The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-23
ON THE
MOUNTAIN TOP
Many Warnings of Danger Shown
by Mont Pelee.
ALMOST AS DARK AS MIGHT
DUST oFTENTIMES 0BSCURED
THE sun.

NEW YORK, May 22.-The West IN
IN dian newspapers. containing ac-
counts or the volcanic outbreak be-
gan TO reach New York today. The fol-
lowing are extracts from the Voice of
St. Lucia, printed at Castries. 81 Lucia,
May S:
mont Pelee IN the last days Of April
began to show signs of uneasiness. on
May it began to throw out dense VOL
limes Of smoke, and at midnight belcneo
out flames, accompanied oy rIfn ii-is
noises. At 500 a. m. flames were again
visible and similar noises were audible
At the foot of Mont Pelee are the VII
lagos Of Precheurs and ST. Phllome- me
inhabitants were thrown INTO me sIeal5
| est CONSERVATION by the sights ana
sounds of the Iaboring mountain, espec-
tally by the darkening Of the sky by Vol
umes Of thick smoke and the clouds OF
ashes which began to fall. There was an
exodus from all the district The town
| Of ST. Pierre was, on the morning Of last
| Saturday. covered with layer Of ashes
/ about one-Quarter Of an inch thick, ana
/ appeared as though enVelOped IN log
The mountain WIS invisible, being
wrapped in the smoke which issued from
/ it, The greatest anxiety prevailed, ana
all business was suspended.
/ "A very anxious morning was passed az
/ Martinique May 4. Thanks however, 70
az
alton then appeared better. but as the
! breeze died away at sunset a large GUAM
\ tity Of ashes again began to fall, ana the
( mountain and its envlrons presented a
/ most dismal spectacle. causing much
alarm as to what the night would bring
/ forth. Nothing happened, however, and
! on Monday morning, May >, although eY-
| erything was not quite serene the as
/ pect was decidedly encouraging. Less
I excitement prevailed.
/ AT about a. m. on the morning Of
( the 6th a private telegram was received
| from Martinique, advising that the PTS
| soneau family had chartered the steamer
! Topaze. one Of. the boats Of the Com
! pagnie GIrard. and had started for St
/ Lucia at 5 a. m.
cat about Il O'Clock the Topaze ar
| rived with Mrs. Plissoneaus Mr. and
/ Mrs joseph Plissoueau and three chill
dren, Mrs. Pierre Plissoneau and child
/ Mr. and Mrs. Joseph ErnOult and three
/ children. Mr. and Mrs. G.. A. McHugh
/ and four children, Mr.. and Mrs Castor
de Grandmaison and three children, Henri
de pompiEnan, Mrs Anatoie de Pom
pignan Miss Cecile de Pompignan, Mas
tiers Maurice de Pompignan, Ernest and
Gabriel HayOt and Miss Susane HayOt
They reported that at noon on Mon
day. May 8. a stream Of burning gas hac
suddenly rushed down the Southwestern
slope of the mountain. following Tho
course Of Riviere Blanche. the bed OF
which is dry at this season Of the year
had overwhelmed everything which Oh
[ structed it's tremendous rush TO the sea
Estates and buildings were covered By
the fiery wave, which appeared TO rise q
| a height Of some twenty feet over al
area OF nearly a quarter Of mile WheI
the torrent had poured itself into tbs
sea it was found that the Guerin sugal
| factory, situated on the beach near tn
mouth of the Riviere Blanche some fiYl
miles distant from the mountain and tW'
| from st. Pierre, was entirely embedded
in lava. the tall chimney alone being Wis
/ ible. The burning mass OF liquid hal
taken only three minutes from the tim
it was first perceived TO reach the sea
five miles away. Then a remarkabl
phenomenon occurred. The sea recede
/ an along the west coast for a distanc
OF about 100 yards and returned wit
/ great strength. covering up the Who'll
OF the sea front OF st. Pierre and reach
ing the first houses on the Place Bertin
! } This created a general panic and I'll
! people ran terror-stricken toward IN
hills. Though the sea receded agai
| without any great damage being don
ashore or afioat. the panic continued, In
tenslfed BY the terrible detOnatiOn
which broke from the mountain at shor
and irregular intervals. accompanied b
dense emissions of smoke and luri
flashes Of flame. This was awful in day
light, but when darkness fell it was NOR
! terrible STILL and at each manifestatO
{ Of the volcanoes anger people in thei
night clothes, carrying children an
guided by any sort of lamp or candl
they had caught up in their haste. Ta
out into the dark streets wailiug an
, screaming, and running aimlessly abou
Il / the town.
n The mental strain becoming unendui
Z able. the Topaze was got ready az q. m
= the refugees hurriedly went on board an
2 started for ST. Lucia.
AT 2 p. m. the party having place
E their families In safety returned by III
ToDaze to Martinique
% In the meantime. kilograms we're b,
q ing sent from Martinique implOring thu
a steamer might be chartered TO brin
away terrified people from St Pierr
But the superintendent Of the Royal Ma
company at Barbados would not allo
q one OF the coasting boats, the on
q steamer available, 70 go TO Martinique.
At a little before . p. m, cable con
munication was interrupted and remain
]