The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-05-18
Tho suns N~ws.


Tho eruption OF tho Pelae volcano In
Martinique took place a few minutes NJ
fore : o'clock on the morning Of Thur
dav. Mays.
4 despatch dated 81. Thomas, May !.
c~onspicuously printed In double leaded
type In THE Sun II the next day, first
gave prominence 20 the forowarning OF
tho great disaster. " told Of h erup-
,,,r ON tho island ~ Martinique, and
Indicated ia alarming character IL
IL very remarkable that on MAY 3 all
other important New York papers buried
In obscure cuincr- q their sheets the
very little intelligence they had received
of this startling rremonition OF the
awful calamity which was to cons on
that very du, only IN THE Sun was
due impprtau,' gwen Z" the news.
on FRIDAY. Nav . the day after the
volcanoes cNplc- On, TIE Sun had nearly
two columns II news - the event direct
from the rrarr~t available point. sup
plemcrtcd - other reports by way 81
London ard dispatches from Wash
ington. lh,>. first dispatches told In
substance tho fnll extent Of the disaster.
tho appalling io-s If life, and the de-
~struction Of AL the shipping IN st. Pierre
harbor. When tho news began 70 come
in. The Sun received and printed more
~ u thhn any other paper. and the de-
spatches we're the most Intelligent n
accurate laid before the public.
On Saturday. May ~. the second dav
after the disaster. The SuS gave IA"
first full details Of heterrble experience
II the steamer RoddaIn, the first news
10 how many of the crew Of the Rora,i..a
were saved. and. above oil. the FIRST
news that the island 81 ~, Vincent also
was overwhelmed. Moreover. the su-
rarior fulness and accuracy Of THE
SINS details 81 tho st. Pierre calamity
published in the paper II that day were
demonstrated by the circumstance that
the same news appeared In other New
York papers the next day or tha sue
Cc.din, day
On Sunday, May II. THE srS gave
IN" first full details II the extent and
character Of the disaster at st. Vincent.
in n column and a half cable despatch
from 81. Lucia. This WA the most
important news Of that day. The suns
story VIVA complete. Those Of other
papers gave barely moro than an out
line Of what had happened, intelli-
gence that THE SUN had already printed
the day before.
On Monday, NAV II. THE Sun printed
the frst account Of the exploration OF
the ruins of ~. Pierre. Our correspond
eut entered the devastated town with
tho fret detachment Of French soldters,
and lie gave IA the world for the frst
time a minute and graphic description
Of the havoc wrought by the volcano.
with the first definite assurance that
with hardly an exception every human
being in the doomed city had been killed.
This despatch was cahled 20 Europe,
from which II came back again Ia this
country and II was reprinted In dnblets
ON several successive DAYS bv h other
newspapers Of New York. IL was this
despatch also which first brought 20 the
knowledge of IN. world the alarming
state Of affairs existing nj Fort dc France
AMI the Imperative necessity of imme-
dutc food supplies 10 save from starva-
tiou tho thousands who were flocking
into that place.
These ARE simple and incontestable
facts. and We relate them in no Wanting
sp,rlt merely, but in order that all the
readers 81 TUE SUN may know that they
have lccn kept better and moro fully
Informed regarding one Of the greatest
events % tie history OF the world than
have been the readers Of any other
paper, and also because "" are gratiii"d
by tins demonstration Of the superiority
81 the system OF gathering the news Of
the world which has been organized by
the paler AZ tho cost of infinite pains
an very great expenditure of money