HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance, 1902-05-15, Page 7ST. P!ERRE'S D00,11
• DELUGED WITII FIRE.
•
•
The Entire Town Was Wrapped
in Flames.
The Inhabitants Perished --Only One Vessel Escaped—tier Crew Nearly
All Dead -----Vessels Lost Trying to Save Others—Quebec Vessb
Exploded and Disappeared—Volcanic Eruptions of rloutrt Pelee the
Cause---Fears'I'hat St. Vincent Ilas Also Suffered.
London, May 9.—It to learned that r Steam, Mari and Imre.
there were probably about a thou-
sand whites in St. Pierre, including
1:a11 a dozen Englislimen. It is also
learned that the steamer Roddam
arrived at St. Louts with her snob -
ors gone, ghe having o•nLy escaped by
cutting her cables and steaming
away Prone St. Pierre at full speed.
So narrow was liter escape that her
tarpaulins and running gear were
burned. The captain, of the Roddam
was very seriously injured, and is
now in (fine holspttaL at St. Imola. All
of hie oU1oore and engineers are dead
or dying. Nearly every member of
the crew is dead. Supercargo Camp-
bell and sten of the crew o1 the Rod -
dam jumped overboard at St. Pierre
a' id were lest. ,
•
According to a despatch received
from St. Themes the commander of
the French cruiser Suchet reports
teat at one o'eioce out Thursday the
entire town o1 St. Pierre was wrap-
ped In flames, He endeavored to save
about thirty peiieom,s, more or less
burned, from the veesels in the bar-
ber.
albar. His officers went ashore tu• smell
boats, seeking for survivors, but
were tenable to. penetrate the town.
They saw heaps of bodies upon the
wharves, and it is believed that not a
single person resident in St. Pierre
at the moment of the catastrophe
escaped.
The governor of the colony and
has staff colonel and ' ife were in St.
Pierre, and probably perished. The
extent of the catastrophe caanot be
imagined.
et is supposed that most of the
Fnhabitants of St. Pierre were killed,
that the neighboring parishes were
laid waste, and that the residue of
:the population of St. Pierre le with-
out food or shelter.
Tho Quebec Steamship Company's
steamer Roraima was seen to exi:lede
and disappear.
The British Royal mail steamer
iEsk, which arrived at Si.. Lucia this
morning, reports having passed St.
Pierre last night. The -steamer was
Covered With Asites
though 'elle was five miles distant
from the town, wheel was in im-
penetrable darkness. A beat was
sent in as near ae possible .to the
shore, but not a living soul was seen'
ashore, only. flames.
A despatch to the Daily'Mail from
Kingston, Jamaica, states that after
a short period of nativity, which gave
}to special ground for suspicion of a
disaster, Ment Pelee, the voloano to
.Martinique, suddenly belched forth
burning lava and ashes on the morn-
ing of the 8th. The steamer Roddam
was the sole vessel in the harbor
of St. Pierre, and escaped, she steam-
ing out at full speed and runuing tile
gauntlet of a shower of lava, which
killed seventeen of her crew. It is
stated that Pierre is another Pompeii,
being covered with ashes and duet.
.A. despatch from Point -a -Titre says
that the most violent eraption of
Mont Pelee lasted three minutes,
completely destroying St. Pierre and
the districts within a four -mile
radius. The cruiser saved eight of
the Roraima's crew.
A despatch from Paris says: M.
I3ouquenot, the owner of a sugar
plantation in Martinique, received a
telegram this marling from Fort de
France, saying that the manager of
his sugar works had -endeavored to
go to St. Plane, but the coast was
covered with ashes and the town
,With dust, and he ooull not land.
A Hamburg firm has received a de-
spatch from Carracas statLnl; that
fifteen vessels and their crews were
overwhelmed at St. Pierre. i
Washington, May, 9,—The follow-
ing cablegram liar jest been receiv-
ed at the Ctate Department:
"Point a Titre, May 9, 3.90e.
"Secretary of State, Washington:
—At 7 o'clock a. ne on the 8th in-
stant a storm of steam, mud, and
fire enveloped the city, and cotn-
Inmitty. • ;Not more titan twenty
persons escaped with their jives.
Eighteen y^essels were burned and
sunk with all on board, luoludiug four
Amerlutwt vessels and a steamer
from Quebec, named Roraima. The
U, 5. Consul and family are reported
among the victims. A war vessel
has come to Guadeloupe for pro-
visions, and will leave at flue to-
morrow.
(Signed) "Acme, Consul.'
The State Department has been re-
ceiving despatches from commercial
houses in Neew York, asking that a
warship be sent at once to litar-
tinique to afford relief. The matter
is under consideration.
eanadiaos Were on the Roraima.
