Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-10
MOURNING IN FRANCE.
Many Citizens of Bordeaux Have
Friends in Stricken City.

PARIS May 1O.-The minister of marine
has received the following dispatch from
Ponte a'Pitre, Island of Guadeloupe, from
the commander of the French cruiser
Suchet:
Il have obtained the following informa-
tion of the events of yesterday:
About s o'clock the volcano threw up a
considerable mass of smoke and earth. A
whirlwind of fire Immediately followed.
Instantly the whole town (of st. Pierre)
was in flames, and the ships in the harbor
were dsmasted and burned. The shower
of rocks lasted a quarter of an hour. l
arrived at ST. Pierre at o'clock in the
afternoon, saving few persons from the
ships. | saw no living creature in St.
Pierre. to which it was impossible to pene-
trate. There were numerous corpses near
the quay
A telegram from the governor of the
Island of Guadeloupe contains the latest
news of the Martinique cataclysm received
at the colonial office.
After announcing that the French cruiser
Suchet had thirty survivors board the
governor of Guadeloupe says.
Belief That Officials Perished
Everything tends to the belief that Gov
ernor of the Colony n. L. Mouttet and
Colonel Gerbault and their wives persisted
with the population of St. Pierre. 1 have
ordered the prompt dispatch of provisions
from Pointe a Pitre and Basseterre. The
Suchet sails for Martinique this evening.
All of the people and the supplies of Guade-
loupe are at your disposal for relief"
An unending procession of inquirers who
! have friends and relatives on the stricken
island is arriving at the ministry of the
colonies, which has telegraphed to every
possible source for information.
A few private kilograms received here
renew the hope that some of the inha5-
itants of ST. Pierre escaped.
The bishop of Martinique sent cable
message from Fort de France, forWar arded at
80 pm. yesterday. announcing the safety
of Pastor King of st. Pierre who escaped
the disaster and sought refuge at Morne
| Rouge. 1t is hoped that others fled there.
Gable messages have been received by the
southern route. All the northern cables are
interrupted.
At least fifty families of Bordeaux are
| bereaved. Most of the business of ST.
Pierre was transacted through Bordeaux.
Sorrowing in France.
At meeting of the French cabinet this
morning the minister of finance, NJ Call
lauX. was authorized to expend all the
money necessary to succor the sufferers by
the Martinique disaster. An official of the
colonial office sailed from Brest for MAJ
Unique this morning with half a million
francs S1Oo,GO) in cash.
The cabinet further decided to order the
ings for three days. and the minister Of
the colonies, NJ. Decrais, was instructed tr
telegraph to the government at Martinique
the condolences of France.
NJ. GecraiS informed the cabinet meeting
that Senator knight. president of the legis-
lature of Martinique. who was believed to
have lost his life at st. Pierre, had escaped.
The Patre says the wife of Senator
Knight has received cable dispatch from
her husband, dated Fort de France, Mar
Unique, at I'm. yesterday, saying: We'll
property safe
Survivors of the Roraima.
NEW YORK, May 1O.-The agent here of
the Quebec Steamship Company has re-
ceived a telegram from the company s
agent at Dominica saying that the surviv-
| ors of the steamship Roraima. which was
| destroyed in the Martinique disaster, are
| on board the steamship Korona. The fol-
| lowing are reported as saved: The quarter
| master. the stewardess and seamen Nor
| ley, Thompson, Moore. Evans, Benson.
| Mayer, Leadye and three unknown sailors.
The first officer and assistant purser are in
| the hospital at Fort de France.
The Commercial Cable company sent out
| the following notice this morning:
We are advised that a chart cred sloop
| leaves St. Lucia for st. Vincent at noon
| today"