The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-15
CARDS SACRIFICED
TO THE FIRE GOD
An Ancient Prophecy Handed Down
Among the Race First Seen by
Columbus Has Come True.
New YORK. San s..ohaI ss-vnp,,

New York Sun SDsokaI Ssrvnbs. i
Fort de France, Martinique, May Is
All reports from St. Vincent show that
the island has passed through veritable
baptism Of fire. .sx~..
1t is conservatiyely estimated that
1000 lives have been lost since the first
eruption on May I. This includes most
of the Carib Indians, which means the
practical extinction Of the race that was
found here by Columbus four centuries
ago. ::
An old Indian prophecy that the Caribs
would be sacrificed to the IRE god, which
they worshipped, has thus been fulfilled.
OF the Caribs only few individuals re-
main on the islands Of St. Lucia and Do
minica. y
From st. Lucia the eruption of Sou
/ friere was visible during the night Of
May T. The following night the steam
ship Wear Of the Royal Mail service, at
| tempting to force her way to. Kingston,
| ran into floating bank of ashes. For
three hours the ship was practically help
less In a cloud Of smoke and sulphurous
| gas.
Kingston is fifteen miles from the era
| ter which elected the stone, yet the rain
of missiles was almost incessant for three
| days: =. r.
| Down the sides Of the Morne Soufriere
we're flowing hundreds of streams of lava,
| which, uniting and separating, formed
net work from which there was no pos
| sible escape for any living thing caught
| within it's grasp. ~
| By the explosion a river that had ev-
| listed ever since the discovery of the
| island, was dried up. Down it's channel
/ there flows a swift stream of molten lava,
which glistens like liquid silver, and
| which flows into the sea within 100 yards
| of Georgetown.
AS the water and the lava meet great
cloud of steam arises, and the kissing
can be heard for miles:
From a distance dozens OF. craters were
seen, opening and again closing near the
eruption ceased on i the = afternoon of
/ May 10. %.:.s
~ Many searching parties are out. Seven
! estates havesrbeen ruined beyond hope Of
| repair. Two chapels have been buried
under d stream Of lava. Many houses have
been covered under masses of ashes and
lava, and there Is hardly a spot in the
island that is not under from two inches
to ten feet of ashes. Il &-zzg< So "s -
Tit" British steamer Cennet on Sunday
ran through Ave miles: Of smoke that was
SO dense that the crew was almost suf-
located. For more than an hour the
ship had to cleft to Its own guidance.
q ~. " Story of Mount soufriere. rs.
) soufriere raises its head 4 ,o4s feet above
, the sea level. 1t lies at the northern end
Of st. Vincent and can be seen fully fifty
miles at-sea on a clear day 49,. =
: For ninety years the old volcano has
nY1r "a eli ho &
grumbled internally but It has been re-
: garded as harmless by the Indians VINO
have told Of the eruptions which ceased
long ago, and which they have carried IN
! their traditions: After the eruptions Of
: 1872 the old crater closed and water filled
it, forming a beautiful lake.
, For many days soufriere labored in
wardly in a manner such as was new
to the present generation Then on May
the crater lake became greatly dis
turbed. Ie began to boil and bubble like
q great caldrOn. Steam arose from 1t IN
immense clouds. 49, A., =.
The rumbling beneath the mountain re-
doubled in force, and at 2 o'clock that
afternoon Soufriere trembled as though il
was in the hthroes of terrible agony
: Then came series of severe earthquakes
= that shook the entire island. -
That night sulphuric flames played
above the summit of the volcano, giving
= 1T q weird and terrible appearance
) Steam continued to rise in clouds, and the
ii thunders of the skies were Joined will
those that came from the bowels of Sou.
friere.5
AN during Wednesday the splendit
phenomena. cont inued, giving those wht
: lived In the near vicinity Of the volcano
: ample time to make their escape. AL
: seemed to have been paralyzed and of the
!, thousands who were there only few
!. hundred went away.
UYaHr y1yha
t Efriere suddenly opened, sending six sep
\ arate streams Of lava pouring and boilin,
: down Its SIDES Death was everywher'
: and in its most terrible forms. Lightnin,
b came from the sky, killing many who hat
n escaped the molten streams that wer'
a pouring into the valleys.
z ,@z Wonderful Setting of a Tragedy
n For this great tragedy the settings wer
y wonderful Soufriere Utterly rocked in It
d agony From its: summit majestic col
e umn Of smoke inky black, reached sky
ward. The craters were vomiting incan
d descent matter that gave forth prismatl
h LIGHTS as It rolled away toward the sea.
e Great waves Of fire seemed to hedg
y about the mountain top. Such thunder
Il has seldom been heard by man cracke
b and rolled through the heavens. Fror
= tha earth came tremendous detonations
) 7These Joined with the thunder, all merg
g ing in an incessant roar that added to tn
< nanic of the fleeing inha bitants.
n This lasted through the night and tn
std dav and the night following. On Thursda
s morning a huge column. so black that
had the appearance Of ebony, arose to a
estimated height OF eight miles from tn
l. top Of the volcano
'e Ashes and rock, as well as lava, Wer
srz carried skyward in this column to delug
d the island and the ocean for miles aroune
/ Gradually the column mushr at tn
- tor. spreading out into dense clouds tia
at dascended to bring night at n9on time. J.
er The atmosphere was 80 laden VII
,e s,,lphurous gas that life was made almos
IT impo,ssible. 1t is believed that many
te those nearest to soufriere were sofIocate
"a by the gas before they were touched 3
= = the burning lava.
ee Many expected that the entire islam
"a would be destroyed and the night, {
Thursday was given up toeprayers.
s. that night the darkness was beyond de
scription, save when everything was mad
light. as broad day by the lightning whic
- forked out from the volcano.
= . The earth quaked necessarily Ih
Il mount aims shook stones. lava and gres
auanti tiles Ct ashes never ceased to fal