Halifax, N. S., May 9.—The Quebec
Steamship -Company's steamer Ror-
aima, mentioned as lost with all
on board, was commanded by Capt.
Geo. Muggah, of Sydney. A despatch
front Sydney says that a telegram
was received there from Outer -
bridge & Ce., the Now York agents
of the steamer Roraima, stating
that the steamer was not due at
St•. Pierre until aday or two alter
the volcanic disturbance. Caetain
Muggah has been in command of
the Roraima for the past three
years, having previously command-
ed the steamer Orinoco, of the Que-
bec Steamship Company. Captain
eluggait was born in Sydney 44
years ago, and is married to a
daughter of Thepohilus Spence, of
Port Morten, C. B. The chief officer
of the Roraima was Robert Mor-
ley, a Halifax boy. Ilis mother re-
sides here. Halifax West India mer-
chants formerly did a considerable
and profitable business with Mar-
tinique, frequently sending ship-
ments of fish and produce to the
island and to Guadeloupe, bringing
in return cargoes of sugar, rum and
molasses. Some ten years ago the
protective tarilff enacted by the
French Government destroyed this
trade, and Hallfax now has no
trado relations with Martinique.
St. Vincent May be Destroyed.
Tito Colonial Office here has re-
ceived a despatch from Sir Robert
Llewellyn, .Governor of the Wind-
ward 'elands, dated Kingston, St.
Vincent, yesterday. The Governor
says that the Soufrtere volcano, in
the northwestern part of the Island
of St. Vincent, British West Indies,
continued in activity. Earth eitocke
had occurred for a week past, but
not actually in Kingston. On Wed-
nesday a big c:oad of bteam hung over
the Soufriere, and the inhabitants,
• who wore greatly alarmed, were
Rocking to Chateau Belair. There.
were already 800 refugees there, who
were being fed by the authorities.
A despatch from Kingston, Jam-
aica, says: It is impossible for ves-
sels to approach Martinique, and for
this reason full details of the dis-
aster aro slow in reaching the other
islands. Two vessels have been lost
with all on board ir, endeavoring to
approach St. Pierre. Much apprehen'
Mon is felt regarding the fate of St.
;Vincent.
Professor John Milne, the eminent
aoismolcgist, says he is positive
that no eearthquako had occurred in
Martinique. Tho destruction was due
entirely to a volcanic. eruption. Ile
adds: "My seismic observatory has
Isliown no sign of an earthquake
within a week. No seismic eisturb•
anees from the West Indies have been
noted since April 19, when there was
a marked record from Guatemala.
What has probably happened is that
Mont Pelee Iias blown its head off,
as the head of a cylinder blows out
when the steam pressure is too
great."
Canadian Crew Maw City Destroyed
St. Thomas, D. W. I., May d,—The
British schooner Ocean Traveler, of
St. John, N. B., arrived at the Island
Probably 110,000 Dead.
London, May 10, --Lloyds' agent at
St. Lucia, B, W. I., cables later news
that fully eonflrms the disaster at
St, Pierre, He says he cannot alcor -
tarn the names of the vassals whioh
have been lost, but they include
ane Italian 'barque and two ethane -
era one probably being the (trap -
Pier, the cable ship belonging to
the West India and Panama. Tele-
graph Company. The total loss of
life is estimated at 80,000,
Lloyds' agent at St. Thomas, I). W,
L, cables that 81, Pierre has Moen
totally destroyed by fire and that
all the Inhabitants perished.
All the vessels in the harbor were.
lost. These include the Grappler. The
steamer itoralma, belonging. to the
Quebec Steamship Co., tool's fire in
port and became a total loss. All
on ?)card the Roraima perished.
Report U'rom 13arbtadoes,
The foliowing cablegram, was re-
ceived this morning at the Colonial
Olfioo from •Governor Sir Troderie,k
Mitchell Hodgson, of Barbadoes:
" The Souillere volcano on St. 'Vin-
cent, 33, W. I., erupted violently yes-
terday. Loud reports, resembling
artillery fire, were heard at Barba -
does at 8 o'clock on the afternoon, At
t$ o'clock there came darkness and
thunder, accompanied by a strong
doavnpour et dust, whioh continued
until night. Barbadoes is covered sev-
eral, inches deep with dust this morn-
ing. Have telegraphed Sir Robert B.
•Llowellyn, Governor of the Wtndwaa'd
Islands, offering him all assistance,"
Dominion Reports.
Another cablegram received from
Administrator Bell, of the Island of
D,omhiica, is as follows: "A terrible
eruption has occurred of a volcano
at Martinique. Great distress pre-
vails there. I am sending provisions
immediately. All safe at Dominica."
11o1p N',ont tluudeloui,e.
