Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-09
THE WORK OF RELIEF
REPORT OF COMMANDER MCLEAN
OF THE CINCINNATI.
Four Thousand on st. Vincent Receiv-
ing Food-Experience Of
Prof. Hill.

Commander Mclean, commanding the
cruiser Cincinnati. reports to the Navy De-
partment, under date of Port Castries, st.
Lucia, May "a, that the Cincinnati has
made the circuit of the Island of st. Lucia.
THE volcano is still active" he says,
CLOUDS of smoke and steam coming from
the crater and steaming tracks of mud or
lava extending to the sea at Morne Ronde.
Up to this date the damage is confined to
the northern portion of the island, above
Chateau Cellar and Georgetown. Neither
of these places appears to be seriously in
jured; on the northeast coast observed a
few places where vegetation in fields is
green and cattle are feeding. At Robaka
plantation people were employed in digging
out casks of sugar from the mills and send
ing to Kingston by schooner.
The government and people of st. Vim
cent acted promptly in sending rescue and
relief parties: $50 people in hospital at
Kingston. eighty more who are too badly
burned to take off to boats are coming in
carts
"A smaller steamer from Kingston makes
the circuit of the island daily. Four thou
sand people are receiving food. Some of
them will probably go to Trinidad, ST.
Lucia and other islands for employment
Observations of Prof Hill.
Prof. Robert T. Hill of the geological sur
expedition of investigation sent out by this
aster, arrived in this city yesterday from
New York. Prof. Hill said:
The Dixie expedition was a great sue
cess. 1t was organized in less than four
Gays, with complete equipment. The en-
deavor which the United States made to re-
lieve the distress and the large representa-
ton of naval vessels and newspaper men
made a INN cir
pie of the island, to whom we were a con-
slant marvel and source of establishment.
The negroes of Martinique were laboring
under misrepresentation that American
enterprise was going to build ST. Pierre
and when told that it was on French ter
rltory they could not understand why a
little matter of internatiOna complication
should be permitted to Interfere in the
work.
Too much cannot be said of the enter
prise and labor of United States Consul
Aymee. who rushed to the scene of action
from MS station at Guadalupe, with hard
ly change of clothing, and a few shilings
in his pocket, and then manfully and intel
Hgently did everything in his power to
assist the people of the island and the
American relief party. 1t is feared that his
health, which was already precarious is
seriously shattered by his labors
THE only criticism that could be made
concerning the outcome of the expedition
would be concerning the manner in which
Notwithstanding the reports 10 the contra
ry, there was much distress in Martinique
and had our supplies been distributed with
the same generosity by the local Officials
as that with which they were given, much
more good Will have been done. The gov
eminent and many of the prominent island
ofhcials having been killed by the disaster
the sioWness of the relief was no doubt due
TO the disorganized condition of affairs,
The few patients in the local hospitals
VINO should have been the chief beneficial
RES of our charitable expedition. which
contained every possible article for the re-
lief of the sick and clothing enough to have
clad the population of the island, did not
receive single article which we carried
ana the two sailors from the Koruna,
which we brought back with u.s. came upon
the Dixie almost naked and had to be sun
pled with clothes from the sailors lucky
bag '
The supplies brought by the Dixie were
simply stored IN the warehouses; Many
people OF the island are without shelter,
WhlIe the tents we carried remain nm
packed. And when we left but little of the
l l was reaching the interior of the coun-
Try, where il