The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-17
REPORT OF vALKYRIEN
MANY BODIES WE'RE FOUND FLOAT
ING AT SEA.
Six Hundred People Were Taken OF
the Northern End OF Martinique by
the Danish Vessel.

st. Thomas. D. W. l.. May l0.-The
Danish cruiser Vau5yrlen has returned here
from Martinique. Tho correspondent here
of the Associated Press has had an iGcr-
view with one Of the yalkyricn's officers.
who said; We left st. Thomas tae after
noon of May 0. The next day when soven-
~ miles from Martinique, the falling vol
canic ashes became troublesome. We APP
preached the island and discovered St.
Pierre to be burning We made signals
to the shore. but no replies were received.
We then lay on for the night and witnessed
remarkable spectacle OF Are aud light.
night Ashes fell and datonations were
heard.
In the morning we saw the French cruiser
Suchet and went nearer the shore. The
ashes became dense as we approached and
many dead bodies were floating in groups,
In some cases OF ten each, The dead hands
were knitted and the limbs were cramped.
Nearly all the bodies woro those Of white
persons.
As we approached st. Pierre we saw the
town was covered With ashes We then
joined the cruiser Suchet and the cable
repair ship Pouyer Quertler and together
/ went toward lie Prechcur Tho rain Of
]
/ soon the atmosphere cleared up and we
ran close to lie Prechcur and then to Ia.
| meau Dcs Sablnos The boats Of all three
ships were put overheard and the rescue
of people from the shore commenced at If
o'clock IN the morning We are all covered
with gray ashes, our eyes we're weeping
and the heat was lntolcrablc. Some OF the
negroes came out to us in small boats.
]
laughing. while others were crying bitterly.
Some of them carried chairs with them,
while others brought dogs and kittens
MI their property. Their woolly hair was
thick with volcanic ashes. Several big pans
on board our ship were filled with cooked
food ard placed on deck, They were
quickly surrounded by hungry crowd OF
chatternG natives.
The blacks were all saved by 4 o'clock In
the afternoon, except few who refused
TO leave the land. At this hour the Suchcl
signaled THE operation Is over. Thank
YOU" The Suchet then steamed away IN
the direction Of Fort de France, but our
boats had not yet all returned to the ship
We were still waiting for the last one whot
there was a tremendous report from tho
crater Of Mont Pelee. quickly followed by
second defamation. These explosions
caused great excitement on shore, and on
last boat returned 10 us bringing the re
i mainder OF the negroes, including those VIII,
, had previously refused to leave the island
They had been frightened blythe report
from the crater and jumped into the SCI
, and swan out to the boat. We saved 90
people from the north side, where, on &C
count Of the dust, there were not so many
We take great pride IN the fact that tn
Danish nag was the FIRST foreign one at tn
scene OF the disaster. We proceeded t
Fort de France and landed there, as wei
. as some provisions. The suchet later cam
out and thanked US for what We had done
e The suchet returned 10 st. Pierre and Sc
o cured the gold from the bank at Martinique
a The coins had melted together. wednesday
= May IA. the officers Of out ship were
: Fort de France and we left there the sam
e day. we reached ST. Pierre 40 noon. Th
British steamer Roraimer was still burnlnl
h she appeared TO be aground. Mont Pele
? was sim smoking and the town OF ;
e Pierre now resembles Pompeii. ave saw
Is blaekened wroek which We thought TO !
q tho cable repair ship GrappleT
% 1T is estimated that the volcanic dni
from Mont Pelee was thrown seven mile
W | inc tho air "