Paris, May 10.—A telegram froth
the Governor of the Island of Guade-
loupe contains the latest news of the
Martinique cataclysm received' at
the Colonial Office. After announc-
ing that the French cruiser Sachet
had thirty survivors on bon•rd, the
Governor of Guadeloupe says "
"Everything tends to the belief
that the G,overnar 01 the colony, M.
L. Mout'tet, and Col. Gerbault, and
their wives, perished with the papule
tion of SH:. Pierre{.
"I have ordered the prompt des-
patch •of provisions from Pointe a
Pietro and Basserterro. The Suchet
sails for Martinique this evening. AU
of the people and :she supplies of
Guadeloupe are at your disposal for
relief."
An unending procession of inquir-
erls who have friends and relatives
L'Bill N'AT1i 1) CITY.
tt Was lleautlfully Situated at the
!root of \root Pollee. •
et. Pierre was the largest town
and the commercial centre of the
French Island of Martiniaue. It was
the largest town in the French West
Indies, and was welt built and pros-
perous. It had a population of about
25,100.
It was divided into two parts,
knownas the upper and the lower
towns. The Iowor town wan com-
pact, with narrow etreets, aed un-
healthy. Tne upper town was cleaner,
healthier and Handsomely laid out.
Mout Pelee, the largest of the group
of volcanic mountaii,s, is about 4,400
feet high. 11 haci long been inactive
as a volcano, although in August,
185'1, it had a violent eruption. It
is in the northwestern end of tho
island, and near the foot of its west-
ern elope, fronting the bay, St. Pierre
is built.
The Consuls resident at St. Pierre
were, for the United States, T. T.
Prentis ; Great Britain, J. Japp ; Den-
mark, M. E. Meyer ; Italy, P..t ilosoli-
,.eau ; Mexico, L. Dupre ; Sweden and
Norway, Gustave Borae.
There were four banks in the city—
tho Banque de la Martinique, Btth,.lue
Transatlantlque, Colonial Bank of
London, and the Credit Foncier Col -
There were 116 commission mer-
chants, 12 dry !gods stores, 22 pro-
vision dealers, 23 nun manufacturers,
11 colonial produce merchants, 4
brokers and 2 hardware dealers.
The .island of Martinique has the
same general characteristics as its
nearest neigielprr's wL'tdi some pecu-
liarities elf its own. Its extreme
length is about 15 miles from north-
west to southeast, and the main
part of it is in the shape of an oval
with rough edges, its greatest width
being 15 miles. At the lower end of
this main pant, the old Fort Royal
flay—since the French Revolution
called Fort de France Bay—outs in
so deep as to come within six miles
of meeting the inlets of Le Robert
and Le Francais on the other side.
The whole .area of the island, near
400 sthuare miles, is mountainods. Be-
sides Mont Pelee, there aro further
south and about midway of tho oval
tate three crests of Courbet, and all
Meng the great ridge are the black
and ragged cones of old volcanoes.
The mountainous interior Is" torn
and gashed with ancient earthquake
upheavals, and tbero aro perpen-
dicular cliffs, deep clefts and gorges,
bleak holes filled with water and
swift torrents dashing Over preci-
pktes and falling into caverns—in a
ward, all the •fantastic savagery of
volcanic scenery, but the. whole cov
ecce with the rich verdure of the
tropics. e
The total population of the island
is reckoned at 175,000, of whom 10,-
000 aro whites, 15,000 of Asiatio, ori-
fr'iomony
and
150,000
ogllght octoroon. shades
Paris, May 10.—The Minister Of
Marine has received the following
of Dominica, D. W. I., at 3 o'clock undated despatch from Pointe a
this afternoon. She had races ob- Pietro, Island of Guadrlope, from the
liged to flee from the Island of St,
'Vincent, B. W. I., May 7, owing to
0. heavy fall of sand from a vol.
calm, which was erupting there. Silo'
tried to reach the Island of St. Lu•.
cia, 13. W. I., but adverse currents
prevented her front doing so. The
schooner arrived opposite 81. Pierre,
Martinique, May $. While about a
Miler oft shore the volenno of Mont
Pelee exploded, and fire feels it
ewept the whole town of St. Pierre,
destroying the town and the shipping
there, including 111e cable ship Grap-
pler, whioh was engaged It repairing
the cable near the Guerin factory.
The Oeean Traveler, •white on her
way to Dominica, encountered a
neriatity of wreckage.
commander of the it remit cruiser Lae
Chet : "I have obtained the follow -
Ing information of the events of yes-
terday :
"About 8 o eloek the volcano threw
tip a considerable,, mass of smoke and
earth. h whirlwind of fire Immediate -
1y followed. Instantly the whole town
of St. Pietro was in flames, and
ships in the harbor were disinttstecl
and burned. The shower Of reales
lasted a ouarter of an your. I ar•
rived at St. Pierre at i o'clock in
the afternoon, Caving a few per.
eons from the ehips. I saw no living
creature in St. Pierre, to which it
was impossible to penetrate. There
were numerous corpses near the
quay,"
bursts Of forked lightning darting
through it and blazing serpents*
playing over it.
