Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-16
TONS OF SUPPLIES
British Steamer Lands Them for
 Volcano Sufferers.
A VISIT TO THE SCENE

More Territory Covered by the DIS
 aster in St Vincent than in Martin
 que-Twenty-six Persons Killed ID
 One Room-One Man Brained With
 a Stone Nine Miles from the Crater.
 Kingstown. Island of St Vincent, Thursday, May 15 (Afternoon).-A cor respondent of the AssocIated Press has just returned here from visit, on horseback. to the devastated district of this island, during which he travelled fifty miles and penetrated to within five miles of the Soufriere crater. The ash covered area of St Vincent exceeds that of Martinique, whicn the cor respondent has also explored. The most conservative estimate of the death rate here now places the num- Der at 1,700. About 1,300 bodies have already been inferred The entire northern part of the island is covered with ashes to an average depth or eighteen inches, varying from thin layer at Kingstown to two feet or more at Georgetown. The crops are ruined, nothing green can be seen, the streets of Georgetown are cumbered with drifted heaps of ashes, and ashes rest so heavily on the roofs that in several cases they have caused them to fall in. There will soon be 5000 destitute persons in need of assistance from the government, which is already doing everything possible to relieve the suf- ferers. There are a hundred injured people in the hospital at Georgetown, gangs of men are searching for the dead or rapidly burying them in trench es, and all that can be done under the circumstances is being accomplished.
 The British cruiser Indefatigable b-ought twenty-five tons of supplies here and returned to the island of Trinidad to-day for more.
 The governor of the Windward 1slands, Sir Robert Llewe1yn, is here, supervising the work of the authori- ties.
 Whfle-the outbreak of the volcano on the island of Martinique killed more people outright, more territory has been ruined in St Vincent, hence there is greater destitution here.
 The injured persons were horribly burned by the hot grit. which was N@~F~ aAOA- hLlA NGlOCl- ty- Twenty-six persons who sought refuge in a room ten feet by twelve were all killed. One person was brained with a huge stone nine miles from the crater
 Rough collins are being made to re- ceiye the remains of the victims. The hospital here is filled with dying pee pla- Fifty injured persons are lying on the floor of that building. as there aer no beds for their accommodation though cots are being rapidly con structed of boards. This and similar work has been in progress since im- medlafely after the disaster. But two days elapsed before there were any Durials. as the men refused to dig inc necessary trenches though they were oHefed three times the usual wages by The local authorities. The nurses en- ployed are incompetent, but they are willing to learn and are working hard. The negroes are indifferent to all that Is transpiring and to what has taken place They expect to receive govern ment rations, but there have been in- stances where they have refused to bury their own relatives. s
 It is estimated that the sea has in- croached from ten feet to two miles along the coast near Georgetown and that a section on the north of the island has dropped into the sea. This is apparently verified by the report of the French cable ship Pouyer Quertier, that soundings now show seven fathoms where before the outbreak there were thirty-sfx fathoms of water.
 Lieutenant Benjamin E. Mccormick. commanding the United States steamer Potomac. now In these waters. has called on Governor Llewelyn and of fered him the sympathy of the United States and any assistance which it was Tn h1s power to render. The Potomac has also landed what she can spare of her food stuffs. The governor ex- pressed his thanks and added that there was no immediate need of help The United States steamer carried off cfal dispatches to the island of St Lucia
 Since midnight, Tuesday, the subter- ranean detonations here have ceased and the Soufriere, Wednesday,, re 1apsed, apparently, into perfect repose no smoke rising from the crater and the Assures emitting no vapor The stunted vegetation that formerly adorned the slopes of the mountain has disappeared, having given place to gray colored lava, but somewhat agitated Rain would be welcome, as there is 8 great deal of dust in the air, which is very disagreeable and irritating to throats and eyes, and is causing the merchants 10 put all their dry goods under cover. The inhabitants, natural ly (meaning the white population, as a rule). are anxious to know whether the repose of the volcano is permanent or whether it is the 1ull which usually precedes greater paroxysmal activity. Some people, anticipating that there is danger of further volcanic eruptions, are leaving. the outlying towns for this city. The negroes who have remained on the estates are half starved and the Carlo survivors are leaving their caves and pillaglng abandoned dwelling houses and shops. A number of arS rests have been made in this connee- f1on.
 As the colonial hospital here was found inadequate to accommodate the sufferers, large army tents have been erected for the use of the patients who are bedng constantly brought here from other towns on the island. But even xz<. 3,<>uv,4fo1c <1xorcrovvfa6