The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-10
DEAD NUMBER $4,000.

ca bieS that 81 E1erTe mas Deen IOLdlly
destroyed by fire and that all the IN
habitants perished. All the vessels in
the harbor were lost. These include
the Grappler The steamer ROraima.
company, took fire in port and became
a total loss. All on board the Roraima
perished.
Thirty deaths are reported to have
occurred on the island of St. Vincent,
according to a telegram received at the
colonial Office this morning from Gov
ernor Llewellyn, forwarded from st.
Lucia yesterday evening. The governor
adds
Information incomplete. Eruption
continues. [ am endeaVoring to get
back to St Vincent"
steele Young & Co. of this city. own
ers of the British steamer Roddam,
which escaped from St. Pierre to St
Lucia, received this morning the first
news from their agents at St. Lucia,
as follows;
Unique. Roddam returned. Anchor and
anchor chain slipped. Tarpaulins and
running gear burned. Machinery in
tact. Captain in hospital Two mates.
chief engineer and eight of crew dead.
Ten in hospital Second and third en-
gfneers aboard. Campbell, supercargO,
dead. Communication between here and
Barbados Interrupted
Gable communication between Lon
don and the Island of Martinique is cut
off The Direct West India. Gable COM
pany received at 1870 this afternoon a
cable dispatch from St. Lucia, dated to-
day, saying:
'sloop just leaving for St. Vincent,
presumably with the object of ascer-
tanning what has happened on that ISL
and Possibly took Governor Llewel-
lyn."
Communication is still obtainable
with the Island of Guadeloupe, F'rencn
West Indies, but the news is congested,
owing TO the confusion prevailing in the
cable system and the numerous official
messages filed.
The receipt of the first direct cable
news from Martinique depends on how
long the French company viii take in
repairing the ca ble to Fort de France,
capital of the island on which they are
now working.
The British admiralty is con municat-
ing with the cOTnmander-in chief of the
British naval station and a war vessel
will be directed to go to Martinique.
1t is apparent from the cable dis
patches received that the eruption of
the volcano on Mont Pelee will not do
much damage to the summer crop
which is chiefly confined to the south
ern part of the island, and the gather
ing of which is now two-thirds over.
However, the wiping out of the money
ed population. centered at St. Pierre, is
bound to produce the most serious com
mercial effect Not one of the business
its agents in Martinique
A partner of the principal English
firm dealing With Martinique said to a
representative Of the Associated Press.
"I suppose all our agents are dead.
Not much business IS transacted be-
tween England and Martinique. Al
most everything thence is shipped di-
rect to Bordeaux, which suffers most
/ know Martinique we'll The last time
/ was there. q few years ago, there were
only two Englishmen and no Americans
resident at St. Pierre though that town
did a good business with America in
the way of food stuffs A large proper
ton of the white population belongs to
the old French families, who pre-
ferred st. Pierre TO any other part
of the island. We never for a moment
dreamed that Mont Pelee would prove
/ dangerous. Fifty years ago some smoke
! and steam issued from its crevices, but
no attention was paid to it.
Unless the lava Over-run the whole
I island, which is not likely the disaster
may not turn out to be as great as l.
at present seems to be.
RESCUED $50 PERSONS.
New York, May 10.-The French cable
company's offices in this city we're ad
vised today That their repair steamer
! Pouyer Quertier has arrived at Fort
/ de France, having rescued 450 persons
from st. Pierre She has returned i'm
mediately to the scene of the disaster
to search for further survivors.
SF1AE@o GEA-N -AEHEfOAAI1-
London, May 10.-A cable company
received a message from Martinique to-
day, saying the volcanic eruption there
continues and that ships are afraid to
approach the island
BAD PLACE TO LIVE.
Chicago. May 10="The island of Mar
Unique, and especially the city of St
/ Pierre, is a beautiful place in which tC
be born and a pleasant place to die, but
to live there is attended by more dan
its attraction
Vincent de Messamy, local represen-
tative Of a French wholesale liquor
! house, who thus characterizes the place
which has been visited by such terrible
! disaster, was born in st. Pierre. All OF
his family, sister. her daughter, two
uncles and several cousins are there
/ OF their fate ne knows nothing. His
sister is Mrs Joseph de AIassias. His
uncles are Alphonse de Messamy and
NJ. Augrain, wealthy planters, and his
/ cousins, Robert and Roger Augrain an6
! Jacques. Albert and Marguerite de
I Aessamy. Until 1888 when M dc
Messany married a daughter of VIM
/ Garesche. of St. Louis, then a merchant
consul to Martinique, he remained ir
/ st. Pierre, but has visited there only
once since
Knowing the place as I do" he said
i have little doubt the disaster was JUS
as terrible as has been described, an6
/ my anxiety for the fate of my Sistei
L
/ have been several eruptions of Mont
1 Pelee. but never such a terrible catas-
/ trophe as that which is being described
I OndOu DteQly when ashes began to fal
/ days ago people thought it it would oe
! unsafe to remain out OF doors, and
/ when the fatal eruption came were
+ caught in their houses. victims of the
+ false security engendered by previous
comparatively harmless disturbances.
SHIPS WERE A MILE AWAY.
/ Galveston, Tex, May 1O.-A. Drouthel
/ who is a native of the town of Caistries
! Island of St Lucia. and who is now a
resident of this city, is much concerned
| for the safety of his four sisters who
( are residents of St Pierre.
Mr.. Drouthel spent three years in
/ school at St. Pierre. He believes that il
/ the damage is as great as reported, il
must have been caused by the eruption
( Of some fresh volcano nearer to tbs
/ city than is Mont PeIee. accom- panied
] bN an aarthnnak ka He can not l.ndar-