The Krakatoa, exploeion destroyed
all the towns and villages on the
shorse of Java, and Sumatra nearest
'tie the volcano. All boats and vett*
ails on tiro sumo sore were destroy-
ed„ and 36,880 lives were lost. The
tidal wave whioh followed was 50
feet in height when it struck the
shares of Java and Sumatra. At
Mlerai+:, on the Java coast, this was
3.86 feet in height. A man-of-war
lying off Sumatra ()oast was care
ried a mile and three-quarters in-
land, up a valley and left in a for-
est • thirty feet above sea level,
Tills tidal wavy extended to Colom-
bo, 1,760 miles distant; to Bombay,
2,700 miles distant; to Cape Horn,
5,000 miles distant. This wave tray-
eled a't the rate of 850 miles per
hour. Nearly six square miles of
the island of Krakatoa was per-
manently submerged under 150 fath-
om of water, while two new is-
lands thrust up their heads.
London, May 10.—Thirty deaths are
reported to have occurred at the
Island of St. Vincent 'according to a
telegram received at the Colonial
Office this morning from Governor
Llewellyn, forwarded from St. Lucla
last night. The Governor adds:
"Information incomplete. Eruption
continues, I am endeavoring to got
back to St. Vincent."
A Terrlbto Experience,
;Steele, Vung & Co., of otic, city,
owners of the British steamer Rod -
dam, witicir escaped from St. Pierre
to St. Lucia, received the first news
from their agents at St. Lucia this
morning. It was as follows; "Terri-
ble volcanic eruption at Martinique.
Roddapr returned ; one anchor and
chain slipped. Tarpaulins and run-
ning gear burned ; machinery intact ;
captaiu in hospital ; two mates, chief
engineer and eight of crew dead ; ten
in liospttal. Second and third engi-
neers aboard. Campbell, supercargo,
dead, Communication between here
and Barbadoes interrupted."
Saved fart of Crew.
New York, %faay 10.—The agent of
the (,luebeo Steamship Company has
received a telegram from the com-
pany's agent at De -minim, saying
teat the survivors of the steamship
Roraima; 'which was in the Martin-
ique disaster, are on board the
steamship ICorona. Tho following are
reported as saved : The quartermas-
ter, the stewardess, and Seamen Mor-
ley, Thompson, Moore, Evans, Ben-
son, Mayer, Leady and three others,
names unknown. The first officer and
assistant purser are in the hospital
at Tort de France.
.....: 3+.-'.•...,.'.s.. ,...>t•,. ='. .Zti."* .•t. -' ^rtr'+Fv'G%`. Hni a `:Ca✓..G
PRPPCOP.AL. GRANT IS DEAD.
• Kingston, Ont., May 10.—Principal Grant died at 1L15 o'clock
this morning. His end was calm. Ho eves conscious to within an
hour of his end, recognizing those at his side. These were W. L.
Grant, M: A., his son ; Mrs. Field, itis sister-in-law, and Miss Field,
his niece, and his medical mon. Death Was due to oedema of the
lungs: The funeral is fixed for Tuesday, May 13th.
1
•an the strlcli;en island is arriving
at the Ministry of the Colonies, which
liras telegraphed to every possible
source for intformatiom.
A few prIvaute telegramis received
here renew the hope that some of
the Iuhaubitan'ts of St. Pierre es-
capecl. The Bishop o1 Martinique sent
a cable message froth Fort De
France, forwarded at 11.30 p m., yes-
terday, atnntonancing tete safety 04
Pastor King, of St. Pierre, who es-
caped the disaster, and sought re-
fuge at Marne Rouge. It is hoped
that others fled there.
Cable messages have been receiv-
ed by the eoatiiern route. Alt the
northern cables are interrupted.
At :•oast lifts ?matinee of Bordeaux
are bereaved. Meet el the bmsiness
of St. Pierre wee transacted the ugh
Bordeaux. , t
A Wormer Case.
Owing to the total destruction of
the island hut meager accounts have
been received and the best picture of
the oocurenco may be found in the
destruction of the island of ICraka-
ton, which sank 150 fathoms beneath
the sea in 1883, biidin.g 86,880 people.
Krakatoa in 188s was the volcanie
peak of an island of that naive in
the Sunda group. The island Iles be-
tween Java and Sumatra. No one
lived bn the island, the peak was
but 8,000 feet high and it Was not
marked as an active volcano by sci-
ence. Still to -day Krakatoa is re-
garded as the most dangerous vet-
canis footle on the surface of the
earth—clue solely to the manner in
which slio blew her head off in 1883
and suddenly revealed that she stood
at the intersection of two great lines
of volcanic energy.
