The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-02
FLEEING
FOR THEIR LIVES
Mont PeIee Has Been in Con-
slant Eruption Since Aug. 10
SURPRISES FIRE WORKS
In Addition to 200 Persons Said to
Have Lost Their Lives at lie Car
bel and Morne Rouge, 9th
ers Are Reported.

Gastries, Island of st. Lucia, D. w. l.,
roma arrived here yesterday afternoon
from Fort de France. Island of Mar
Unique. She reports that a terrible erup-
ton of Mont Pelee occurred at o'clock
Saturday night. and that people who ar
rived at Fort de France from the north
ern part of the island reported that the
village of Morne Rouge, near the district
previously devastated. had been entirely
destroyed and that LIE Carbet, a village
on the coast. which was destroyed at
the time Of the great eruption, had been
swept by tidal wave About 200 persons
lost their lives. sloop from the Island
Of St Vincent which reached here this
morning, reports that Mont Pelees era
ter is now quiet, but that the detonations
heard up to that time and that the in
habitants were terribly alarmed.
In Constant Eruption.
Mont Pelee has been in constant erup-
ton since August 15 There was an enor-
nous fall of ashes from the volcano
from the ninth to the 25th. There was a
very severe eruption the night of the
2Sth when the volacnic rumblngs were
heard at a great distance. The mountain
burned fiercely that night and out at sea
passing vessels were covered with ashes.
The night of the 18th there were separate
eruptions. 1t Is impossible to approach
the ruined town of St. Pierre from the
sea. The people of the village of Le-
Cardel on the coast are terror stricken
and flying to the interior. Hot water is
pouring down on Lorraine and Basse
Pointe. villages to the northeast of the
crater. Horrible detonations were heard.
the ground rocked and quaked and arti-
Giles on tables were thrown to the floor.
The governor of Martinique has ordered
every available boat to remove people
from the coast villages to Fort de France.
Came Without Warning.
At o'clock on the evening of Saturday
the 30th the sky was cloudless. Suddenly
and without warning one-half of the hori-
zon was obscurued by pitch black cloud
of dust. This cloud was the center of
most magnificent electric effects, the
flashes of light surprising the most elab-
Oidle lI6 WOThS. ldII1Sb anu ndSneS con-
tinued to burst from the cloud until near
ly midnight. Columns of flame shot out
of the crater of Mont Pelee to explode
about the cloud in showers of balls OF
golden fire which fell through the dark
ness In myraids of sparks. Three large
aureoles were seen In the sky over the
opening of the crater.
A tidal wave rushed upon Fort de
France and the terrified inhabitants fec
in large numbers to the interior. The
wave was not severe and did but slight
damage. At midnight of the 3Oth Mont
Pelee was quiet, shortly after this hour
there came another shower of ashes, &C
companied by vivid sheets of lightning
In addition to the 200 persons reported
to have lost their lives at LIE Carbel and
Morne Rouge, many other persons are
said to have been killed all over the
northern districts of the island The
governor of Martinique is believed to
have started from the scene of destruc-
ton
When the steamer Korona arrived here
yesterday she was covered with ashes and
scoria.