Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-05-14

ceived cablegrams announcing that che
eruptions continue and that ships are
afraid to go near the island. The latest
messages indicate that the number of
deaths will be about forty Thousand.
Several smaller islands near Martinique
also suffered.
Lloyd,s agent at st. Lucia cables later
news, which fully confirms the disaster
at st. Pierre. He says he cannot ascer-
tain the names of the vessels lost, but
they include one Italian bark and two
steamers, one probably being the Crap
pier, a cable ship belonging TO the West
India and Panama Telegraph Company.
The total loss Of life is estimated at
thirty thousand.
Lloyd's agent at St Thomas cables:
'St. Pierre was totally destroyed and all
the inhabitants perished. All the ves-
sells in the harbor were lost.
FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY RESCUED.
New York, May 10--The French cable
Offices in this city were advised that their
repair steamer, Pouyer Qneentier, has
arrived at Fort de France, having res
cued $50 persons from st. Pierre. She
returned Immediately TO the scene of the
disaster to search for further survivors.
UNITED STATES TO HELP SUFFERERS.
Washington, May 10.-The Senate has
passed bill, introduced by Senator Fair
banks, appropriating 100000 for the
purchase of supplies for the relief of the
sufferers by the disaster in the Island of
Martinique.
West Indian Terror Increases In Horror.
Fort de France, Island of Martinique,
May 11.-Advices received here to-day
from the vicinity of st. Pierre, (ten miles
from here,) contain further details of tho
terrible volcanic upheaval which re-
suited in the utter destruction of that
town and tho death of nearly all its in
habitants.
The crater of Mont Pelee has been
but there was nothing until last Monday
to indicate that there was the slightest
danger. On that day stream of boiling
lava burst through the top of the crater
and plunged into the valley of the river
Blanche, overwhelming the Guerin Sugar
Works and killing twenty-three working
people and the son of the proprietor.
A commission was appointed by the
Governor to investigate the outbreak and
it returned reassuring report on We'd
nesday evening. But about 8 o'clock on
Thursday morning a shower of fire
rushed upon st. Pierre aud the coast
from lie Carbet, which had a population
of 5000, to Le Precheur, which had a
population Of 1000, burning up every
thing in its path.
The heat in the vicinity of st. Pierre
was so intense and the stream of flowing
lava was so unremitting that it was i'm
possible to approach the town during
the early part of the day. AS evening
approached tho French cruiser Suohet,
after heroic battle with the heat, suf-
location and sulphur fumes, succeeded
in making dash toward the shore, near
ing the land enough for her to take off
the survivors of tho disaster, all of whom
were horribly burned and mutilated.
st. Pierre at that time was an absolute
smoking waste, concealing $4,000 corpses,
whose rapid decomposition necessitatcd
in some cases instantly completing their
cremation, which was only partially ac-
complshed by the lava.
The inhabitants of Fort de France were
panic-stricken on the morning of the dis
aster, when the sky suddenly blackened
until it was as dark as at midnight, The
sea shrank back thirty yards, and hot
rain began to fall. while gravel, the size
of walnuts, poured down on the town.
This lasted about fifteen minutes.
The $50 survivors who were brought
here yesterday from the vicini ty of st.
Pierre by the French cable repair ship
Pouyer Guertier, came from the town of
LIE Prechuer, where, surrounded by
flowing lava, they were nearly roasted
~ No"oii Civ OAPOSICu W
be engulfed.
- The work of relief is progressing here
on tho most extensive scale possible, but
in anticipation of disturbances the trea-
sury building and tho warehouses are
guarded by troops.
The latest reports received here show
that lava continues to pour down the
slope of the mountain, slowly engulfing
the whole north side of the island, while
fresh crevasses are continually opening.
The Horror Grows Still Worse.
Fort de France, May 12.-Briehy put,
last Thursday morning the city of st.
Pierre disappeared within 10 minutes in
a whirlwind of fire, vomited from Mont
Pelee. Thirty thousand persons were
instantly and horribly killed and the
volcano, whose ancient crater for more
than fifty years had been occupied by a
quiet lake in which picnic parties
bathed, suddenly discharged torrent
of fiery mud, which rolled toward the
sea, engulfing everything before it. Not
living thing is left on the islanG,
Thirty thousand corpses arc strewn
about, buried in tho ruins of st. Pierre,
or disc floating, gnawed by sharks, in
the surrounding seas. Twenty eight
charred. half dead human beings were
brought here. Sixteen of them are al
ready dead and only four of the whole
number are expected to recover.