Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-05-17
ST. VINCENT DESOLATE
First Detailed Account of Situation
on That Stricken Island.
ASHES COVER NORTH PART.
rive Thousand People Are In Need Of
Assistance. Hospitals Are Filled
With Dying and VeEeta-
ton Is Destroyed.
les COVER NORTH PART.

| Kingston. Island Of ST. Vincent May
| IA correspondent has just returned
| here from /, visit on horseback to the
| devastated district of this island. dur
! ing which he travelled fifty miles and
penetrated to within five miles Of the
Soufriere crater. The ash covered area
Of ST. Vincent exceeds that of Mar
Unique, which the correspondent has
| also explored.
! The most conservative estimate OF
| the death rate here now places the
| number at loo. About 1 300 bodies
| have already been inferred. The entire
| northern part of the island is covered
| with ashes to an average depth OF
eighteen inches, varying from a thin
| layer at Kingston to two feet or more
at Georgetown. The crops are ruined:
nothing green can be seen. The streets
of Georgetown are numbered with
| snOwdrftlike heaps of ashes, and ashes
rest so heavily on the roofs that in sew
eral cases they have caused them to
fall in. There will soon be 5000 desti-
tute persons in need of assistance from
the government which is already do
ing everything possible to relieve the
sufferers. There are hundred injured
people in the hospital at Georgetown,
gangs of men are searching for the
dead or rapidly burying them in trench
es, and all that can be done under the
circumstances is being accomplished,
The British cruiser interchangeable
brought twenty-five tons of supplies
here and has returned to the island of
Trinidad for more.
The governor Of the Windward is
lands, Sir Robert Llewelyn. is here SUI
pervising the work of the authorities
Destitutfon widespread.
While the outbreak of the volcano on
the island of Martinique killed more
people outright, more territory has
been ruined in St. Vincent; hence there
is greater restitution here.
The injured persons were horribly
burned by the hot grit, which was
driven along with tremendous velocity.
Twenty-six persons who sought refuge
in a room 10 feet by ~ were all killed
One person was Drained with huge
stone nine miles from the crater.
Rough collins are being made to re
ceive the remains Of the victims. The
hospital here is filled with dying PEG
ple Fifty injured persons are lying
on the floor Of that building, as there
are no beds for their accommodation,
though cots are being rapidly con
structed of boards. This and similar
work has been in progress since inllne-
diately after the disaster. but two days
elapsed before there were any burlals
as the negroes refused to dig the neces-
sary trenches, though they were offered
three times their usual wages by the
local authorities. The nurses employed
are incompetent. but they are willing
to learn and are working hard. The
negroes are Indifferent to all that is
TRANSFERRING and to what has taken
place. They expect to receive govern
ment rations, and there have been in
stances where they have refused to
bury their own relatives
Land DlsnppearinG.
II is estimated that the sea has en-
crOacled from ten feet to TWO mlies
along the coast near Georgetown ana
that section on the north OF the is
land has dropped into the sea. This is
apparently verified by the report or the
French cable ship Pouyer-tluertler that
soundngs now show seven fathohiS
where before the outbreak there Were
thirty fathoms of water.
b ;,J
Lieutenant Benjamin b. Mccormick
commanding the United States steamer
Potomac. now in these waters, mas
called on Governor Llewelyn ana oIlef
ed him the sympathy OF the oni'eo
States and any assistance which II
was in his power to render. The 10
tomac has also landed what she can
anare of her foodstutfs. The governor
expressed his thanks and added tia'
+bere WAS no immediate need OF help
The United States steamer carried OH
mo1 DISPATCHES to the island of 81