The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-05-13
LATER DETAILS OF
MARTINIQUE DISASTER

iOrt dc France Martinique May -.
--lt now seems to be generally admit
tcd that about 10000 persons los, theit
lives as result OF the outbreak OF
the Mount pelec volcano at ST. Fer
re on Thursday last.
Careful investigation by competent
government officials shows that the
earlier reports OF the Associated Press
were accurate.
The American consul at Guadeloupc,
Louis H. Ayme has reached the desc
fate spot where ST. Pierre stood and
confirms the awful story in all its es-
sential details.
From an interview with Colonel
Ayme. who is a trained American
newspaper man. correspondent OF the
Associated Press learned the following
facts; Thursday morning the nhabi-
Gants of the city awoke 70 md heavy
clouds shouding the Mount Pelee
crater An day Wednesday horrid de
1cnatioss had been heard. There were
echoed from ST. Thomas on the north
90 Barbados on the south The cam
t1onading ceased ON Wednesday night
and fine ashes fell like rain on ST. Pier
re. The inhabitants were alarmed but
Governor Mouttct. who had arrived at
ST Pierre. the evening before. did
everything possible to ailay the pan
&c
The British steamer Roraima reach
ed ST. Pierre on Thursday with ten
passengers, among who were Mrs.
Stokes and her three children and Mrs.
III. 4 Ince They we're watching the
rain os ashes when a frightiul roar
and terrific electric discharges. lorna
do of fire. mud and stream swept down
from the crater over the town and
bay. sweeping all before II and de
stroying the heet of vessels al anchor
of The shore There the accounts OF
Ehe catastrophe so far obtsnable
ceases
Thirty thousand corpses arc strewn
about. buried in the ruins of ST. Pier
re. or else floating gnawed by sharks,
an the surrounding seas Twenty
eight charred half dead human beings
bsre brothers. Sixteen oil them are
already dead. and only four of the
whole number are expected to recover.
The Associated Press steamer char
acred in Guadeioupe, neared Martin
fuue al Gao Sunday morning. The Is
land. with its lofty hills. was hidden
behind a huge veil OF violet OF leaden
~olorcd haze Enormous quantities OF
She wrcckage OF the snail ships and
houses strcwed the surface OF the sea.
Huge trees and too often bodies with
klocks OF seagulls soaring above and
hideous sharks fighting about them
were floating here and there. From
behind the volcanic veil came blasts
0F hot wind. mingled with others ice
cold.
At Lee Precheur. FIVE miles north
Of ST. Pierre. canoes with men and
women frantic TO get away, begged for
..a..r,,,. 80, fba gfaauaar
The whole north end OF the island
was covered with a silver gray coat
1ng 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
TWO miles along the water front. ant
halt a mile back to a stiff at the bas,
-ol the volcano. The houses OF tn,
richer Franch families were built o
stone.
The still smoking volcano towerec
above the ash covered hills. The ruin,
were burning in many places. ans
krightiul ordofs OF burning flesh flle'
ahe air
With great difficulty landing wa
effected Not one house was lett IN
tact Niscd heaps of mud. OF bright
NJ AnNtHt OF HllAN Al NnANdlliA otRilN
were seen on every side. The street
couid hardly be traced Heve ant
ghere amid the ruins were heaps o
corpses Almost al the faces weri
downward
In one corner twenty-five bodies @
xnen. women and children were ming
Ied IN one awful mass. arms and leg
protrudine as the haplcss beings iel
sn the last struggles OF deaths agony
Through the middle OF the old Palac
Bcrtin ran a tiny stream the remain
DI the river Great trees. with root
upward and scorched by FIRE. wer
sfrewn IN every direction. Hug
NIocks and still hot stones were scat
tered about From under one larg
stone the arm OF a white woman pro
truded Most notable was the ute
silence and the awful overpowerin
stencil IRON the thousands OF dead
Careful inspection showed that tn
fiery stream which so completely Dc
sstroyed ST Pierre must have bee
composed OF poisonous gases, which In
stantly suffocated ever one who II
haied them. and OF other gases burnin
furioUsiy. for nearly all the victim
had their hands covering their mouth
Cr we're in some Otner attitude shown
toat they had sought relief from sufC
cation. Az lt bodies were carbonize
icr roasted.
A. c. Austen. manager OF the Color