Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-12
DESOLAT|ON
Graphic Description OF
St. Pierre.
Food and Clothing Wanted at
Once.
Burned and Ruined Walls and Heaps
- of Corpses.
AMERICAN CONSUL DEAD.

Fort De France, Island of Martin
ique, Sunday, May 11.-Several steam
ers, including the government vessel
Rubis, started from here yesterday for
st. Pierre. 1t had on board the gov
eminent delegate, number of gen.
darmes, a detachment of regular in
fantry, and several priests. The ves-
sells also carried quantity of fire
wood. petroleum and quicklime, for
use in the cremation of the bodies of
the victims of the terrible voncanic
outbreak on Thursday last Large
quantities of disinfectants and stocks
of clothing for the refugees were also
shipped to st. Pierre. The refugees
had, as rule, assembled at lie Carbet,
not far from st. Pierre, and it is re-
ported, over 1000 of them have died
since the fearful stream of lava poured
down Mont Pelee.
The sea for miles round is covered
with the wreckage of vessels sunk off
st. Pierre and ashore only few trees,
all bent seaward by the force of the
volcanic shower. are left standing.
When nearing st. Pierre, the Rubis
met a number of tugs towing lighters
filled with refugees. The heat from
the smoking, lava-covered ruins at st.
Pierre is suffocating and the stencil
from the corpses strewn in the streets,
is horrible. Only few walls are still
standing. On all sides are found por-
tions of corpses, which were gathered
up by the soldiers and gendarmes and
are burned on one of the public
squares. Not drop of water is pro-
durable ashore. The darkness caused
by the clouds of volcanic dust shroud-
1,D crrht htars
ranean rumbling added to the horror
of the scene. Huge heaps of smoking
ashes are seen on all sides. At the
landing place some burned and ruined
walls indicated the spot where the Gus
tom house formerly stood, and traces
of larger shops could be seen. In that
neighbornood hundreds OF corpses are
lying in all kinds of attitudes, showing
the victims met death as If by light
ming stroke. Every vestigeo of clothing
burned away from the charred bodies,
and in many cases, the abdomens were
burst open by the intense heat. Curl
ously enough the features OF the dead
are generally. calm and reposeful, al
though in some cases, terrible fright
and agony are depicted. Grim piles OF
bodies are stacked everywhere, show
ing that death had stricken them while
the crowds were vainly seeking es-
cape from the fiery deluge. On one
spot a group of nine children were
found locked in each others arms.
The vaults of the Bank of Martinique
were found intact. They contained two
million granies in specie.
The vaults of the government treas
ury are now being searched in the hope
a large amount of money and other
yaluables deposited by the principal
merchants of the city may be saved.
Nearly 1000 refugees from the vi
'cinity of the village of Lee Precheur,
a suburban village to the north of st.
Pierre. were rescued by the French
cruiser Suchet, and cable repairship
Pouyer-Quertier, and brought here. AS
the result of his inspection, the com
mander of the Suchet reports that
crevices and valleys are constantly
forming in the northern portion of the
island, where the land is in a state OF
perpetual change. Fortunately, that
part of the country was evacuated in
good time by the inhabitants, who fled
to Fort De France. The lava continues
to stream down the mountain side, ac
companied by terrific thunder and
lightning. A dearth of provisions is
beginning to be felt throughout the
island Numerous families are com
pletely ruined and even shelterless
while the means at the disposal of the
authorities are much too inadequate
to cope with the distress.
Communication is practically cut of
from all surrounding islands, except by
stray vessels, which are seized upon
by the inhabitants to flee from Mar
Unique.