Up to 1883 Krakatoa had been si-
lent for 200 years. On the morning
Of May 20, 1888, she gave forth a
roar that was heard 100 miles away.
On Aug. 26 the great explosion
came. A description given of what
happened is:
Mor the first tow hours the fires
of the etirth made short work of
the sea, driving it back in splendid
explosions that came every ten or
twelve minutes. L"aell explosion pent
up black columns, intim; in height,
steam anti smoke and ash and pts
inlor', till the seam and debris on the
surface', of the molten lake and drove
back the sea in great waves. Soon
the darkness of night nettled over
Java. and Sumatra, and over vessels
sailing in those waters. Prom n
distance of forty tulles K
looked like an Immense wail akwith
r ith
stark naked, their clothing apparent-
ly hiavitig burned from their bodies
like so much tinder, while they them -1
selves were roasted to death, ll the
vast majority of Instances fires seem
to have been the sole amuse of death.
Great numbers at 'bodies have bean
burst asunder by the terrible heat,
and Ile disembowelled. In many in -
'dances the faces of the victims are
Vita calm, as though they were
stricken down lnstautly where they
stood without a moment's warning,
or with lutrdly time to appreciate
tor an. Instant the deadly peril they
were ill. Others have stamped on
their Cages an expression of inde-
scribable terror.
The entire city and the neighbor-
hood all about it reeks with a hor-
rible
Odor of Burned l+',esh.
In once Distance an entire family of
nine Forgone were found, all tightly
Locked in each ahem arms, and elle
bodies in a horrible state of decom-
position,
Almost the first thing done was to
make preparations for the, cremation
of the cleat]. Fatigue parties of sea-.
dleris built enoemous pyres of wood
and branches o1 trees, upon which
they beeped the dead' bodies by
scores and burned them; nes rapidly
as possible. To facilitate time combus-
tion and to destroy ars far as pas-
slibbe the awful odor of burning flesh
which came from ,them the Im-
promptu erental:oaies were heavily
soaked melte coal :tars and petroleum.
Total Dead, 30,000.
Tho total number of dead Le now
es'ttmated at fully 30,000. The disas-
ter itrsell took place within thirty
seconds, and in that half minutes
the vast majority orf all those peo-
ple were killed. et is supposed, for
there is nobody living, apparently,
to tell the exact facts, that there
was suddenly (theft down from the
mountain a• great sheet of flame,
accompanied by a ;terrible gaseous
whirlwind, and flashes o1 lightning,
precisely such as Bare reported as
playing about the summit at the vol-
cano of La Soufriere, on, the Island
oe St•. Viercenrt.
The latest information received
here is that the entire quarters of
the fort and of Carbet are com-
pletely leveled to the ground, form-
ing nothing but
;leap Upon I1,3,tp of Ruins
covered thickly over with ashes,
Anders, and masses of mud and lava
commingled. What horrible revela-
tions of the havoc wrought to human
life which these grim mounds are yet
to reveal can hardly be imagined.
in these two quarters of the city
not a trace of the streets that ex-
isted there can be seen. They are
buried as completely out of sight
as were those of Pompeii.
Alt the small hills around Le Car -
bet, and in the township of Le Pre-
cheur are crowded with fugitives.
They -number about 5,000. They are
being brought away gradually, and
meanwhile provisions are being sent
to them.
Few of tate victims will ever be re-
cognized so great is the mutilation
and distortion. Searehing parties
found 8,000 aharree corpses on the
site of the cathedral All appear to
have been asphyxiated before they
were burned. The bodies ref some
persons were found as they died, in
the act of performing their daily
vocations. Not a soul was found
alive in the whole town. Unless
wholesale cremation, as intended, is
carried out, there will be an epi-
demic. There are
'Many Survivors in the hills.
Mud and cinders aro still failing at
I''ort de France, which city is now
practically under martial law, Lab-
orers from the country -are flocking
thither for food. The authorities are
doing their utmost to relieve the
distress. There was an eruption in
the sea seven miles west of St.
Lucia that was like a waterspout.
Along the water front are a few
walls standing, and the ruins et the
Customs -house were found. Curious-
ly enough, the face and hands of the
clock on the hospital wore not de-
stroyed, and they furnish an import-
ant) record in the history of this ter-
rible catastrophe. The hands of the
clock had stopped at precisely ten
minutes to eight, showing that it
was at that moment that the city
was overwhelmed and all those thou-
sands of people within it, and to its
environs were destroyed. .
t;t'entest Disasters .of History.
Pompeii and Herculaneum de•
stroyed by eruption of Mount Vesu-
vius; A. D. 79; more than 2,000
last,
Earthquake In Constantimopie,
thousands killed; 657.
