Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-16
SCENES Of HORROR
Correspondent Tells of Con-
ditions on st. Vincent.
HOUSES FULL OF DEAD
ESTIMATED NOW THAT 1,7oo PER-
SONS PERIsHED.
The Few Survivors Were Horribly
Burned and Will Scarcely. Sur
vive Their Injuries.
HOUSES FULL OF DEAD

JAMESTOWN, Island Of ST. Vincent,
spondent of the Associated Press has just
returned from visit. on horseback, to the
devasted district of this island. He trav
eled fifty miles and penetrated to within
five miles OF the Soufriere crater. The ash
covered area of ST. Vincent exceeds that of
Martinique, which the correspondent had
also explored The most conservative esti-
mate of the death rate here now places the
number at LOO. About 1900 bodies have
already been inferred. The entire northern
part of the island is covered with ashes to
an average depth of eighteen inches. vary
ing from thin layer at Kingstown to two
feet or more at Georgetown
The crops are ruined, nothing green can
be seen the streets of Georgetown are
numbered with heaps of ashes resembling
snow drifts and ashes rest so heavily on the
roofs that in several cases they have caused
them to fall in. There will soon be 5000
destitute persons in need of assistance from
the government which is already doing
everything possible to relieve the sufferers.
There are 100 injured people in the hospital
at Georgetown, gangs of men are searching
for the dead or rapidly burylng them In
trenches and all that can be done under the
circumstances is being accomplished
Warship Brings Supplies.
The British cruiser Indefatigable brought
twenty-five tons of supplies here, and re-
turned to the Island of Trinidad today for
more.
The governor of the Windward Islands.
Sir Robert Lewellyn, Is here, supervising
the work of the authorities.
While the outbreak of the volcano on the
Island of Martinique killed more people
outright. more territory has been ruined in
ST. Vincent; hence, there is greater destitu-
ton here.
The injured persons were horribly burned
by the hot grit which was driven along
with tremendous velocity. Twenty-six per-
sons who sought refuge in a room ten feet
by twelve were all killed. One person was
Drained with a huge stone nine miles from
the crater.
Rough collins are being made to receive
the remains of the victims. The hospital
here is filled with dying people. Fifty in
jured persons are lying on the floor of that
building, there are no beds for their ac-
commodatio though cots are being rapidly
constructed Of boards. This and similar
work has been in progress since lmme-
diately after the disaster. Two days
elapsed, however, before there were any
burials, as the negroes refused to dig the
necessary trenches though they were Of
fered three times the usual wages by the
local authorities. The nurses employed are
incompetent, but they are willing to learn
and are working hard. The negroes are in
different to all that Is transpiring and to
what has taken place: They expect to re-
ceive government .rations. but there have
been instances where they have refused to
bury their own relatives.
Sufferers in Hospital Tents.
AS the colonial hospital here was found
Inadequate to accommodate the sufferers,
ly brought here from other towns on the
large army tents have been erected for the
use of the patients who are being constant
island, but even these annex hospitals are
overcrowded The local doctors have been
reinforced by a doctor who arrived here
from the island of Grenada, one of the
British Windward Islands. He brought
with him a number Of packages Of medical
supplies, which were extremely useful.
The arrival here Of the first detachment
of the ambulance corps which brought SUI
ferers from Georgetown caused quite a SEN
sation This batch consisted of a hundred
persons. whose charred bodies eXhaled foul
odors and whose SCARED faces made even
the hospital attendants shudder. 1t is
doubtful whether one of the whole party
will recover.
The death rate among tho people in the
hospital is still very high, in spite of the
best medical efforts made in their behalf
All the neighboring British colonies are
eyincing sympathy with the sufferers here.
Subscription lists have been started and
food and clothing are being forwarded to
St. vincent from all the British islands.
Gratitude to This Country. 3.
While the entire community is thankful
for this help and sympathy from British
sources, on all sides are heard grateful ap-
probation of the prompt aid furnished by
the United States in sending the Potomac
here with provisions and other things for
the destitute people of St. Vincent, The re-
port that the volcanic lake which occupied
the top of the mountain has disappeared
appearS to be confirmed A sea of lava,
SIln fumes 2DDarpntlV
occupies it's place and several new craterS
have been formed. The last time the vol
cano showed activity, Tuesday last, the
craters old and new, and numerous assures
in the mountansides discharged hot vapor,
deep subterranean murmuringS were heard,
the ground trembled at times, from the
center of the volcano huge volumes of
steam rose like gigantic pine trees toward
the sky and dense, Cimmerian smoke,
mingling with the steam, issued from a
new and active crater. forming an immense
pail over the northern hills, lowering into
the valleys and then rising and spreading
until it enveloped the whole island in a pc
culiar gray mist.
Simultaneous action upon the part Of the
volcanoes of Martinique and Dominica and
elsewhere seems to denote volcanic con-
neetion between these islands, and appears
to verify the assumption of the volcanic
origin Of the mountain chains running par
aliei with the Soufriere in the Windward
districts.
Weather Very Hot.
AS this dispatch is sent 1t is excessively
hot here, and the northern hills retain their
foggy appearance.
The sulphuric vapors which still exhale
all over the island are increasing the sick
ness and mortality among the surviving in
habitants and are causing suffering among
the new arrivals The hospital staffs are
giving way to overwork, and are with diff
Guilty bearing up.
The stencil in the afflicted districts is ter
rible beyond description. Nearly all the
huts left standing are filled with dead
bodies. In some cases disinfectants and the
usual means of disposing Of the dead are
useless, and cremation has been resorted
to. When 1t Is possible, the bodies are
dragged with ropes to the trenches and are
there hastily covered up, quicklime being
used when available. Many of the dead
bodies were so covered with dust that they
were not discovered until walked upon by
visitors, or by the relieving officers or their
q RAJ Tha rxxitv