The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-05-16

distance INTO the city. He found onI,
Iew walls standing, and the streets
literally paved with cOrpses. The
governor of the island. who had ar,
rived only a few hours before the
catastrophe. was killed. Both the
English and American consuls, with
their families, were reported to have
persisted. 1t is certain that no more
than 40 out of the above $4,000 could
have escaped"
Relief Forces Reach st Pierre.
st. Thomas, May 12.-The news
from Dominica is that the atmosphere
is clear and the situation more reassur-
ing. Refugees from Martinique CON
tinue to arrives telling pitiable tales of
hardships and human suffrage.
The United States Government tug
Potomac passed on the way to Martini
que. Many empty canoes driven by
the wind and current have come
ashore. At Pointe-a Pitre, Guada-
loupe. sloop arrived this morning
from Trinitz, thirty miles from Fort
de France, with some families who es-
capped from the volcano.
The French cable ship, Pouyer Quer
tier, endeavoring to repair the cable.
found it sunk to 1, 200 metres, where
formerly the depth was only 800.
st. Pierre, the destroyed city. has
been reached by rescue vessel and
nothing living was found. Hot blasts
of ashes and mud greeted the steamer.
The city is still on fire in different
places Dead bodies are everywhere
in heaps The loss is now placed at
30, 900, according to the Govern
ment's estimate. Villages contiguous
to st. Pierre have also been destroyed
Soufriere. on the island of st. Vim
cent, continues in active eruption.
No definite information has been re-
ceived from there. but it is reported that
500 dead bodies lie there unburied.
Vessels are being FASTENED to the is
land.
Congress Gives Ard
Washington. May president
Roosevelt yesterday sent message to |
Congress reciting the catastrophe in
and ASKING for an appro-
priation of $500, 900 for the sufferers.
A bill passed both houses appropriating
b200, 600.
Fort De France, Island of Martin
lque, Sunday, May 11.-Several
steamers, including the government
vessel Rubis started from here Sat
nrday for St. Pierre. They had on
board a government delegate, num-
Der of gendarmes, a detachment of
regular infantry and several priests.
The vessels also carried quantity Of
irewood, petroleum and quicklime,
Tor use in the cremation of the
bodies of the victims of the terrible
outbreak of Thursday last.
large quantities of disinfectants and
stocks of clothing for the refugees
llso were shipped to St. Pierre. The
'efugees had, as a rule, assembled at
1e Carbet and Case Pilote, not far
rom ST. Pierre, and, it is reported
,ver a thousand of them have died
ince the fearful stream of lava
'oured down Mont Pelee.
Sea Covered with Wreckage.
The sea for miles around was COW
red with the wreckage of the YES
els sunk off St. Pierre at the time 7
f the disaster and on shore only the
rees, all bent seward by the force
f the volcanic shower, were left 4
landing. When nearing ST. Pierre r
ne Rubis met tugs towing lighters q
lied with refugees. The stencil from
he corpse-strewn streets was awful
My few walls were standing. The p
aport that the hospital clock was r
ound intact, with it's hands stopped !,
1850, was confirmed. as was the =
5atement that the offices of the ca !
lie company had entirely disap- n
cared. i
On all sides were found portions Of =,
Drpses, which were gathered up by !,
lie soldiers and gendarmes and :.
lrned on one of the public squares. 4
Not a Drop of Water. -,
Not a drink of water was procura- :,
e ashore. Darkness, caused by the =
ouds of volcanic dust, shrouded the :.
wn, and continuous subterranean :,
lmbling added to the horror of the.
enc. The fort and central quarters =,
the town were RACED to the ground, =,
I'd were replaced by beds of hot -;
nders. y
The iron grille-work gate of the =,
'vernment offices was alone stand ~
g. There was no trace of the streets.
Ige heaps of smoking ashes were to
seen on all sides. P'
At the landing place some burned Tn
d ruined walls indicated the spot
lere the customhouse formerly
bod, and traces of the larger shops
uld be seen. ="
COrpses in All Attitudes.
In that neighborhood hundreds of
rpses were found lying in ali kinds
attitudes, showing that the victims re-
d met death as if by a lightning da
'oke. Every vestige of clothing ne
S burned away from the charred isf
dies, and in many cases the alb
mems had been burst open by the -
ense heat. Curiously enough, the
ltures of the dead were generally
IN and reposeful, although in some
'es terrible fright and agony were
)icted. Grim piles of bodies were
4