Evening star., 1902-05-23
THE DISASTER AT ST. PIERRE.
Description Printed by a Paper at
Castries. st. Lucia.


The following are extracts from the
Voice of ST. Lucia, printed at Castries, St
Lucia. May s:
THE Montague Pelee, in the last days
of April. began to show signs of uneasiness
On the Sd instant it began to throw out
dense volumes of smoke and at midnight
belched out flames accompanied by rum
bling noises. At $50 am. flames were
again visible and similar noises We're audi
Bile. At the foot Of the Montague Pelee are
the villages of Precheurs and Ste. Phlo-
meme. The inhabitants were thrown into
the greatest CONSERVATION by the sights
and sounds OF the laboring mountain. and
especially by the darkenng of the sky by
volumes Of thick smoke and the. clouds of
ashes which began to fall.
There was an exodus from all the dis
trict. The town Of st. Pierre was on the
morning of last Saturday, covered with a
layer of ashes above one-Quarter of an inch
thick. and appeared as though enveloped
in a fog. The mountain was invisible. be-
from it.. The greatest anxiety prevailed
and All business was suspended.
"A very anxious morning was passed at
Martinique May 4. Thanks, however, to a
sea breeze from about II am, the situa-
ton then appeared better; but, as the
breeze died away at sunset, a large quanti-
ty of ashes again began to fall and the
mountain and its environs presented most
dismal spectacle, causing much alarm as
to what the night would bring forth. Moth
ing happened. however. and on Monday
morning, May 8, although everything was
not quite serene the aspect was decidedly
encouraging. Less excitement prevailed
AT about o'clock on the morning of the
9th a private telegram was received from
Martinique advising that the Plissonneau
family had chartered the steamer Topaze
one of the boats of the Compagnie Girard.
and had started for st. Lucia at am.
AT about IL o'clock the Topaze arrived.
The refugees reported that at noon on Mon
day, May 5, a stream of burning lava had
suddenly rushed down the southwestern
slope Of the mountain, and following the
course Of the Riviere Blanche the bed of
had overwhelmed everything which OBJ
structed its tremendous rush to the sea-
Estates and buildings were covered up by
the fiery wave, which appeared to rise to
height OF some twenty feet over an area
of nearly quarter of mile. When the tor
rent had poured itself into the sea it was
found that the Guerin sugar factory, situ-
ated on the beach, near the mouth of the
Riviere Blanche, some five miles distant
from the mountain and two from ST. Pierre,
was entirely imbedded in lava, the tall
chimney alone being visible.
The burning mass of liquid had taken
only three minutes from the time 1t was
first perceived to reach the sea, five miles
away. Then remarkable phenomenon oc-
Cured. The sea receded all along the western
coast for distance of about a hundred
yards. and returned with gentle strength
covering up the whole of the sea front of
ST. Pierre and reaching the first houses ON
the Place Bertin. This created a general
panic. and the people made, terror stricken.
for the hills. Though the sea retired again.
without any great damage being done
ashore or af1oat, the panic continued. in
tensifed by the terrible detonations which
broke from the mountain at short and ir-
regular intervals, accompanied with dense
emissions Of smoke and lurid flashes of
flame. This was awful in daylight but
when darkness fell it was more terrible
still. and at each manifestation of the vol
cano's anger, people, in their night clothes
carrying children and lighted by any sort
of lamp or candle they had caught up in
their haste, ran out into the dark streets
wailing and screaming, and running aim
lessly about the town.
'The mental strain becoming unbeara-
BILE, the Topaze was got ready at am.
and the refugees hurriedly went on board
and started for St. Lucia.
''At pm. the gentlemen of the party,
having placed their families in safety, re-
turned by the Topaze to Martinique
I'm the meantime kilograms were being
sent from Martinique imploring that
steamer might be chartered to bring away
terrified people from st. Pierre. But the
superintendent Of the Royal Mail Com
pany at Barbados would not allow one of
the coasting boats, the only steamer avail
able, to go to Martinique. At a little be-
fore pm. cable communication was in
tefruptad and remains so."