parent of the Greeks and of the earliest civilized inhabitants of Italy. Most authors agree in representing Arcadia as one of their principal seats. The term Pelasgi was used by the classic poets for the Greeks in general.
PELÉE, MONT, an active volcano on the island of Martinique in the French West Indies. Although previously known to be in action, it had not caused much destruction until 1902, when by its eruption it destroyed the city of St. Pierre with its 30,000 people. This occurred on May 8, 1902, and was accompanied by extraordinary electrical disturbances which were recorded at the antipodal region of the earth in less than two minutes' time. On August 30 of the same year the volcano, by another eruption, caused a loss of life estimated at 2,500 people in the villages situated on the neighboring islands.