Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-05-16
VOLCANO BURSTS.
THOUSANDS PERISH
In MARTINIQUE,
The Town Of st. Pierre, Eighteen
Vessels and About Forty Thousand
Souls Burned and Buried Be.
meath Molten Lava.

Vessels and About Forty Thousand
Souls Burned and Buried Be-
meath Molten Lava.
The French cruiser Suchet arrived
at the island OF Gaudeloupe, French
West Indies, from the island of Mar
Unique, (Which lies between Porto
Rico and the South American coast),
Friday morning, bringing several
refugees. She confirmed the report
that the town of ST. Pierre, Martini
que, was entirely destroyed at s
o'clock Thursday morning by vol
canic eruption.
The first intimation of disaster
Cat Martinique was the breaking of
the cables on Tuesday. The French
cable to Martinique from Puerto
Plata was broken Wednesday. Gable
communication with all the northern
islands is stopped.
A stream of steam, mud aud fire
enveloped the city and it is certain
that the city of st. Pierre, Martinique,
has been oblIterated, with its $4,000
inhabitants. Equally certain it is
that other towns within the shadow
of Mount Pelee have been RACED
by. flaming gas, cinders, redhot
rocks and lava. Not more than
twenty persons escaped with their
lives. Eighteen vessels were burned
and sunk with all on board, includ-
ing four American vessels. and a
steamer named the Roraima, from
Quebec. The United States Consul
and family are reported among the
victims. The Consul at Martinique
is Thomas Il. Prentiss. He was
born in Michigan and appointed
from Massachusetts, as Consul at
Martinique in 1900. The Vice-Con-
sui at Martinique is Ayedee Testart,
who was born in and appointed from
Louisiana in 1898.
At present all attempts at rescue
are practically useless. Along four
miles of the western coast of the
island there is a bed of fire, and at
sea the sky is black with smoke and
ashes.
Passing vessels report that the
blanket of fire which is falling upon
st. Pierre appears to be consuming
all the country for miles around.
Since the rescue of 30 persons by the
French cruiser Suchet it is not
known that another person is left
alive in st. Pierre, though it is hoped
that more rescues may have been
effected.
1t seems beyond doubt that the
radius of destruction has involved at
least 10000 victims. They had no
apparent chance to escape when the
top of the mountain burst with the
explosions.
The latest available figures show
that the total population of the
Island of Martinique is $4,000, of
whom $4,000 lived at st. Pierre.
The British Royal Mail steamer,
Esk, which arrived at st. Lucia was
covered with ashes though she was
five miles distant from the town,
which was in impenetrable darkness.
A boat was sent In as near as posi-
BILE to the shore, but not living soul
was seen ashore-only flames and
heaps of dead bodies on the wharyes.
A PLUCKY CAPTAIN.
The British steamship Roddam, of
all the ships in the harbor, alone es-
capped, and came into port with cargo
OF dead and dYing.-She Was disman-
burned from stem to stern. Capto;S
Whatter reported that having lust
cast anchor off st. Pierre at s a. m.
in fine weather, succeeding an awful
thunderstorm during the night, he
was talking to the ships agent, who
was in boat alongside, when he saw
a tremendous cloud of smoke and
glowing cinders rushing with terrific
rapidity over the city and port, com
Pletely, In an instant, enveloping the
city in sheet of flame and raining
hre on the ship. The agent had
just time to climb on board when
his small boat disappeared. Several
OF the Roddam's crew were quickly
scorcneu To death.
by superhuman efforts, HAVING
steam up, the cable was slipped and
the steamer backed away from the
shore. Nine hours later she managed |
to reach Castries. Numbers of the
hoddam's men were lying dead, con-
torted and burned out of human
semblance, among the black cinders
which covered the ships deck to a
depth of six inches.
The survivors of the crew were
loud IN their praises of the heroic
conduct OF their captain in steering
his vessel out Of danger with his own
hands, which were badly burned by
the rain of fire that kept falling on
the ship for miles after she got under
way.
The captain was seriously injured.
All of the officers and engineers are
lead or dying. Nearly every men,
Der OF the crew is dead.
SAW THE ERUPTION.
The British schooner "Ocean Tray
Her." of st. John, N. b., arrived at
he Island of Dominica, British
West Indies, at o'clock Friday
afternoon. She reported that she
vas obliged to flee from the Island
II st. Vincent, British West Indies.
lnrlng Wednesday afternoon, Nav
tn, in consequence of heavy fall
II sand from a volcano which was
ruptlng there. She tried to reach ,
he Island of st. Lucia, British !
Vest Indies, but adverse currents :
prevented her from SO doing. The j
chooner arrived opposite st. Pierre
Martinique, Thursday morning, May j
'th. While about a mile off shore !
he volcano (of Mount Pelee) .1OI ,