Evening star., 1902-05-23
NINETY MILES DISTANT
How Barbados Was Affected
by the Great Eruptions.
AIR FULL OF DUST
TWENTY-FIVE TONS OF VOLCANIC
ASHES FELL TO THE ACRE.
Continued Roarings Heard From st.
Vincent and Neutrality-suspicious.
Darkness-Effect on Animals.
AIR FULL OF DUST
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

ioriilins the Lesser Antilles is believed to
be continuous and connected However. all
these islands have been experiencing during
the past few days sights which evidently
equal, If not surpass, those which destroyed
the ancient city Of Pompeii
Wednesday, May Z. 1902, will ever be
memorable day in their history for the utter
desolatfon and havoc which have been
wrought, and the scenes We have witnessed
but few have experienced. All of these
| islands have suffered the fiery wrath of
nature with Martinique and St. Vincent.
presenting picture the most horrible and
appalling that the human mind can con-
ceive. The detonations have been felt all
over the West Indies from Grenada to st.
Thomas. For nearly two weeks there have
been rumblings and smoke emanating from
the dormant volcano of Souffriere In st.
Vincent, and the older inhabitants warn
ingly said that eruption was imminent.
On Tuesday, May G, cable dispatches an
nounced that Martinique had experienced
earthquakes the day previous and that its
silent monster was beginning to show signs
of activity. Later the Usne Guerin on the
Riviere Blanc was lost in the lava food and
100 people engufed.
Fort de France is the capital of Marti-
nque. St. Pierre is, or was, the principal
city of business on the northern sea coast,
with the mountains rising majestically be-
hind it, Since Tuesday cable communication
with Martinique has been interrupted but
steamers today have brought the sad news
that the city of St. Pierre is entirely lost,
with more than 4O,Go0 dead. The heat and
sulphur fumes We're so intense that this
rescue ship was compelled to turn back on
its errand of mercy. All shipping in the
harbor was reported to be on fire or de-
stroyed and innumerable numbers had been
drowned after rushing to the water TO try
to effect an escape
The steamer Roraima caught fire ard eX-
ploded; also the cable ship Grappler. she
being the first to perish by the eruption.
Relief parties, with food and water, are
preparing to leave now for Fort de France
on the other side of the island. where
surely many are still surviving.
Destruction at st. Vincent
So far Saturday noon) nothing more
has been heard from Martinique. but in the
sister island of ST. Vincent fuller and more
authentic accounts have been received. The
dormant volcanic mountain running
through the center of st. Vincent, called
by the English Sulphur Mountain and by
the French Souffriere rising more than
"a 900 feet above the sea- last spent its force
full energy about ninety years ago. April
50 to May 3, 1872 On Tuesday last, May
6,s mo1e was seen issuing from its crater,
SO that the admonitory rumblings and oc-
casional earthquakes occurring during the
past few weeks indicated that the monster
was preparing to vent its plutonic force.
AT noon Wednesday word was re-
ceived that the volcano was in full erup
tfon;. that stones and ashes were hurled
around, and six distinct streams of lava
were running down the sides of the noun
tain. 1t belched forth from three distinct
craters and heaved ard labored to rid it
self of its burning contents. The earth
shook; tremendous detonations followed
one another so rapidly that they seemed
like one continuous roar. and the entire
heavens became one sheet of flame with
the electric flashes.
From / o'clock Wednesday, all through
Thursday and up to Friday morning the
loud roarings and thunderings continued
together with the shocks of earthquake the
dismal roaring Of the lava and the heavy
raining of stones and ashes.
The falling buildings. shattered by the
earthquake. the storm of rocks and cinders
and the screams Of the frantic people en-
quilted with the boiling lava while endeav-
oring to flee from this ghastly death, surely
must have been horrible and appalling.
On the windward side of the island over
400 lives have been lost chiefly from light
ming and inhaling the sulphurous gases.
On the leeward SIDE as yet the number Is
unknown. The towns are said to be COW
cred with two feet OF ashes and nearly all
the inhabitants have left. The rivers and
streams are all dried up and there is a
danger Of food as well as water famine,
to say nothing OF the scourge or plague
which undoubtedly win follow from the pu-
trefed animal matter everywhere.
Experiences in Barbados.
Here in Barbados, 40 miles from Mar
Unique and ninety miles from St. Vincent,
we were more leniently dealt with, al
though the tension and fear have been al
most to the straining point for three days.
Our experience has been gruesome in the
extreme. This island which is twenty-one
miles long and sixteen miles at its widest
point, is said to be of coral formation. Be
tween 2 and o'clock on Wednesday we
had several earthquake shocks. The whole
sky was dark and foreboding, excepting in
the northwest, where the pale shed
lurid light. Many persons thought that the
grayish mist that tried to obscure the sun
and the rumblings like thunder in the dis
tance were more ominous than rain.
When the detonations became louder and
louder, followed by flashes of light. their
darkest imaginings were confirmed that
the nearby islands were doomed. 1t grew
darker and darker At half past three busi-
ness had to be suspended. About o'clock
a quantity OF coarse, gritty dust began to
fall, while the grey and yellow clouds en-
veloping the horizon closed in and the dark
ness became almost impenetrable.
We could hear the angry mountains In
st. Vincent. and Martinique groaning as
they belched forth their flaming contents
The reports grew louder, like the sound Of
distant cannonading and the flashes of light
more vivid and awe-inspiring.
Volcanic Ashes Everywhere.
The dust came silently down, thicker and
faster but not so coarse at first. The
elements were raining volcanic ashes, and
they were coming to us ninety miles over
the ocean. The heat became oppressive and
the sulphurous air was thick about US. 1t
was enough to terrify any human being, for
all communication from the outside world
had been cut on and we knew not what
was coming.
At o'clock we were in absolute dark
ness. 1t was impossible to see foot away
through the binding dust and ashes. Lights
were lit In the houses, all traffic had SUBJ
sided and the street cars had stopped run
ming. Men and animals were hurriedly
seeking shelter, awed into. silence by the
dreadful surroundings Horses bent their
heads downward as far as possible to es-
cape the painful peiting while birds, heavi-