The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-08

DR.. David Kennedy's Golden Plasters
strengthen Muscles. remove pain any
where. 15c each.
beyond the shadow of a doubt, but
their sympathies were not for them
selves.
In token of this, here is what ap-
peared in Les Colonies of May z, the
last day of publication:
1.-THE state of mind of the unfortu-
nate people of Precheur Give miles
north of St. Pierce is deplorable. The
feelings of the people are at low ebb
all his efforts, is unable to restore con-
fidence. Yesterday, by order of the
Governor, new convoy of supplies
was carried to Prechotins. This con-
sisted of 5000 kilogrammes of Goldfish,
sailed meats and beans and the boat
conveying it had scarcely arrived up
on the beach when it was invaded. The
officer in charge had great difficulty in
making the people understand that in
order to draw food supplies it was
necessary to present signed order
from the Mayor"
In another column of the paper this
appeared:
THE departure from St Pierre is
undated. From morning to night and
even during the night one sees hurry
ing people, carrying packages, trunks.
and children, on their way to Fonds,
St. Denis, Marine d'Orange, Carbet, and
other places. The steamers of the Com
pagnie Girard (plying between St.
Pierre and de France) are never empty.
To give an idea of this mad, foolish
movement, look at figures: the Gus
tomary number of travellers to Fort
- 4. t. tiki H.
on three days the number has risen to
300.
I'VE confess that we cannot under
stand this panic. Where is one safer,
better off, that at St. Pierre? Do those
who have moved to Fort de France
imagine that they will be safer there
than here in case of earthquake? This
is indeed a foolish mistake and it is
necessary to place the people on their
guard against it. We hope the opinion
expressed by NJ. Laudes in the inter-
view we published will be convincing
to those who are most afraid"
From the foregoing it is evident that
toward the last the threatenings of Mt.
Pelee outweighed the petulant intoler-
ance of the newspaper, and the dis
quietude spread. especially among the
poor and ignorant. In view of what
Les Colonies printed from day to day
in the seven days before the disaster
it is remarkable that fear was not be-
gotten early. There is no doubt that
apprehension did exist, the energies of
the newspaper bear witness to that,
but there is no record; in fact, there is
pathetic absence of any indication of
the soul possessing terror which must
have seized the people of st. Pierre on
that last dreadful morning. 1t is a
fear which is and for years will be
the portion of every one in the island
of Martinique. a rumble, a black
cloud, or a dust-fall can arouse it in an
instant now; but st. Pierre underwent
all of these and more and accepted
them simply as phenomena for excur-
sionists; until it was too late.
The first intimation of Mt. Pelee's &C
tivity was given on April rs, when Ro-
main, the guide, visited the crater and
brought back his discredited tale. Four
DAYS later rumblings were heard, and
a whitish vapor was observed rising,
feather-like, in the breeze about the
head of the mountain. The noise and
the escape of vapor continued, and a
fine dust began falling in the crowded,
sunny streets of ST. Pierre and in the
adjacent countryside. Rocks came
down the Riviere Blanche in great
quantities, and hundreds of dead fish
were found along its banks. Then
came mud streams rolling slimily down
the mountainside, and here Les Colo
MES. realizing that fear was arising
in the city, sought to allay it by at
tributing all the. phenomena to recent
heavy rains. 1t did not seek to ac-
count for the dust, but in the issue of
May it published note of advice
to mothers to keep their children at
home during the dust fall. as it was
provocative of Inflammation of the
ewes and throat Also householders
were advised to take their plants in
doors for a day or two to avoid injury
bv the dust At the foot of the column
in which this note appeared were two
pregnant lines of unanswerable in
quiry:
"Shall we have an earthquake"
probably not"
II Is more than amazing that the de-
struction of the Guerin Usine, or sugar
factory. at Riviere Blanche, on May
did not arouse the apprehension of the
authorities of st. Pierre or, at least, OF
the commercial interests of the city.
How many lost their lives in that dis
aster is not known, because before the
factory and the houses thanking the
river up the mountain slope could be
uncovered and reached St. Pierre it.
self had ceased 10 exist. The issue OF
Les Colonies of May contained the
interview with NJ. Laudes, the distin-
guished professor OF the, Lyceum.' TO
which reference has already been made,
and an almost metropolitan presenta-
tion on the facts connected with the
overwhelming OF the Usine Guerin. But
the story properly begins with the pa
per of May and this extract
"On Saturday evening, toward hair.
mast o'clock. the excursion from Fort
de France on lie Topaze tthe smah
steamer which ran as q SORT OF Ieffy
,,s,,seen sd. Pierre and Fort de France,
a dtstance Of about steven miles, tried
"a approach Precheur, 20 obtain %
close a view as possible Of the phe-