Catania, Sicily, 15,000 persons
killed by earthquake; 1137.
115 Syria, 20,000 killed by earthquake;
;8.
Chicle, 20,000 killed by earth-
quake; 1268.
Palermo, earthquakes, 6,000 lost ;
172:6.
Canton, China, J00,000 lost by
earthquake; Nov. 30, 1781,
Kitchen, North Persia, 40,000 lost,
earthquake; 1755.
Lisbon, city ruined by earthquake,
25,000 killed; November, 1755.
Aleppo, destroyed by earthquake,
thousands killed; 1822.
Canton, earthquake, 6;000 lost ;
Tiny 27, 1830.
C l.a.bra, earthquake, 10,000 lost;
185,7.
Panama; 40,000 people buried sud-
denly ; 1797.
Great shocks, with awful loss of
life, in Constantinople, Holland, Na-
ples, tho Azores, the Mississippi Val-
ley, Caracas, India, Genoa, Aleppo
Chile, Spain, China, Martinique and
Guadeloupe; 1800 1842.
Cities in Ecuador destroyed; 215,-
000 killed and property loss $300,-
000,000;
300;000,000; 1868.
Island of Krakatoa, volcanic erup-
tion, )36,380 lives lost; May 27,
188:3.
Isle of Ischia, earthquake, 2,000
lost; 1883.
Eruption of Mauna Loa, lla'tvaii,
70 killed; 1880.
Charleston, S. C., earthquake, 41
lives lost; August 30, 1880.
Barelaisan, volcanic eruption, 1,-
000 killed; July, 1888.
Island of Hondo, Japan, earth-
quake, 10,000 killed; October, 1891.
Venezuela, earthquake, 3,000 kill-
ed; April 24, 1894.
Guatemala, earthquake, loss of life
not yet ascertained; April, 1902.
St. Pierre, Martinique, May, 1002;
loss of life, 40,000.
Notes.
Pouyer Quentior has arrived at
Fort do Franco, having rescued four
hundred and fifty persons from St.
Pierre. She bas returned immediate-
ly to the scene of the disaster to
settrelt for further survivors.
The latest messages indicate that
the number of deaths will 1)e about
forty thousand. several of the 1{malier
islands near Martinique having also
London;, ' May 10.—A. cable com-
pany received a message Pram Mar-
tinique to -day saying the volcanic
eruption there coteinued, and that
ships are afraid (ba approach the is-
land.
The Bretieli admiralty Is oommunt-
eattng with the eoutmanrler-in-chief
of the Bridals naval station, and a
wfar vessel will he ririected to go to
Martinique.
It is apparent ream the cable des-
patches received that the eruption
of the volcano on Mout Pelee will
not do +; rich damage to the sugar
crop,Mitch is chiefly confined to the
soutern part of ,the inland, and the
gathering o1 which is now two-
thirds
wothirds over. However, the wiping out
or the moneyed population of the is-
land, centred at 551. Pierre, Is bound
to produce the most serious commer-
cial, effect. Not one of the basinese
houses in London hale heated word
from Its agents in Martinique.
Tho city of St. Pierre was de-
stroyed hi less than thirty seconds.
In that short period the harvest of
death was reaped.
The total list of victims will ap-
proximate fully 80,000.
But one man out of the total pop-
ulation of the town is known to have
escaped.
A on,blo steamer has reached Fort
de France, fourteen miles from St.
Pierre, with 450 survivors, picked up
along the shore.
Minute Rouge, a fashionable suburb
of St. Pierre, escaped. Tia le torieit
Governor of Martinique fled to that
place and was saved.
Fourteen of the steamer Itoraima's
crow were among the thirty saved
by the French cruiser Suchet and
taken to Guadeloupe,
A Landing leArected.
Port de Frauee, Martinique, May
11, 3 p.m.—A landing luta at last been
Made at St. Pierre, and the work of
exploring the ruins of the annihilated
city has begin. While it will be many
days before the full magnitude of the
havoc wrought can be ascertained,
enough is already revealed to indi-
ct -de that the very Worst anticipa-
tions( aro more then realized.
Those wbo have come back here
from the city report that the streets
and all the neighborhood around
what a few days ago was the
largest and most prosperous city in
Marti::tque are now encumbered with
]reaps upon heaps of dead bodies in
• all directions.
T. VINCENT MAY
BE DESTROYED.
Entire Northern End of Island
Laid Waste.
Craters Bursting Everywhere—Pully Zoe Lives Have Been. Lost—The
Soufriere Raining Stones,Lava and Dust --Sixty Killed by lightning
---Vivid Description of the Eruption—The Peoplefleeing in Terror.
