The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-08

islands, ceased suddenly this afternoon.
Fire and smoke from the eruption at st.
Vincent are said to be visible from st.
Lucia and distant detonations audible
at Dominica, Antigua and st. Kits, in
the Leeward islands at Guadeloupe. in the
French West Indies and here. 1t is re-
ported the volcanic craters on Dominica
are showing signs of activity.
A dispatch from st. Thomas, dated May
8, stated that the flow of lava from the
volcano of Mount Pelee. which began Sat-
urday last, had completely destroyed the
Guerin factories, situated about two miles
from st. Pierre, the principal town of Mar
Unique. 1t was reported that about $50 per-
sons have disappeared and that a great
panic prevailed at st. Pierre.
St Vincent, where the latest eruption is
reported from, is one of the British West
India islands and is 100 miles west of Bar
BADGES. 1t is seventeen miles long and ten
miles wide. A ridge of high, well-wooded
volcanic hills extends through the island
from north to south In the northwest is
a volcano called the SOufrere, in which
tremendous eruptions have occurred. Its
crater is three miles in circuit and 500 feet
deep. Tingston, the capital of the island
is near the southwestern extremity. About
A., 900 people live on the island and they are
mostly engaged in producing sugar, rum
molasses, arrow root and cotton. There is
an annual rainfall Of nearly eighty inches
and the soil is unusually rich.
Several of the little islands composing
the chain that guards the entrance to the
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea are
volcanic and disastrous earthquakes not
uncommon. OF these islands the Leewards
probably have been the scene of the great
est seismic disturbances. The Leeward
islands, so named by the Spaniards in con-
tradistinction of the Windward islands,
which are part of the same chain, lie north
OF the fifteenth degree north latitude, in
the Caribbean sea. off the northern coast
of South America. Usually the term Lee
ward islands is accepted as a designation
of the British holdings in the group which
embraces Antigua, st. Kits, Dominica,
Montserrat and the British portions of the
Virgin islands, with their dependencies. in
Guiding many iSlets. The British posses
ions have a total area of more than 200
10000.
Antigua the most important of the group,
discovered In 1893 by Columbus, who is
said 10 have named it after a church in Sc
settled by the English in 1882 and is to-day
the seat of an Anglican bishop and the
governor in chief OF the islands. Montser-
rat. which suffered most severely from the
earthquake shocks, is regarded as the most
healthy OF the West Indian islands. II has
area of forty-seven square miles and a
population of about 5000 persons. 1t is
mountainous and much broken, with a vol
canic soil. and Is well adapted TO the cult
walton of sugar and coffee. Ii has a crater
the Soufriere-which, though emitting
fumes OF sulphur has recently been quies-
cent. The Leeward islands include, besides
the British possessions named above. the
Danish portions of the Virgin islands.
which closely connected with the
legend OF st. Ursula; the Island of st. Mar
tin. French and Dutch: the St Croix. Dan
ish. the Sabo. Dutch. and the St Barthol-
omew. Descada, Gaudeloupe and Marie
Galante, French.
The several hundred islands composing
the Leeward group are supposed to have
been broken into the present chain by a
series Of volcanic earthquakes. Certain IL
Is that since their discovery by Columbus
they have suffered severely from the
trembling of the earth's surface. Violent
shocks accompanied by loss OF life and
property. recorded in 1859, 1s43 and 1874.