Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-14
FAMINE THREATENED
Provisions Needed For 1OO,-
 900 Persons at Once
THE POTOMAC REACHES MARTINIQUE
Situation at St. Pierre Indescriba- b1e-Many Strange Incidents Re- corded of Terrible visitation.
 St. Vincent's Death List.


 FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique, May 14.-The United States govern ment tug Potomac, which came to Martinique from San Juan, Porto Rico, cruised along the coast of this island during the afternoon. She encounter ed an inky black column of smoke, which made it necessary for her to go five miles out of her course.
 Words fail to describe the present situation at St. Pierre. A small de- tachment of French troops is making efforts to inter the dead, although the government seems to be strikingly un- concerned as to what is done in this direction
 The footing of the dead has already begun. While coming to Fort de France the Potomac picked up boat containing five colored and one white man, whose pockets were filled with coin and jewelry. the latter evidently stripped from the fingers of the dead. Lieutenant B. B. Mccormick, the com mander of the Potomac, arrested these men and turned them oyer to the com- mander of the French cruiser Suchet for punishment
 The Potomac also brought ton of supplies to Martinique, consisting in part of codfish and flour.
 A famine here is imminent. The northern section of the island is de populated.
 Business here is suspended The peo- pie of the city have assembled in the churches, and the cathedral, where spe- cial services are lsaing held for the St. Pierre dead, has been thronged since daylight
 The United States government tug Potomac will sail for St. Vincent, where conditions are reported to be worse La Soufriere. on St. Vincent, was in full eruption May 10. A stream of stone and mud half a mile wide was then issuing from the volcano. Stones two inches in diameter fell twelve miles away. At Kingstown, the capital of the island, the ashes were two inch es deep. Seven hundred dead were re- ported Sunday, May II. It is estimated that tf--> &otal number of deaths on St. Vincent reaches 2.000. Most of the vic tims are said to be Carib Indians. Sey- en estates on the island have been burned to ashes, and it is authentically reported that two earthquakes occurred there It is believed the submarine ca bles in St. Vincent have been broken by the disturbances. The present vol canic eruption on St. Vincent is the first since 1872 The northern section of the island is depopulated.
 Provisions are needed here for 100.- ,Io 1sn+ ,lx zI,f, 0f lime is also needed at St. Pierre for sanitary purposes. The stench there from the dead bodies is overpowering. Mont Pelee is still erupting smoke and fire
 It was reported here yesterday from the British island of Dominica that 300 survivors of the St Pierre disaster had reached there in canoes.
 Many strange and incomprehensible incidents are recounted of St. Pierre. The charred remains of a woman with a silk handkerchief unburned and in perfect condition held to her lips have been found there The crisped bodies of young girls have been found, but the shoes they wore were unhurt.
 Every praise is given United States Consul Ayme. He has worked inde- fatigably to succor the survivors. He has bandaged the limbs of the wound ed and has worked without sleep and without food. He is now thoroughly exhausted. Forty persons.s rescued from the city are now in the hospital here.
 In addition to the specie already se- cured, jewels to the value of $20O,000 were rescued from the bank at St. Pierre Monday
 The Italian consul at Barbados has recovered the body of his daughter, who was visiting in St. Pierre at the time of the disaster
 Margaret Stokes, the nine-year-old daughter of the late Clement Stokes of New York, who, with her mother, a i, brother, aged four years, and sister aged three years, was on the i'll fated | British steamer Roraima, is in the hos pital here. The child is not expected 1 to live