Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-05-13

Fort De France, Island of Martinique,
May 12-It now seems to be generally
admitted that about 10000 persons lost
their lives as q result Of the outbreak
of the Mont Pelee volcano, at st.
Pierre, on Thursday last. Careful in
vestigation by competent government
officials show that the earlier reports
of The Associated Press We're accurate.
Briefly put, in 10 minutes, last
Thursday morning, the city Of st.
Pierre disappeared in 4 Whirling fire
vomted from Mont Pelee and 10000
persons We're instantly and horribly
killed, and the volcano, which for more
than so years had been quiet lake,
occupying its ancient crater, in which
picnic parties bathed, suddenly dis
charged torrents of fiery mud, which
rolled towards the sea. sweeping every
thing before it.
Then the last of cable communica-
ton was broken and the doomed city
was isolated from the world.
The commander of the French cruis-
er Suchet gave the American consul at
Guadaloupe, Louis II. Ayme, the first
news of the appalling disaster the day
after it occurred. Mr.. Ayme has
reached the desolate spot where St.
Pierre stood and confirms the awful
story in all it's essential features.
From an interview with Col. Ayme
who is a trained newspaper man. Il
correspondent of The Associated Press
learned the following facts regarding
the destruction of st. Pierre:
Thursday morning found the inhabit-
ants of that city anXiously looking
towards the thick clouds shrouding the
Mont Pelee crater. All day Wednes
day. horrid detonations had been heard.
These had been echoed from st. Thorn
as, on the north. 10 the Barbados on
the south
During the night Of Wednesday,
these had ceased and only fine ashes,
like rain. fell on st. Pierre. AS this
continued. the governor, NJ. Mouttet,
who was then ut Fort De France, tried
to stop the panic which the volcanic
disturbance caused. He declared the
danger would not increase. sent Il de
tachment of soldiers to prevent Il gem
eral exodus of the inhabitants and
later went to St. Pierre himself with
his wife.
The British steamer Roraima arriv-
ed at st. Pierre some time afterwards
with 10 passengers, among whom were
Mrs. Stokes ana her three children and
Mrs. H. Ince. They We're all watching
the rain of ashes. when. with fright
full roar and terrible electric discharges,
a cyclone of fire, mud and steam swept
down from the crater over town and
bay. destroying a fleet of vessels at an
chor off the shore There the stories
stop.
Twelve survivors only are in the
military hospital at Fort De France
while 10000 corpses are strewn about
or buried in the ruins of St. Pierre, oI
else floating. gnawed by sharks. IN
the surrounding seas. Twenty eight
charred. half-dead human beings wert
brought here. Sixteen of them are al
ready dead and four others only are
expected to recover.
The Associated Press steamer, char
tered in Guadaloupe, reached Martin
ique.~ at $50 Sunday morning. The
lofty hilled island was hidden behind ;
huge veil of violet. or leaden coloret
haze. Enormous quantities of th'
wreckage of large and small ships ant
houses were met with. Hugh tree
and too often floating bodies with flock
of sea gulls soaring above and hideou
sharks fighting about them. were float
ing here and there. From behind tn
volcanic veil came blasts of hot wind
mingled with others, ice cold.
AT lie Precheur. five miles north 0
st. Pierre. canoes with men and womel
frantic to get away. begged for pas
sage on the steamer.
The whole north end of the islam
was covered with silver gray coatini
of ashes resembling dirty snow. Furi
Gus blasts of fire. ashes and mu
swept over the vessel. but finally $
Pierre was reached.
The city of st. Pierre stretched near
" two miles long along the wate
front and half a mile back to eli
at the base of the volcano. The ruin
were still burning in many places an
frightful odors of burned flesh filed tn
air. With great difficulty a landin
was effected.
Not one house was left intact. EN
erywhere We're viscid heaps of mud,
brighter ashes or piles of volcan
stones. The streets could hardly
traced. Here and there amid the ruiz
were heaps of corrses. Almost all Il