St, Lucia, 13. W. I., May 11. —The
entire northern end of the British
Island of St. Vincent has been laid
waste by voicanlo eruption.
The British lieutenant in charge
of the garrison hero reports that
both largo craters on St. Vincent
are emitting enormous volumes of
smoke, lava and hot ashes.
The northern end of the Island is
cut off from the southern end by an
enormous titream of lava, which is
destroying everything in Its path.
Small craters aro bursting every-
where.
No vessel can approach the north
ern shore of• the island on account
of the intense heat and the steam
which is coming from all sides.
It Is estimated now that fully 200
lives have been lost on the Island
of St. Vincent. It is thought that
when details are received the loss
of lite vS411 prove to be much heavier.
Kingstown, the capital of the is-
land, is covered with ashes, and is
being bombarded with stones from
the volcanic craters.
stsrtes l.arried 'a:b0 :titles Out to Seu
The terrific force of the eruption
at St. Vincent way bo illustrated by
one incident. Ashes in great quan-
tity fell on the deck of the British
steamship Coya, Capt. Eton, when
she was 200 miles away from the
island.
Cable communication between the
Islands south of St. Lucia is inter-
rupted, but the fire from the crater
of Mount Sul dere, laland of 81.4iu-
cent, can bo been from here, twenty-
one miles away. In fact the flames
are eatable for forty miles.
We:tuner°s 1 rip to tate laland.
The following is the account writ-
ten by a correspondent who went
out from here oat a relief steamer:
The Goveinment chartered the
steamer Wear to go over and re-
port. She left here at 6 o'clock
of the evening of May 8, just after
the steamer, Roddam had returned
front St. Pierre, Martinique, with
the news of the :terrible loess of life
there.
Terrible flames were visible during
the entire journey. At midnight; it was
seen that a volcano was in eruption,
apparently about four miles away.
The Wear ran into heavy, showers
of grey ashes' and the people on
board were t;:itnost euffooated. The
atmosphere was so dense that we
could see nothing. The steainer put
about and steamed to the south for
two hours before she was clear of
the showers of ashes.
At 8 o'clock in the morning she
put back toward the ielaad and en-
uountered more ashes and was again
compelled to put off. She arrived at
Kingstown, the capital of St. Vin-
cent, at about e o'clock in the morn-
ing. .
Kingstown Covered With, Ashes.
It was seen then that the volcano
was h. constant eruption and there
was a tremendous roar. Forked
lightning played incessantly over the
disturbed. section.. The flashes
averaged from 60 to 100 a minute.
Kingstown, which is tweive miles
from the volcano, was covered with
three inches of ashes and showers of
stones on Thursday. Tho bed of the
old volcano was tben a lake three
mites across.
L ruptlou Started on Monday.
Buffered.
Private despatches received late
this afternoon from the West Indies
say the eruption at Martinique is
tleek'iedty woree.
The U. S. Senate liar passed a bill
tar $100,000 for the relief of suffer.‘
All the dead than far seen were tarn.
The eruption was first observed on
Monday. Huge volumes of water shot
up, and the people in that district
fled. There has been a continuous
rear ever since.
The northern district, from Chateau
Belair to Georgetown, has been com-
pletely destroyed. It is impossible to
proceed beyond that point, on ae-
cioctnt of the rivers of lava. A huge
hill was observed where previously
there had been a valley. The whole
of teat part of the island is smoking.
The Soufriere was still in full erup-
tion, raining pebhles, lava, stones and
dust on Kingstown unlit two o'clock
Thursday afternoon. Large stouts
were failing in Georgetown at that
time. Then telephonic communication
ceased, and has not yet been restor-
ed. The loud cannonading orf the
mountain was audible at Grenada
and Barbadoes. At half -past four
Wednesday afternoon darkness like
that of midnight surrounded Barba -
does, and at the same time a quan-
tity of gritty dust began falling.
Sixty Killed by Lightning.
Sixty paeans are reported to have
been killed by lightning while getting
away.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the
Island was showered with ashes,
Near Belair the ashes were three feet
deep.
On Thursday there was a continu-
ous shower of hot sand and water.
Ieverything on the island was ruined
by the ashes.
Some Persons Dying of' Thirst.
Many persons were brought In
boats from Kingstown. Some of the
refugees who arrived on the coast
were dying 0 ! thirst. Some of these
people Lind been 86 hours without a
drop of water. Ali the cattle were
dead because of the lack of water.
It is Impossible to say just now how
many people have perished, but the
number will probably run into the
hundreds, ,
The boat left Megaton' at 8 o'clock
in the morning with orders to tow
a relief boat from Belair to Owia
Carib. A quarter paint off Barroulie
we received a message from shore
by boats that the passage was Im-
possible. Nevertheless, we proceeded
on our voyage.
itivers oY aauva.
