The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1902-05-17
Rivers of Lavas.

blegram was received this morning at
the Colonial Office from Governor Sir
| Mitchell Hodgson Of Barbadoes:
1.-THE soufriere volcano on st. Vim
cent, ID. w. l., erupted violently yes
terday. Loud reports, resembling ar
tillery FIRE, were heard at Barbados at
3 O'Clock in the afternoon. At
o'clock there came darkness and thun.
der, accompanied by a strong down.
pour of dust, which continued until
night. Barbados is covered several
inches deep with dust this morning.
Have telegraphed Sir Robert B. Level
Ign, Governor Of the Windward ISL
ands, Offering him all assistance"
Thirty deaths are reported to have
occurred at the Island of st. Vincent,
| according to telegram received at the
Colonial Office this morning from Gov
ernor Llewellyn, forwarded from st.
Lucia, yesterday evening. The Cover
nor adds:
Information incomplete. Eruption
continues. / am endeavoring to get
back to St. Vincent"
Steel, Young & Co. of this CITY, own
ers Of the British steamer Roddam,
which escaped from st. Pierre to St.
Lucia, received this the first news from
their agents at st. Lucia, as follows:
Terrible volcanic eruption at Mar
Unique. Roddam returned. One an
Choir and chain slipped. Tarpaulins
and running gear burned Machinery
intact. Captain in hospital. Two
crew dead. Ten in hospital. Second
and third engineers aboard. Campbell,
supercargo dead. Communication be-
tween here and Barbados interrupted.
Gable communication between Lon
don and the Island of Martinique is
cut off. The Direct West India Cable
Company received at 1870 this after
noon a cable dispatch from St. Lucia
dated today saying:
"Sloop just leaving for st. Vincent,
presumably with the object of ascer-
tanning what has happened on that ISL
and. Possibly took Governor Level
lyn."
Communication is still obtainable
with the Island of Guadeloupe, French
West Indies, but the news is congested
owing to the confusion prevailing in
the cable system, and the numerous
official messages filed. The receipt OF
the first direct cable news from Mar.
Unique depends on how lonog the
| French company will take in repairing
the cable to Fort de France, capital OF
the island, on which they are now
working.
The British Admiralty is communi-
eating with the commander in chief of
the British naval station and a war
vessel will be directed to go to Mar
Unique.
1t is apparent from the cable dis
patches received that the eruption OF
the volcano on Mont Pelee will not do
much damage to the summer crop,
which Is usually confined to the south
ern part of the island, and the gather
ing of which is now two-thirds over.
However, the wiping out of the monied
population of the island, centered at
st. Pierre, is bound to produce the
most serious commercial effect. Not
one of the business houses in London
has heard a word from its agents in
Martinique.
A partner of the principal English
firm dealing with Martinique said to
representative of the Associated
Press:
II suppose all our agents are dead.
Not much business Is transacted be-
tween England and Martinique. AL
most everything thence is shipped d.
rect to Bordeaux, which suffers the
most l know Martinique well. The
last time | was there, few years ago,
there were only two Englishmen and
no American residents at st. Pierre,
though that town did a good business
with America in the way of foodstuffs.
A large proportion OF the white popu-
lation belongs to the old French fami-
lies, who prefer st. Pierre to any other
part of the island. We never for mo-
ment dreamt that Mont Pelee would
prove dangerousc. Fifty years ago
some smoke and steam issued from
its crevices, but no. attention was paid
to it. Unless the lava overrun the
whole island, which is not likely, the
disaster may not turn out to be as
great as it at present seemssto be-"
Another cablegram received from Adj
ministrator Bell, of the Island of
Dominica, is as follows:
"A terrible eruption has occurred of
volcano at Martinique. Great dis
tress prevails there ] am sending pro-
visions Immediately. All safe at DOM