Evening journal., 1902-05-10
VOLCANOES FIRES BRING DEATH
TO PEOPLE OF AN ENTIRE CITY
Cable Communications Cut Off and Until ErUptiOnS Cease,
No Vessels Dare approach HarbOr 10 Ascertain
The Extent Of The Horror

ST. Thomas, Danish West Indian Is
lands, May 1O.-The entire civilized
world is aghost at the terrible disaster
which has befallen st. Pierre, Island
of Martinique. People at first could not
realize the extent Of the horror, par
ticularly as the news necessarily was
meagre, owing to cable communica-
ton either being cut or interrupted.
However, it is estimated that at least
10000 persons perished in the terrible
rain of fire which swept over the
doomed city.
The French cruiser Suchet arrived
at Pointe-a-Pitre, Island of Gaude-
loupe, French West Indies, from Fort
de France, Island of Martinique, yes
terday morning, bringing several
refugees. She confirmed the report
that st. Pierre was entirely destroyed
at 8 O'Clock on Thursday morning by
a volcanic eruption. Neither captain
nor passengers could form any esti-
mate of the number Of lives lost, but
they all united in expressing the be-
lief that most of the inhabitants of
ST. Pierre were killed that the neigh
boring parishes were laid waste and
that the residue of the population of
st. Pierre is without food or shelter.
The commander of the Suchet re
ports that at / o'clock on Thursday
the entire town OF ST. Pierre was wrap
ped in flames. He endeavored to save
about 80 persons more or less burneJ
from the vessels in the harbor. His
officers went ashore in small boats
seeking for survivors, but were unable
to penetrate the town. They saw
heaps of bodies upon the wharves, ano
it is believed that not a single person
resident in st. Pierre at the moment
of the catastrophe escaped.
The governor OF the colony and his
staff colonel and wife were in St
Pierre and probably perished. The eX
tent of the catastrophe cannot be
imagined. The captain of the British
steamer Roddam was very seriously
injured, and is now in the hospital al
st. Lucia. All of his officers and engi
,neers are dead or dying. Nearly every
member of the crew is dead. Super
cargo Campbell and ten of the crew
of the Roddam jumped overheard al
St Pierre and were lost.
The British Royal Mail steamer Esl1
which arrived at st. Lucia this morn
ing, reports having passed st. Pierre
last night The steamer was covered
with ashes, though she was five miles
distant from the town, which was il
impenetrable darkness. A boat was
sent in as near as possible to the
shore, but not living soul was seer
ashore, only flames. The Quebe'
Steamship Company's steamer Ro
raima was seen TO explode and disap
pear.
1t is now estimated that 10000 peo
pie perished as a result of the volcanic
eruption in the Island of Martinique.
The British schooner Ocean Tray
'eler OF st. John, N. b., arrived at thi
Island of Dominica, British West In
dies, at o'clock yesterday afternoon
She reported having been Obliged t
fee from the Island of st. Vincent
British West Indies, during the after
noon of Wednesday, May z, in conse
quence of a heavy fall of sand iron
a volcano which was erupting there
The schooner arrived opposite 81
Pierre, Martinique, on Thursda
morning. May g. While about a mil
off the volcano of Mont Pelee explode
and fire from it swept the whole tow
of St. Pierre, destroying the town an
the shipping there including the cabl
repair ship Grappler, of the West II
ria and Panama Telegraph Compan!
of London, which was engaged in r.
pairing the cable near the Guerin fa'
tory. The Ocean Traveller while o
her way to Dominica encountered
quantity of wreckage.