The copper era., 1902-05-15
P0MPEIIS FATE
REPEATED.
St. Pierre DestrOyed-FOrty qhous-
and Lives Lost-Fifty ThOus
and People Homeless
and Hungry.

and Hungry.
At 20 on the morning OF the sth instant
volcano belchei forth at Mont Pe,e-. on the
island Of Martinique. which entirely Destroyed
the beautiful CITY Of 81 Pierre, place Of 25 900
Inhabitants, The north end OF the island
submerged by the volcanic fire and ashes. and
nearly all Of the inhabitants destroyed. The
following kilograms give only faint idea OF
tue drccdfll catastrophe.
Castrics St Lucia May Pas more minute
details arrive the devastation At St Pierre grows
ia horror. The fire IS now abating aud the
, work Of recovering bodies Of the dead IS being
hnstcucd. Many bodies were recovered in po-
s.tions Of life, just as the molten lava over
wAelmed them. whole families were found
standing at various household duties. recalling
the destruction Of Pompcii. At the cathedral
corpsgs were piled hundred deep. It is i'm
possible yet to give IA correct estimate OF the
loss Of life bat the figures may reach nearly
fifty tho-=2ad Sailors who jumped from YES
sells into the harbos to escape the rain Of fire and
flame were boiled TO death in scalding water.
Al s. Vincent clouds of vapor miles high con-
J tinuc to pour from the volcano. The survivors
! at Fort de France face death by starvation
/ Urgent appeals for fo0dStufs to neighboring
! islands are met by the answer that stock Is SO
/ limited that food must come from the mainland.
As St Pierre has always served rs n store house
for the islands only the arrival OF ships can
avert new and greater catastrophe.
Paris May 12-The French cable company
this morning received from its manager at
Fort dc Prince. Martinique, the following: Il
have sent an agen; to st. Pierre. lie was able
to find the company Office buried under pile
Of rubbish, but could find no trace of General
Mana ger Jalabert or the personnel OF the Office.
ii a The is strOLyn
with corpscs. the cremation of which has begun.
The commander OF The war ship Suchet cables
that he explored ST Pierre Saturday with
Iuad of marines. The town was shoulder
ing ruin under which the thousands of victims
lay buried. He found it impossible to adj
vance to the north end of the island owing
10 the min of hot ashes which is still most in
tense. The volcano still presents menacing
appearance.
London. May l2-Thc colonial secretary has
received an official dispatch from the island Of
Dominica that refugees from the north end of
Martinique say craters are opening in
every direction. The rivers are Overlooking
their banks and large areas of the island are
being submerged by the sea
Fort de France, May l2-Evcry available YES
sci ha, been pressed into service for rolief duty
in the vicinity Of St Pierre. Food and other
supplies are being hurried to the scene. Great
loads Of frewOod, quiCklime. and petroleum
are being sent TO aid in the disposition of the
bodies. the decomposition of which causes the
greatest distress to the relief forces. 1t is csti
mated that n thousand who escaped the lava
died from hunger thirst and injuries. ST.
Picrrc's streets cannot be traced. The lava still
flows down the mountains in streams. The
vaults of the bank of Martinique were found
intact. They contained four hundred thousand
dollars
Paris, May l2-Thc most astounding feature of
the shocking news from Martinique is the
passive interest taken In the disaster here
The richest of her few colonies destroyed, and
forty thousand people swept out OF existence.
does not appear to excite any greater interest
IT, an the winner of the Grand Pri1.
Washington, May l2-The president today
ordered the state war and navy departments to
confer and cooperate in relieving tho distress
in Martinique. The gunboat Potomac has sailed
from Porto Rico and the cruiser Cincinnati
from San Domingo for Martinique. The Dixie
a splendid auxiliary cruiser, Will be ready this
evening for orders to sail from Brooklyn.
Louis Ayme United States CONSUL at Guada-
loupe who went to Martinique under instruc-
tons from Washington, reports by cable from
Fort De France as follows: The disaster is
complete. St. Pierre is wiped out. Consul
ITtullS anu ihlulN hTc bca'l We BpNflLoi
says thirty thousand persisted and fifty thous
and homeless and hungry. He suggests
that the Red Cross be asked to send cod fish.
beans rice salt meats and biscuits quickly
: possible. The visit of n ship would be
valuable
Every ship in the harbor except the English
steamer Roddam, was burned. and all on board
lost. The Roddam which was lying far ont
l,.-
were killed or died from the heat while on deck.
Ever since April 25 last. the mountain which
wrought all the havoc has been manifestlng
dSquicting symptoms. A great column of
smoke kept mounting from it, and there were |
from time to time showers ofashes and ciudcrs |
falling. Finally, May &, there was a terrific |
eruption. which hurled into the air vast vol |
umcs OF mud. which completely swallowed mp |
the Gucrin sugar factory, which stood near the |
River Blanche.
The first that was known at Fort de France Of
the disaster was at O'Clock on the morning Of
May S. At that hour there suddenly spread |
over the town OF Fort dc France n thick cloud OF
smoke, cinders and ashes, which came from the |
direction OF St Pierre. The cloud swept over
the city with terrifying swiftuess. turning the
bright daylight into the darkness of night with |
hardly moments warming. From this cloud n
rain Of rocks and ashes poured upon the town
and threw the entire population into the wild
est panic.
The sea suddenly swept back in great wave
for Il distance between fifty and sixty feet. and
vessels fastened to the wharves were set crash
ing against each other with great force. Then
a great wave swept in and out from shore and
finally the waters settled down to their normal
level.
Everybody knew what had happened Mont
Pclec. which had been long ominously
threatening, had at last broken ont in appalling
eruption. Throughout the streets Of Fort de
France and along the water front people ran
hither and thither in wild panic. On all sides
there was the cry. The volcano" 1t is
Mont Pelce,"
Washington, May 1.-THE president in
special message asks congress for million dol
lars Immediately for the relief Of West India
sufferers. $4,000 was appropriated at once.
and more will follow as needed.
Barb wire, staples, ranch supplies.
5. J. Forbes.
Our stock of staple and fancy gro