The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-16
THE MODERN POMPEII.


Martinique, the scene of the terrible vol
canic eruption described in our news col
umns, has hitherto been known as the Isle
of Romance But in future it will be
called the Isle of Tragedy. st. Pierre was
,one Of the most picturesque of towns. In
shape It followed the semi-circular form
of the shore, and its main streets ran
parallel with it. But there was so little
room between the mountains behind the
town and the sea that when it increased
in size it had to climb the slopes behind.
And so as you approached the town you
saw before you terrace upon terrace OF
picturesque houses, creamy tinted With
red-tiled roofs backed up against the
which clothe the mornes with never-fad
ing green Away behind to the north
stands the great mountain called Pelee.
uItlng It's mead INTO the misty veil or
cloud which hangs above it, the mighty
forces of a volcano burning within It is
this treacherous sentinel which mas burst
forth, dealing death and destruction. and
turning the beauty Of nature into vast
ematorium-
The windows of the St Pierre houses
were without glass or frames, and had
simply heavy wooden blinds with movable
Stats, closed by shutters, which kept out
the driving rain. The houses along ths
Rue Victor Hugo, the principal street.
had terraced courtyards at their rear, in
closed by solid stone walls overlooking
the harbor, where the ships of all ma
tons were wont to float The depth o.
water close IN shore IS SO great that large
ships could be moored almost under the
caves Of the houses. In these courtyards,
which were nlled with roses and trult-
bearing fig vines trailing over trellis,
were bathing pools filed with the Gouy-
ave water which came down from the
mountains and supplied St Pierre with
pure drinking water also.
The end of the Rue Victor Hugo was
ignominious- After gradually narrowing
down. it became merely an alley, so fun
of all abOminable smells that it won for
sand Smells" All the streets of this i'll
fated town were narrow and very poorly
lighted at night by a few ancient lamps,
so that by 3 O'Clock IN the evening the
town fell into complete Obscurity, and
one might well imagine himself in some
medieval French town.
But during the day the Rue Victor
Hugo was filed with what has been called
"a population of the Arabian Nights ="
barrie in its intensity, could scarcely be
found e1Sewhere-certainly not in the Car
ibbee islands Yellow in all its vividness
predominated in turban. foulard and
gown Pink, green, purple, blue. in
stripes. plaids and figures. wrapped about
the 1.-THE bodies or gracefully wound about
the Well-poised heads-such was the first
impression ones eyes received OF the ma
tive population of Martinique.
Nowhere does that distinctive article of
adornment, the turban, play so important
a role as among the creole women there.
A mere head covering in Barbados OF
Antigua, in Martinique the stiffiy starched
gaily colored madras becomes a dis
tinctly ornamental headdress, and it is
worn with a certain grace which pro-
claims the lingering trace of true French
blood IN the dark current in the veins.
The beauty of the creole is proverbial,
and even the common people share to a
certain extent in this beauty. The mu-
latresse capresse, or metisse, differs as
much from the negresses of Jamacai or
Barbados the pure Caucasian type
differs from them. These people have in
many cases, in too many, curious mix
ture of blood, ranging from the tstacca-
ira" almost pure negro, to the so-called
sang nele." almost pure Caucasian-a
mingling of races which lends to them the
warm beauty of the tropics, together with
the refnen ent of feature of their sisters
The most beautiful of all. however, are
those who have the blood of the three
races. Garth. negro. and white. the blend
ing of the old Indian with the two usurp-
ing races lending a charm of color and
feature as rare as it is beautiful.