The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-11
BEGAN MAY 8.
Mount Pelee's Rumblings Not Needed
by Inhabitants.

Pointe-a Pietre. Guadeloupe, May tA--
| The morning Of May ) Gapdeloupa learned
| that the Mont Pelee,y !caao in Martinique
Lad haan~sR -stste cfassrupti1n since
| Saturday. May 9. throwing out ashes. The
same day violent thunder storms began
| here. Tuesday very heavy storm oc-
CURED and loud detonations were heard.
| AT noon came rumor that lava was
flowing from Mont Pelee and that 100
lives had been lost at st. Pierre. All
that day were heard here loud noises,
like the discharge Of heavy artillery far
OF. 1t is now known that these noises
were from the Martinique volcano.
In the afternoon the cable connections
with Martinique all disappeared A very
heavy thunderstorm then broke over
Guadeloupe and lasted for a considerable
time and rumors were current that the
Sanfiere volcano in Guadeloupe was more
active. The earth was trembling at
Basseterre and volcanic rumblings were
heard.
News of the disaster in Martinique
reached here by the French war vessel
Suchet. Friday morning. Nearly every
one here has relatives in Martinique and
intense sorrow prevails All the stores
here are closed and the flags are flying at
half mast. The mountains of Guadeloupe
are shrouded In thick clouds and frequent
heavy storms continue. The people are
on edge with anxiety, fearing that La
Sanfiere may become active. light
earthquake shock or a slight increase in
the usual smoking of La Soufiere would
precipitate a panic here. 1t is believed
however. that there Is no local danger
The first mate Of the Roraima thus
describes the disaster at St. Pierre
Between $50 and I o'clock in the morn
ing on Thursday. without warning. there
came a sort Of whirlwind of steam. boil
ing mud and fire. which suddenly swept
the shippings and the roadstoad
There were some eighteen vessels an
choring In the harbor including the
Roraima, the French sailing ship Tsmsya,
four larger sailing ships and five others,
All Ave vessels Immediately cantod over
and then began TO burn. The Tamsya
was a bark from Nantes. Captain
Maurice and was on her way to Point-a-
Pitre.
All the boats except tho Rorama sank
inst antiy and at the same time
Every house ashore was utterly des-
troyed and apparently burned under the
ashes and burning lava. An officer, who
was sent ashore. penetrated but u short
distance into the city. He found only
u few walls standing and the streets
literally paved with corpses.
The governor OF lW 'SldnO. VINO mao
arrived only few hours before the
catastrophe. was killed.
Both the English and American con-
suls with their families. were reported
to have persisted II is certain that no
more than forty out Of about 25.o"o could
have escaped. ="
The cruiser Suchet WAS here yesterday
huyirg provisions for the survivors in
the outlying districts. She sailed for
Fort de France last night with a large
quantity Of stores. which was Immediately
put under military guard. Negroes are
nocking in vast numbers into Fort de
France from the surrounding country.
demanding food.
A telegram from Fort de France says
that hot mud and cinders have been fall
ing all night throughout the island and
still continue doing great damage and
that when final reports are received it
will be found that many people have beer
killed or injured in other parts of Mar
Unique.
The Quebec Line steamship KorOna
arrived at the island of Dominica yester-
day, bringing number of survivors from
sister ship, the Roraima. The captain
Of the Korona says that the eruption at
st. Pierre was apparently from a new
crater and that accompanying the erup-
ton there seemed To be a tidal wave
which overwhelmed the shipping
A message from the island of St Vim
cont says:
THE soufere had been in a state of
eruption for nine consecutive morning.
On Thursda, morning the day broke with
heavy thunder and lightning. which soon
changed into q continuous tfemendo'
roar. Vast columns Of smoke rose over
ths mountain. becoming dcnser and
hafI nl,