New-York tribune., 1902-06-08

falling even in Georgetown The air was sutry
and the steady breeze out of the northeast failed.
The dust sitting and the heat oppressive
that many stopped by the wayside to rest. The
favorite stopping places were the abandoned or
partly abandoned homes of relatives at Waterloo,
Langley Park and Mont Bentinck
About o'clock in the afternoon the sky dark
ened. Those who looked toward Souffriere saw
great column of black smoke rising high above the
crater and spreading out at the top like
brella- Sounds like the firing of heavy artillery
came from the volcano. and the earth quaked vio-
iently- Big stones began to fall, and the darkness
deepened until nothing could be except the
darts of fire that and then lit up the cloud.
A yellowish-white vapor rushed down the side of
the volcano beneath the curtain of black. Onward
ii came like the rush of tornado Cleaning lines
of fire encircled it and shot athwart the mass and
upward through it; then there great burst
OF flame and a detonation heard in every part of
the island Small stones fell then cinders. then fine
dust and ashes so hot they burned into the flesh
of the refugees. Midnight darkness covered the
earth for hours. The flames of the explosion had
penetrated TO the inmost of the houses in
which shelter had been sought, and all within hve
miles OF the crater severely burned.
All day and all the dread night that followed
the victims who were killed outright rolled and
IN vain for water This plea was the only sound
m as sonn and if th ma awf ses of death brood
over the scene. AT last cool breath OF air
from on high upon the ghastly desolation that had
come at midday. Many OF the voices that cried
for water stilled during the hours that pre-
ceded brilliant dawn. Peace had to many of
those who had prayed so long and vainly-the
no waking. The survivors cried until they
gathered up during the day by Tescuing parties
fror.i GEORGETOWN and taken to temporary hospitals
in that place, where volunteer surgeons from Bar
bados dressed their wounds the next day.
Hundreds thus cared for. Vacant stores in
the poor little city miles from SoufTriere's
crater made into hospitals and tents, brought
from the barracks at Kingston were set up the
beach 10 shelter yet others for whom there
room under roofs. TIE government schoolhOuse
thrown open for the women and small children
and the grounds of the government botanical ex-
pertinent station. which the school stands.
transformed into refugee camp. where three hun
dred persons. penniless and homeless. cooked the
little they could beg. ate IL and slept the twenty
inches of ashes which covered the earth. y vacant
store turned into "a relief station from which
scant military rations were issued by the gov
ernment. and where hundreds found shelter and
rest.
AT night these people sang, hymns until ex-
hausted, and then they lay the bare floor the
were hungry. Three pounds of food a day. and two
OF that army bread and vegetables. were the allow
ance for five persons. They could have eaten with
out gorging at least fifteen pounds. The only meat
was dried salt fish.
The devastation WIS frightful. Overland was
buried six feet in ashes Waterloo, Raboca and
Orange Hin plantations were under from three to
four feet of ashes and cinders, and Langley Park
and Mont Bentinck We're buried from twenty inches
To two and half feet deep.
20 leeward Of the volcano Richmond had been