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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. •