The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-22


| in abundance a Macouba.
Our latest information is that Riviere
Blanche is overaowing in extraordinary
fashion. and threatening the Guerin fac
tory. NJ. Guerin is loading his furniture
and otherwise preparing TO go TO St
Pierre with his family
--latest at five minutes before one
4 O'Clock the sea withdrew about 100 me-
tres from the shore. and then rushed back
upon the beach. The people (cf Precheur)
are in state Of anxiety. Thousands are
in frenzy. running toward the coast.
Children are crying and women are Ia
! menting. All shops are being closed hast
ily. a strong wind is blowing from the
southwest. and there is general consterna-
ton. The Guerin factory has been swept
over by the sea. Evidently this is the
result of volcanic action. We have heard
that the Guerin factory is destroyed. and
! that many have been killed
With news OF this disaster hardly dry
upon its pages Les Colonies published on
the following day this remarkable article:
We published yesterday our special
news of the terrible catastrophe at the
/ Guerin factory. We make haste 10 say
that the action Of the sea was not caused
by volcanic movement, but was produced
by the agency of a great mass Of earth
which plunged into the sea. after destroy
ing the Guerin works.
For many days the water Of Riviere
Blanche had been of decidedly darker
color. This was more marked on Sunday,
| May 4. when the downfow was extremely
precipitate. BY two o'clock in the morn
ing Of that day it had become torrent
| on the following morning the situation
I became fearsome, but far from indicative
/ Of what was TO happen. Only certain
parts of the factory seemed to be affected
/ by the overflow. Many curious ones and
/ friends of NJ Guerin visited the place.
! NJ. Eugene Guerin was sad and little
nervous and was begged TO leave, but he
refused. That morning (May 81 he and
his wife and his father took breakfast
/ at the factory, but gave orders to the
| engineer of their yacht Carbet to be pre-
pared in case of danger to take refuge
on the yacht and hurry to Fort de
France
After reciting a few minor details, that
work at the factory had been suspended
since May . on account CT the rain OF
ashes. Les Colonies gave this account OF
the destruction of the factory:
a little after noon May 81 great
mass Of boiling water was precipitated
down the mountainslde. ignoring the river
course. but rushing straight downward
and bounding over the obstacles II en-
countered. 1t engulfed group at the
factory consisting of NJ. Eugene Guerin'
Nine. Guerin, his wife; NJ. Duquesne ana
the servants of the party. It foundered
the Yacht Carbet and another yacht, lie
Precheur which was riding at anchor
$50 metres from the shore.
after this terrible prologue mass OF
water bearing quantities of earth and
rocks swept upon and levelled TO amuddy
nlain the region from the buildings Of
Tsnard ION the Riviere Blanche) 10 the
sea. part of the buildings being carried
away. The plain is many hundred me-
tres broad and >of a depth, in certain
places. Of fifty metres Q64 feeD
m. Guerin. it is now known. waited at
the factory to give the order. AS the
flight had been arranged and time was
Of greatest value, some on the quay sem
the engineer of the Carbet to tell tt
elder Guerin to hurry aboard. II is to
this circumstance that the engineer owes
his life. When he met NJ Guerin he
found him preparing to escape by land
rather than by sea. as his friends inn
niored him. Followed by the engineer
he passed through a door on the Riviere
seche side. and just as the party emerged
the disaster occurred. The spot they had
occupied only moment before was SUD
merged The factory and all surrounding
buildings have now disappeared The
iron machinery alone stands. CThis was
RACED soon afterward)'
The destruction of the Guerin factory
gave the cafes in the Rue Victor Hugo
the principal street of St Pierre, and
singuIarly grotesque one, an engrossing
subject for conversation. because the en-
tire street had been aroused when the
Riviere Blanche overlowed.
Every one in the Rue Victor Hugo
was in a window" Les Colonies said in
comment on May 6, and in answer to
MANY INQUIRIES it was said that the Roxe-
lane was overlooking. Some said it was
the Riviere des Peres. The streets Of the
Mouillage (the main quarter Of the city,
were invaded by q crowd-in a word. the
alarm was without reason. Somehow,
near FIVE o'clock we heard some one call
from a window: We are prevented from
sleeping while the volcano sleeps 50
soundly that he shores That man sure
" took a philosophical view Of matters
As 10 the record Of the warnings Mont
Pelee gave TO the people who lived in the
measurable semi-idleness OF the tropics
=, IFS feet. the newspaper recorded at
considerable length the Investigations OF
.-gkf an 9 p rfca
ION sunday. April q. NM. Boulin,
Wadiv. Decard. Bouteuil. Ange. andEu-
gene Berte went to Mont Pealee in order
10 examine. II possible the opening in the
mountain from which escaped the col
u1nns of smoke reported as appearing on
Friday. April %
In word. they examined the crater,
and gave as their conclusion that it was
not in dangerous state. that Mont Pelee
was IN no way threatening. The account
rms on: ION Wednesday. April 80. there
we're three trembliues 90 Of the earth;
The first at $40 O'Clock. the second at $50
O'Clock. and the third at $40 O'Clock
These were not perceived by every one, (
because they were manifested horizon
rsuv. Since Saturday morning Bouilin
aud Rerte have continued 10 notice that
he column OF cinders and fame which /
= rising on the mountain Is produced at
the exact point where the new crater mas (
been formed"
The stories Of the guide and the Bouiiin- /
Parte party were what brought about the .
interview with ". Laudes. les Colonies !
deemiag il high time 70 discredit the dan 4
ger. This IS what the paper printed from /
II. Laudes:
NJ. Iaudes. the distinguished professor /