The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1902-05-17
10000 PEOPLE persisted.
BURNING LAVA COVERED All.
CITY Of ~. Pierre, fhe Capital Of
NartIniase. Entirely wiped Away
VERY Few sayea-Fiery Metal
Half aiIs wfde-TtdaI Wave.


Mount Pelee. a volcanic mountain
some 10 miles north Of ST Pierre. the
commercial capital Of Martinique. is
the mountain which made faint show
OF eruption SO years ago. On May
last II began 10 throw out dense clouds
OF smoke. At midnight the same day
flames. accompanied by rumbling
noises. lighted the sky over an i'm
mense area. causing widespread terror.
May 4 hot ashes covered the whole
city quarter Of st. Pierre an inch thick
and made Mount Pelee invisible. Al
noon May s a stream Of burning lava
rushed 400 feet down the mountain
side. following the dry bed Of q tor
rent and reaching the sea. Eve miles
from the mountain. in three minutes.
In Its rush the fiery flood swept from
It's path plantations. buildings. factor
Les. cattle and human beings over q
breadth Of about half a mile.
At the rear OF the mouth Of the
RIyiere Blanche stood the large Guerin
sugar factory. one OF the finest in the
island o. is now completely eRtombed
In lava. The tail chimney alone is
visible. One hundred and fifty per
sons are estimated to have persisted
there. including the owners son.
As the lava rushed into the sea the
latter receded 400 feet all along the
west coast. returning with greater
strength. a big wave covering the
whole sea front OF St Pierre. but doing
little damage ashore or anoat-
Terrible detonations. heard humid
reds Of miles northwand. followed 81
short. irregular intervals. and contin-
ued at night. In the intense darkness
the electric lights failed. but the town
was lit up by lurid flashes OF fame
from the mountain. The terror strick-
en- inhabitants rushed for the hills In
thedraI All appeared 10 have been
their night clothes, shouting and wall
ing. mad with terror.
The Plissono family escaped to St.
Lucia in a small steamer. Thirty-nve
persons. mostly women and children.
arrived here In the forenoon OF the
6th and furnished the above details
The men remained in Martinique. The
same afternoon. later, telegraphic
communication was interrupted with
both the islands OF Martinique and st
Vincent
H. Plissono is believed here to be
the sole survivor OF the 10000 inhab-
ltants OF the town and all the shipping
in the port has been utterly destroyed.
the West Indian & Panama Telegraph
company's repairing vessel going first
then the Quebec liner Roraima. Cap
tain Muggah Of the latter waved his
hand in farewell to the Roddam as
his vessel sank with terrific explos-
ION.
In the afternoon a French eoasting
steamer arrived here from Fort de
France seeking assistance. as all the
country was burned mp. the stock was
dying. all the plantations were char
red. the country people were docking
into the towns and famine was feared.
The steamer was loaded with food Of
all sorts and was sent back to Mar
Unique at p. m. The captain Of this
vessel reported that some so persons
left st. Pierre by the o'clock boat
Thursday marning for Fort de France
and consequently were saved.
Worst Possible Day.
Bordeaux, France. May Il.--only a
few replies have been received to mes
sages Of inquiry from a host Of Bor-
deaux merchants having business con
uections In St Pierre. A small num-
Der OF messages chronicle the saving
Of private families and individuals.
but most OF the dispatches are merely
announcements that big business es-
Adjustments have been wiped out
II has been developed that the ca.
tRstrophe In Martinique occurred on
the worst possible day, namely. the
day OF the arrival Of the French and
the departure Of the English mail
steamers. In consequence OF this fact
many business men were in the city
OF st. Pierre instead Of at their coun-
try places.
Fire stu Conttnoee.
Paris. May 1.-THE minister Of ma
rine. NJ. Delassen. has received the
following from Fort de France. Mar
Unique. under date OF May 10. 4 p. m:
Arrived at Fort de France with pro
visions. passing close to st. Pierre,
Fire continues. volcano still emitting
ashes. with less density.
~sucHET."
Fort de France. Island OF Martin
lque. May l2.--Advices received here
from the vicinity OF st. Pierre. II
niles from here, contain further de
tails Of the terrible volcanic upheaval
which resulted in the utter destrue
ton OF that town and the death Of
nearly all OF It's inhabitants.
The crater OF Mont Pelee has been
wearing It's smoke cap" since the Sd
Of May. but there was nothing until
last Monday to indicate there was the
slightest danger. On that day a stream
OF boiling lava burst through the tor
OF the crater and plunged into the
valley OF the River Blanche. over
whelmlng the Guerin sugar works and
killing Is work people and the son Of
the proprietor.
A commission was appointed by the
governor to investigate the outbreak
and II returned reassuring report on
Wednesday evening. But about
o'clock on Thursday morning a shower
OF IRE rushed down on St Pierre anC
the coast from lie Carbet, which hat
population Of 5000. to lie Prechsur