The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-07-17
THE WEST INDIES.
GREAT FIRE ON THE FRENCH
ISLAND OF MARTINIQUE.
FORT-DE-FRANCE DESTROYED.
Dynamite Used to Stop the PROCESS of the
Flames But in YAM Othe i Foreign
Intelligence.

HAVANA, July 10.-Port of Spain advices
of the 10Th ult. give details concerning the
destruction by fire of the town of Fort-de-
France in the French island of Martinique
A telegram was received at st. Pierre, the
capital, announcing that terrible fire was
raging in Fort-de-F France and requesting
the services of men and pumps.
NJ. Leon Gerald director of the steamship
line, at once placed steamers at the service
of the authorities. These steamers,
VITA Een and pumps, left St.
Pierre noon, and on their arrival
at Fort e-France about 1 80 the whole sea
board yls in flames to the waters edge.
StartiIi in the middle of the Rue Blanco
the fire had reached the Grande Rue and
Rue st. Louis, and had destroyed every
hing wi thin space of over 100 yards up
to the river Medame. The palace of JUS
tice was threatened, and with it is the east
| part OF the town, but just as the wood work
of the presidents office had caught fire the
pumps arrived and organized measures
were adopted by comparatively fresh fire
men from st. Pierre to save the buildings
which after hard fight was accomplished.
| Meanwhile the Cathedral was in flames
and was soon destroyed together with the
magnificent organ.
| The panic now became general, W ,men
and children screaming and running hither
| and thither, and furniture was being thrown
out of the windows in the streets until they
became almost impossible. At the last
moment when it was late dynamite was
employed to arrest the progress of the fire.
A terrific explosion was heard and a whole
block of buildings were seen to fall killing
some and wounding many persons. The
telegraph offices and Hotel Bediate though
escaping at first were now in flames.
At p. m. 1900 of the best houses in the
town were burning at the other extremity
of this huge furnace which covers ninety
acres.
The fight with the fire was gallanty cour-
ageously carried on, but the wind was high
and the houses were rapidly burned and
falling bodily across the streets, commune
Gated the flames to houses on the other side.
At night the fire had consumed everything
between the Rue Du Fosse and the sea and
the Lavane and river Medame.
At about 10 p. m the houses at the foot
of the Rue Du Government were attacked
and only by strenuous efforts were the
Presbytery and gendarmerIe saved. Had
they fallen the whole town must have been
consumed. 1t was here that the progress
of the flames was stayed.
The sight next morning was pitiful and
borrowing in the extreme; the I.ayane was
strewn with odd and ends. In the midst
was camped the whole population suffering
from hunger and thirst. The steamer
Evergique, however soon arrived from St.
Pierre with twenty tons of food despatched
by the agents of the line.
The cause of the fire Is attributed by some
to kerosene and by others to Dutch stove
pipe. Very considerably more than
one thoasand seven hundred houses have
been destroyed, valued at 100000 francs,
and furniture, ETC., valued at 100000 francs
"a total of $3,000,0C0. 1t Is impossible to
tell the number of victims. Twelve bodies
have been recovered, many charred beyond
recogni ion and others fearfully mutilated.
Fifteen soldiers are at the hospital seriously,
one fatally, wounded. The number of
civilians wounded is considerable. Fully
three-quarters of the town is destroyed as
regards area and seven-eighths of the in
habitants homeless. The celebrated Ii
brary was destroyed. The various British
West India islands promptly aided with
money their afflicted sister colonies.