The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-13


to which the society shall participate in
the relief work.
Fort de France, Martinique, May 12.-
X now seems TO be generally admitted
that about 5000 persons lost their lives
as a result Of the outbreak Of the Mount
Pelee volcano at St. Pierre on Thursday
last Careful investigation by compe-
tent government officials shows that the
earlier reports OF the Associated Press
were accurate.
The American consul at Guadaloupe'
Louis II. Ayme, has reached the desolate
spot where St Pierre stood. and confirms
the awful story in all its essential de-
tails.
From an interview with Colonel Ayme,
who is a trained American newspaper
man, a correspondent of the Associated
Press learned the following facts:
AYME DESCRIBES SCENE
Thursday morning the inhabitants Of
the city awo6e TO find heavy clouds
shrouding the Mount Pelee crater. All
day Wednesday horrible detOnatOns had
been heard. These were echoed from st.
Thomas on tho north to Barbados on
the south. The cannonaGing ceased on
Wednesday night and fine aghes fell
like rain on St Pierre. The Inhabitants
were alarmed. but Governor Mouttet,
who had arrived at st. Pierre the evening
before. did everything possible 20 allay
the panic. The British steamer RoraiTna
reached St. Pierre on Thursday with ten
passengers. among whom were Mrs.
Stokes and her three children and Mrs.
H j. lnce They were watching the
rain Of ashes when. with q frightful roar
and terrific electric discharges, a tor
nado OF fire, mud and steam swept down
from the crater over town and bay
l.. aas.CsE ~fraor
feet &C vessels at anchor of the shore.
There the accounts Of the catastrophe,
so far obtainable, cease.
SHARKS cNAW CORPSES
Thirty thousand corpses are strewn
about, buried in the ruins OF St Pierre
or else floating, gnawed by sharks, in
the surrounding seas. Twenty-eight char
red .aalf-Gead human beings were
brought here Sixteen OF them are al
ready dead, aAd only four of the whole
number are expected TO recover.
The Associated Press steamer, charter
ed in Guadaloupe neared Martinique at
$50 Sunday morning. The island. with
its lofty hills. was hidden behind huge
veil of ViOiet or leaden colOred haze.
Enormous quantities of the wreckage Of
large and small ships and houses strewed
the surface OF the sea. Huge trees and
too often bodies. with iOcks of sea glllls
ig about them, We're floating here and
there. From behind the volcanic veil
came blasts of hot wind, mingled with
others ice cold.
PEOPLE ARE FRANTIC
At Lee Preucher. five miles north Of ST.
Pierre. canoes with men and women,
frantic 10 get away, begged for pas
sage on the steamer.
The whole north end Of the island was
covered with silver gray coating of
ashes, resembling dirty snow Furious
blasts Of fire, ashes and mud swept over
the steamer, but finally st. Pierre was
reached
The city Of St. Pierre stretched nearly
two miles along the water front and
half mile back TO a cliff at the base
of the volcano. The houses of the richer
French families were built Of stone
The still smoking voIcan lowered above
the ash-covered hills. The ruins were
burning in many places, and frightful
odors Of burned flesh filled the air.
HEAPS OF CORPsEs
With great dihicuty a landing was
effected Niscid heaps of mud Of
brighter ashes, OF piles OF volcanic stones
were seen on every side The streets
could hardly De traced. Here and there
5 amid the ruins We're heaps of corpses.
Almost all the faces were downward IN
on9 corner twenty-five bodies of men.
women and children we're mingled in one
awful mass. arms and iegs protrudinC
as the hapiess being fell I'm the last struc-
gies of death S agony. Through the mid
die of the old Place Bertiu ran a tiny
stream. the remains of the river. Great
trees. with roots upward and scorched
by fire, were strzfn i'm every direction.
Huge blocks and still hot stones were
scattered about From under one large
stone the arm of a white woman pro
truded Most notable was the utter
silence and the awful. overpowering
stencil from the thousands of dead.
BODIES ARE ROASTED
Careful inspection showed that the
fiery stream which SO completely de-
stroyed ST Pierre must have been com
posed OF poisonous gases. which instant
y sUfocated every one who inhaled
them. and ot other gases burning fur
iouslys for nearly ali the victims had
their hands covering their mouths or
were in some other attitudes. showing
that they had sought relief from sumoca-
tion. All the bodies were carbonized or
roasted
GROUP OF DEAD
a. g. Austen. manager ~ the Colonial
Bank Of Barbadoes. landed at S. Pierre
with party from ;he British roval mail
steamer Solent- He found the bank clock
stopped az some minutes before o'clock
\ horse and buggy and a policeman were
tn q dead group az the door