The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-05-16
A VISIT TO THE SCENE.

ulu D0ullu q lug wa
or leaden colored haze Enormous
quantities of the wreckage OF large
and small ships and houses streWed
the surface of the sea. Huge trees
and too often bodies with Hocks OF
sea gulls soaring above and hldeous
sharks fighting about them, were
floating here and there. From be
hind the volcanic veil came blasts OF
hot wind, mingled with others ice
cold.
At Le Precheur, five miles north
If St. Pierre, Canoes with men and
women, frantic to get away, begged
for passage on the steamer.
The whole north end of the island
was covered with a silver gray cost-
ing of ashes resembling dirty snow.
Furious blasts of fire, ashes and mud
swept over the steamer but finally
St. Pierre was reached.
The city of st. Pierre stretched
nearly two miles along the water
front and half mile back to the
cliff at tho base Of the volcano. The
houses of the richer French families
were built of stone.
The still smoking volcano covered
above the ash covered hills. The
ruins were burning in many places
and frighting oders of burned flesh
filled the air.
With great difficulty a landing
was effected. Not one house was
left intact. Viscid heaps of mud, of
brighter ashes or piles of o7lcano
stones, were seen on every side. The
streets could hardly be traced. Here
and there amid the ruins were heaps
of corpses. Alnost all the faces
were downward.
In one corner p bodies of men
women and children were min
gled with in one awful mass, arms
and legs protrudlng as the haplesS
being fell in the last struggles of
deaths agony.
Through the middle of the old
Place Bertin ran tiny stream, the
remains of the river Gaya7e. Great
trees with roots upward and scorched
with fire, were strewn in every di-
rection. Huge blocks and still hot
stones we're scattered about. From
under one large stone the arm of a
white woman protruded. Most no
table was the utter silence and the
awful, overpowering stencil from
the thousands of dead.
DEATH F-.OM SUFFOCATION.
Careful inspection showed that the
fiery stream which 80 completely de-
stroyed st. Pierre must have been
composed of poisonous gases, which
instantly suffocates every one who IN
hales them, and of other gases burn
Ing furiously, for nearly all the VIC
TINS had their hands covering their
mouths or were in some other sttl-
tude, showing that they had sought
relief from sufocation. All the bod
les are carbonized or roasted.
A. G. Austen, the manager of the
Colonial Bank of Barbodoes, landed
at St. Pierre with party from the
British royal mail steamer Solent'
He found the bank clock stopped at
some minutes before s o'clock. A
horse and buggy and q policeman
were in dead group at the door.
CONGRESS AppRopR1ATEs 100000 FOR
RELIEF OF DESTITUTE
NAMED S000,O0O.
Washington, May l2.-The house
today passed by an overwhelming
vote bill granting S5O0,OOO for the
relief of the sufferers in the great
calamity in the West Indies. The
bill was substitute to the relief
measure passed by the senate, which
carried 100000, the increase haV.
ing followed the receipt of a message
from the president setting forth the
magnitude of the calamity and urg
ing an appropriation of S5OO,OOO
A special NEE ing of the appropris
ton committee was held to facilitate
action on the bill and it was re-
II