Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-05-15
ST PIERRE HORROR
AMERICAN CONSUL REACHES
SCENE OF VOLCANO.

Thirty Thousand Corpses strewn
About Site of Destroyed city-Tclls
Story of the Awful Scenes Which
Met His Gaze.
Fort de France, Martinique, May 10.
1t now seems to be generally ad-
mitted that about 10000 persons lost
their lives as the result of the out
break of the Mont Pelee volcano.
Careful investigation by competent
government officials shows that the
earlier reports of the Associated Press
were accurate.
Briefly put, last Thursday morning
the city of ST. Pierre disappeared
within ten minutes in whirling fire
vomited from Mont Pelee, 10000 per-
sons were instantly and horribly
killed and the volcano, whose ancient
crater for more than so years had
been occupied by quiet lake, in
which picnic parties bathed, suddenly
discharged torrent of fiery mud,
which rolled towards the sea, engulf-
ing everything before it. Then the
last of cable communication was
broken and the doomed city was iso-
lated from the world.
The American consul at Guadalupe,
Louis H. Ayme, has reached the DESC
late spot where ST. Pierre stood and
confirms the awful story in all it's es-
sential details. From an interview
with Colonel Ayme, who is trained
American newspaper man. the CORE
spondent of the Associated Press
learned the following facts:
Thursday morning the inhabitants
of the city awoke to find heavy clouds
enshrouding the Mont Pelee crater.
All day Wednesday horrid detonations
had been heard. These were echoed
from ST. Thomas ont the north to Bar
BADGES on the south. The cannonad-
ing ceased on Wednesday night and
fine ashes fell like rain on st. Pierre.
The inhabitants were alarmed, but
Governor Moutet, who had arrived at
st. Pierre the evening before, did
everything possible to allay the panic.
The British steamer Roraima reached
st. Pierre on Sunday with ten passen-
gers, among whom were Mrs. Stokes
and her three children and Mrs. H.
j. Ince. They We're watching the
rain of ashes, when, with frightful
roar and terrific electric discharges, a
from the crater down over the town
and bay, sweeping all before it and
destroying the fleet of vessels at an
Choir off the shore.
Thirty Thousand Corpses.
There the accounts of the catas-
trophe so far obtainable cease. Thirty
thousand corpses are strewn about,
buried in the ruins of ST. Pierre, or
else floating, gnawed by sharks in the
surrounding seas. Twenty-eight
charred, half dead human beings
were brought here. Sixteen of them
are already dead and only four of the
whole number are expected to recover.
The Associated Press steamer, char
tered in Guadalupe, neared Martin
ique early Sunday morning. At LIE
Precheur. five miles north of St.
Pierre canoes with men and women
frantic to get away begged for pas
sage on the steamer. Furious blasts
of fire, ashes and mud swept over the
steamer, but finally st. Pierre was
reached. The city of st. Pierre
stretched nearly two miles along the
water front and half mile back to a
cliff at the base of the volcano. The
houses of the richer French families
were built of stone. The still smoking
volcano lowered above the ash-covered
hills. The ruins were burning in many
places and frightful odors of burned
flesh filled the air.
Grim Mounds of Dead.
With great difficulty landing was
effected. Not one house was left in
tact. Viscid heaps of mud, of brighter
ashes, or piles OF volcanic stones were
seen on every SIDE The streets could
hardly be traced. Here and there
amidst the ruins were heaps of
corpses. Almost all the faces were
downward. In one corner % bodies
of men, women and children were
mingled in one awful mass. arms and
legs protruding as the hapless beings
fell in the last struggles of deaths
agony. most notable was the utter
silence and the awful, overpowering
stencil from the thousands of dead.
Careful inspection showed that the
fiery stream which so completely de-
stroyed St. Pierre must have been
composed of poisonous gases, which
instantly sutfocated every one who In
hailed them, and of other gases burn
ing furiously. for nearly all of the vic
Tins had their hands covering their
mouths or were in some other attitude
showing that they had sought relief
from suffocation. All the bodies were
carbonized or roasted,
Stories Of Survivors.
The stories of the survivors added
to the awful details of the particularly
narrowing account of the loss of the
British steamer Roraima. Engineers
G. G. Evans and John G. Morris, now
at the military hospital of Fort de
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