The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-21
& STORY Of E0PRC2.
E%."i:iar Particulars Of tie Great
Disaster TO 81. Pierre.

\ dispatch from Fort De France.
which is an Maitineque Island. ten
miles from st. Pierre. says vessels
have been sent to the latter place
with soldiers, priests and Il quantity
Of. tire wood, petroleum and quick
lime. for US in the cremation OF the
bodies of the victims OF the terrible
volcanic outbreak. When nearing st.
Pierre the vessels met number OF
tugs towing lighters filled with refu-
gees. Heat. from the smoking lava,
covered the ruins of st. Pierre. was
SutTocating and the stencil from the
corpses strewn along the streets is
awful. Only few walls are standing.
On all sides were found portions Of
corpses. which were gathered up by
the soldiers and gendarmeS and burned
on one of the public squares. Not d
drop Of water is procurable ashore.
Darkness was caused by the clouds Of
volcanic dust. shrOuded tie town. and
continuous Subterranean rumbilEgS
added tC the horror Of the scene. The
fort and central quarter OF the town
were raZed to the ground. and were
replaced by beds Of hot cinders. Iron
grille work gate of the government
offices alone are standing. There is
no trace of streets. Huge heaps Of
smoking ashes are seen on all sides.
Hundreds of corpSes were lying IN
all kinds Of attitudes, showing the
victims had met death us if by a
lightning stroke. Every vestige of
clothing was burned away from the
charrcd bodies. Curiously enough
the features Of the dead were general
" calm and rcpoSeful, although in
some cases terrible fright and agony
is depicted. Grim piles Of bodies are
staked everywhere. showing death to
have stricken them while the crowds
were vainly seeking to escape from the
fiery deluge. On one spot group OF
nine children were found locked each
in each others arms.
Briefly put, last Thursday morning
the city of St. Pieere disappeared
within five minutes in whirlwind,
fire vomiting from Mont Pelee: 30
900 persons were instantly and horrl-
bly, killed and the volcano, whose era
ter for more than so years had been
occupied by a quiet lake in which pic
mic parties bathed, Suddedly dis
charged torrent of fiery mud, which
rolled towards the sea, engulfing
everything before it. Then the last
of cable communication was broken,
and the doomed city was isolated from
the world. Thirty thousand corpses
are strewn about, buried in the ruins
of St. Pierre, or else floating, gnawed
by sharks, in the surrounding seas.
The still smoking volcano lowered
above the ash-covered hills. The
ruins were burning in many places
and frightful odorS of burned flesh
filed the air. Not one house was left
intact. Viscid heaps of mud, OF
brighter ashes or piles Of volcano
stones, were seen on every side. The
streets could hardly be traced. Here
and there amid 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. Huge blocks and still hot
stones were scattered about. From
under one large stone the arm OF a
white woman protruded. Most nota-
BILE was the utter silence and the aw-
full, 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 suffocated every one who in
hailed them, ard Of other gases burn
ing furiously. for nearly all the VIC
tins had their hands covering their
mouths or were in some other atti-
tude, showing that they had sought
relief from suffocation. All the bodies
are carbOniZed or roasted.