The Daily soliphone., 1902-05-15
The Calamity On the Island of St. Vincent Described From
 Its Beginning.
WEIRD AND AWE-lNSpIRlAG SCENES.
Then Came the Thundering of the Bursting Volcano, Whose Ire- mendous DetOnatfons Couio pe Heard Throughout the Whoie Caribbean Region.


 New York, May 15.-A dispatch From it's correspondent on the island of St. Vincent, B. w. l., to the Herald, says:
 Admonitory rumbles and earth quakes in the vicinity of Soufriere came two weeks ago.
 On Monday, May 5, the lake in the old crater became greatly disturbed. On Tuesday, at two o'clock m the afternoon, the mountain began se- ries of volcanic efforts. Serious earth gualSes accompanied these terrible noises, and detonations succeeded quickly. At seven o'clock in the even- inp an immense column of steam 1s- sued from the crater and lasted until midnight.
 Terrific Explosions Followed.
 Terrific explosions followed on Wednesday morning, and at seven o'clock there was another sudden vio- lent escape of steam. This ascended for three hours, when other material was ejected.
 At noon the three eraters appeared to open and began to vomit lava. SIX streams at once ran down the sides of the mountains, making an awful scene.
 .The mountain labored heavily for half an hour after the appearance of the lava. and fire flashed around the edues of the craters, and there were tremendous detonations in success sion, rapidly merging into contlnu- ous roar. This lasted through Wednesday night and until Friday morning. The thunderings of the vol cano were heard throughout the Caribbean sea.
 The Actual Eruption Began.
 The eruption began Wednesday. A huge cloud in dark and dense col umn, charged with volcanic matter, rose to a height of eight miles from the mountain top Darkness like midnight descended, and the sulphur ous air was laden with fine dust.
 X brief rain followed, rain Of 5avilla, incoriae, rocks and stones. There were bright flashes, numerous and marvelously rapid. These, with laundering, the mountain shocks, the earthquake roar, the lava and falling e stones created scene of horror. Large areas of cultivation have been buried beneath the volcanic matter.
 Plantations Totally Destroyed.
 On the windward coast seven plan tations are totally destroyed. Moth ing green is visible. Sixteen hun dred and twenty deaths are already reported There are 167 cases in the hospital at Georgetown under treat ment.
 The deaths have been caused chief ly by suffocation by the sulphurous gases, lightning and burning lava masses. Few of the cases in the hos pital are likely to recover.
 The crew of H. NJ. s. lndefatigable buried 30 peasants found dead on the Owia estate, north of Soufriere.
 Another Crater Formed.
 Another crater is reported formed on the Richmond estate near the sea- shore. The country districts on the windward coasts are filtered with dead bodies.
 Kingstown, the capital. and the whole population are safe. There have been no accidents or deaths. Clouds of dust are blowing over the city, however.
 Vessels Bearing Succor.
 The Royal Mail Steamer Wear is transporting food and water to the leeward coasts, sailing vessels have proceeded to the windward coast on the same crrand. Doctors and nurses have gone to the scene of distress The majority of the corpses being found are covered with ashes, de composed and hardly approachable The dead are being buried in trench. es, 30 in each.