The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-05-15
EARTHQUAKE DESTROYS
AN ENTIRE CITY.
St. Pierre CrumbIes---NearIV
10000 Persons Dead.

10000 Persons Dead.
st. Thomas, D. W. l., May S-The
British steamer Roddman reached
st. Lucia at ) O'Clock this afternoon
with the news that st Pierre, the
principal city on the island of Mar
Unique, and having a population of
about 5000, has been totally de-
stroyed by volcanic disturbances
Capt. Freeman, of the Roddman,
reports that almost all the inhabit.
ants of st. Pierre are believed to have
been killed. All the shipping in the
port has also been destroyed.
The Quebec Steamship company's
steamer Roraima, is mentioned as
lost with all on board. The Roraima
Captain Muggah, left New York
April 26 for st. Thomas, where she
arrived May 2, proceeding later to
Martinique.
The Roddman was almost com
pletely wrecked. Her captain was
seriously burned and seventeen OF
her crew are dead.
The area Of volcanic disturb
ance is increasing southwark of the
island of st. Vincent. From the
Windward islands the volcanic wave
has reached the Leeward islands and
the British West Indian island OF
Dominica is now involved, the craters
OF the Morne Diablotin range show.
ing activity. The inhabitants are
greatly alarmed,
MARTINIQUE AND ST. PIERRE.
The French island of Martinique,
whose original name was Madiana,
is of volcanic formation and is known
as one of the "wet" islands, owing to
the amount OF rain which annually
falls-something like $50 inches. Its
climate is hot and moist and hurri
canes and earthquakes are not in
frequent. The island is forty-five
miles long by eighteen broad, and
has about 10000 acres OF very fer
tile land under cultivation. The
total area is about $50 square miles
There are many high mountains, the
highest being Mount Pelee, 442!
feet, which is IA volcano, occasionally
active, at the foot of which rests st
Pierre. The population of the islanC
is 100000, of which 10000 ar,
white. The principal towns are st
Pierre and Fort de France. Sugar
rum and coffse are the principal pro
duets.
st. Pierre, with 4O,O0Oinhabitant
is the principal city of the island il
point of population and commercial
Importance, although Fort d,
France is the civil capital
CITIES AND TOWNS IN RUINS.
Guatemala City, Republic of Guat
emala, April 24.-For nearly weel
earthquakes have been tumblins
down cities, towns and villages OF
the western slope of the Sierras, il
this republic.
On the night of April 1Sat the cap
ital a binding flash of lightning, fol
lowed by a thunder storm an,
torrents of rain, all in the space Q
a very few minutes, preceded al
earthquake here. Soon news began
to come in from the hill country
where Quesaltenango is located Thi
city, the second of the republic, sui
fered by far the most. Hundreds @
residences and public buildings wer
either totally destroyed or seriousl
damaged. Although not half of tn
debris has been removed, fully 90
bodies have been recovered, an
mi any persons were badly injured.
Amatitlan, San Juan, San Marcos
! Esquintla, Santa Lucia, ITALIAN an
, several other smaller towns hav
been partially ruined.
, Approximately 50,000people hav
been left homeless, and public as we
as private subscriptions are bein
raised to prevent the poor peopl
from starving.