When opposite Belair there was a
grand view of the west side of the
crater. Rivers of lava were coming
dawn the mountain sides in every dt-
rection, and flowing into the sea.. The
huge crater was covered with smoke,
and there was an incessant eruption.
Great quantities of ashes were blown
be the air and were falling toward
the sea.
A new lane wale Observed running
out toward the sena. for half it mile.
It was probably lava which had been
()Doled by the sea water. It was of a
brownesh color, It was impossible to
get close to the tow -n.
The sea was tittered with trees
and other wrec3 rage. We attempted
to proceed to St. Lucia through the
failing ashes, but found it impassible,
It meant suffocation to try it. We
returned and entered the belt again
Miles out at sea, but there was the
same result.
On the horizon, there was nothing
to be seen but falling tushes and
other muck, which was piled up like
an enormous wall. Inside the belt
all was dark.
We putt back and steamed around
the laland to the windward. Opposite
Georgetown we encountered a gale
of wind carrying smoke and debris.
To the no0rth the entire territory of
the dteturibed district was clearly
vleible. Besides the large crater num-
erous small craters were in eruption.
Many rivers of lava were flowing
seaward, one of thelia half a mile
wide.
The refugees at Georgetown and
'Relate are in danger. , t
A VIVID DESCRIPTION.
Feared That the Loss of Life iias
i3een Very Heavy.
Kingston, Island of St. Vincent, B.
W, I., May 11.—After numerous earth-
quakes during the preceding fort
eight, accompanied by the subter-
ranean noises in the direction of the
Soufriere volcano in the northwrest-
ern part of the island, a loud explo-
sion occurred oe Monday last from
the crater. The water in the crater
lake ascended in a stupendous cloud
of steam and exploded heavily. The
noises grew louder and continually
till Wednesday morning, when the
old crater, three miles in circumfer-
ence, and thbe new crater formed by
the last eruption, belched smoke and
stones, forcing the residents of
Wallibon and Richmond Valley, be-
neath. the volcano, to flee to Cha-
teau Belair for refuge.
The thunderous noises, continually
increasing, were heard in neighbor-
ing islands two hundred miles away.
At mid-day the craters ejected en-
ormous columns of steamy vapor, ris-
ing majestically eight miles high,
and expanding into wonderful shapes,
resembling enormous cauliflowers, gi-
gantic wheels, and the beautiful
flower forms, alt streaked up and
down and crosswise with vivid flash-
es of lightning, awing the beholder
and impressing the mind with fear.
The mountain labored to rid itself
of a mass of molten lava, which later
flowed over in six streams, down the
side of the volcano, and the greater
noises followiug united in one great
continuous roar all evening and
through the night to Thursday morn-
ing, accompanied with black rain,
falling dust, attended with midnight
darkness all Wednesday, creating
feeltngs of fear and anxious suspense.
On tho morning of Friday there
was a fresh eruption, and ejections
of fiery matter, more dust covering
the island, in some places two feet
deep.
The crater is still active, as this
despatch is sent, and great loss of
life is believed to have occurred. The
lava has destroyed several districts
with their live stock. People are
fleeing to this town, streams aro
dried up, and in many places a food
and water famine is threatened. The
Government is feeding numbers of
sufferers.
Great physical changes have taken
place in the :neighborhood of Sou-
friere.
Several districts have not yet
• been heard from, and the scene of
the eruption is unapproachable.
Every hour brings sadder news. The
nurses and doctors aro overworked.
It is impossible to give futi details
at present. As a result of the dire
aster on this island all business has
been suspended for three days. The
public need is still unsettled, fear-
ing further diteastor.
Among the deaths are whole fam-
ilies, whose corpses are in several
places, still lying unburied. The dead
Will bo interred in 'trenches. The
total death list will reach 5.00. The
British second-class cruiser Indefa-
tigable ie on her way to St. Vin-
cent with stores for the relief of
'the sufferers.
PEACE BELIEVED TO BE CERTAIN.
Lisbon, i'iay 10.—A dospateh received here from Deltt;oa Bay,
Portuguese least Africa, says that peace in South Africta is certain
to result frons the conference of the Boer leaders to be held at Var.
eon:I:r ng, Transvaal, :11ay 18. It is said, the despatch continues.
that pence will be ollleially proelaintetl May' 20. Isreparations Aro
afoot for gencrnl rejoicings.
After having met fife burghers in the field, and explained to
thein the British termq, the Boer leaders were to meet at Vere-
eitiging and reach a final deeisiou on the subject of peace.
A despatch from Leaden dated May 2 said it9w as otfficia lly
neserted that after thele conference at Vergie i g, the
s uld roeced to Pretoria ntid announce to Lord Kitch-
ener
wo
tir election in to the peace tering they: were pre-
paredth regardp
pared to accept.
•