The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-05-23
1000 DEAD Al
81 !. j VINCENT ! {. Il
AWFUL DISASTER ON THE BRITISH
ISLAND WORSE THAN RE-
PORTED. VI
.lOOTING THE DEAD AT ST. PIERRE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT VESSEL
CAPTURES SIX OF THE
GHOULS.
.lOOTING THE DEAD AT ST. PIERRE
A FAMINE IS THREATENED !'
STENCIL FROM THE DEAD BODIES
AT ST. PIERRE rs OVER
TOWERING.


TOWERING.
France, Martinique, May 15
1T is estimated that the total number
Of deaths on the Island of st. Vincent
| from the volcanic eruption reached
1000. Most Of the victims are said to DO
Carib Indians.
Conditions at St. Vincent are said to
| be worse La Soufriere was in full
! eruption May 10. stream of stone
and mud half a mile wide was then is
suing from the Volcano. Stones two
inches in diameter fell twelve miles
away. At Kingstown, the capital Of
the island, the ashes were two inches
| deep. Seven hundred dead were re-
ported Sunday, May II. 1t is estimated
that the total number Of deaths on st.
Vincent reaches 1000. Most Of the
| seven estates on the island have been
burned to ashes and it is. authorita-
lively reported that two earthquakes
occurred there. 1t is believed the sub
marine cables at st. Vincent have been
broken by disturbances. The present
| volcanic eruption on St. Vincent is the
| first since 1912.
Awful Conditions mt St. Pierre.
The United States government tug
Potomac, which came to Martinique
from San Juan, Porto Rico, cruised
alcng the coast of this island yesterday
Afternoon She encountered an inky
black column of smoke which made it
| necessary for her to go five miles out
Of her course. Words fail to describe
the present situation at st. Pierre
A small detachment of French troops
is making every effort to inter the dead,
although the government seems to be
strikingly unconcerned as to what is to
be done. Looting of the dead has be-
gun already.
While coming to Fort e-France the
Potomac picked up a boat containing
five colored AMI one white man whose
pockets were filed with coin and jew
elry, the latter evidently stripped from
the fingers of the dead. Lieut.. B. B.
Mccormick, the commander of the Po-
tcmac, arrested these men and turned
them over to the commander of the
French cruiser Suc.let for punishment.
supplies consisting, in part, of Goldfish
and flour.
Famine Is Imminent.
A famine here is imminent. Thu
northern section Of The island is de-
populated. Provisions are needed here
Immediately for 100000 people. A ship
load of lime is also needed at st. Pierre
for sanitary purposes. The stencil
there from the dead bodies is overpoW-
ering.
AS result Of the measures taken b.:
the authorities access to St. Pierre is
now easier. The ruins of the town have
ceased smoking. Two thousand corpses
have been found in caroorized condi-
ton. 1t has been learned that the rain
of fire ceased at distance of 200 years
from the village Of LIE Carbet.
Talk with survivors Of the disaster
confirms previous statements as to the
awful suddenness OF the catastrophe.
It is thought that an enormous quanti
ty of gas was liberated, producing
great atmospheric pressure which over
| whelmed everything before it. The
gases absorbed by the bodies Of the
victims caused them to burst, and the
fire coming afterward, carboniZed them.
This was followed by a rain Of stones
which enveloped the town, but there
was not, as has been SAID, any flow of
incandescent lava.
TOrnadoes of Fire.
"A gardener at the village of Morne
Rouge, seven kilometers distant from
st. Pierre, saw at the moment of the
disaster seven luminous points on Mont
Pelee. He says he had the impression
of being violently drawn toward the
volcano by powerful current of air.
Then the mountain opened, according
| to the description of the gardener, and
flung tornadoes of fire at st. Pierre.
Mont Pelee was still erupting smoke
and fire at a late hour last night The
French cruiser Suchet is here and the
city of Fort-de-France is quiet.
1t was reported here yesterday from
the British island of Dominica that 800
survivors of the ST. Pierre disaster had
| reached there m canoes. Many strange
| and incomprehans!Ele incidents are re-
counted of St. Pierre. The charred re-
mains of woman with a silk hand
kerchief, unburned and in perfect con-
dition, held to ner lips have been found.
The crisped bodies Of young girls have
been found, but the shoes they wore
were unhurt.
Every praise is given United States
Consul Ayme. He has worked indefat-
igably to succor the survivors. He has
bandaged the limbs Of the wounded and
has worked without sleep and without
food. He is now thoroughly exhausted
Forty persons rescued from the city
are now in the hospitals here.
ee ---.--------.s ~ .4s5i{ilts
WARD SUCCEEDS EVANS.
New Pension Commissioner Takes
Oath Of Once. 5s$ ss$ss.s'