The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-13

They were watching the rain of ashes
when, with a frightful and terrific
electric discharges. cyclone of fire. mud
and steam swept down from the crater
over town and bay sweeping all before it
and destroying the fleet of vessels at
anchor off the shore. There the accounts
of the catastrophe so far obtsinable cease.
Thirty thousand corpses are strewn
about buried in the ruins of st. Pierre.
or else floating. gnawed by sharks. in the
surrounding seas Twentyeight charred.
half-dead human beings were brought
here. Sixteen of them are already dead.
and of the whole number only four are
expected to recover.
STREWN WITH WRECKAGE.
The Associated Press steamer chartered
in Guadeloupe neared Martinique at s:So
Sunday morning. The island. with is lofty
hills, was hidden behind a huge veil OF vio-
let or leaden colored haze. Enormous
quantities of the wreckage CT LARGE ana
small ships and houses strewed the surface
of the sea. Huge trees and too often bodies
with flocks of sea gulls soaring above and
hideous sharks fighting about thera were
floating here and there. From behind the
volcanic veil came blasts of hot wind min
gled with others ice cold.
At lie Precheur. five miles north of ST.
Pierre. canoes with men and womeH fran
tic to get away begged for passage on the
steamer
The whole north end of the islsud was
covered with a silver gray coating o. ashes
resembling dirty snow. Furious blasts Of
fire, ashes and mud swept over the steamer,
but finally St. Pierre was reached.
The city OF St. Pierre stretched nearly
two miles along the water front and half
a mile back to cliff at the base Of the
volcano. The houses OF the richer French
families were built of stone The still
smoking volcano lowered above tire ash
covered hills The ruins were burning in
many places and frightful odors of burned
flesh filled the air.
With great difficulty a landing was ef-
fected. Not house vast left intact.
Viscd heaps of mud. ashes and volcanic
stones were seen on every side. The streets
could hardly be traced. Here and there
amid the ruins were heaps OF corpscs. AL
most all the faces were downward. In one
corner twenty-five bodies Of men. women
and children were mingled in awful
mess, arms and legs protruding as the hap
less beings fell in the last struggles OF
deaths agony Through the middle OF the
old Place Bertin ran a tiny stream. the re-
mains of the river Gayave. Grea. trees
with roots upward and scorched by fire
were strewn in every direction. Huge
| blocks of still hot stones were scattered
about. From under one large stone the arm
of white woman protruded. Most notable
was the utter silence and the awful. ever
powering stencil from the thousands OF
dead.
POISONOUS GASES.
Careful inspection showed that the fery
stream which so completely destroyed ST.
! Pierre must have been composed OF poison
Gus gases. which instantly suffocated every
one who inhaled them, and OF othe; gases
! burning furiously. for nearly all the VIC
Tins had their hands covering their mouths
or were in some other attitude showing
that they had sought relief from sunoca-
ton. All the bodies were carbonixed or
/ roasted.
| A @. Austen, the manager OF the Colonial
| Bank Of Barbados, landed at ST Pierre
with party from the British royal mail
steamer Solent. He found the bank clock
stopped at some minutes before s o'clock.
4 horse and buggy and a policeman were
| in dead group at the door.
AT the request OF S A McAllister. the
|
| Davis and the Soent were placed at his
disposal by the Barbados government. The
| Solent arrived at about the same time as
the Associated Press steamer and brought
! 10 St Pierre the colonial secretary. two
| civil doctors. two military officers and Or.
| a. +. Aughinbaugh. of Washington. as
well as a corporal and four orderee. three
trained nurses and fun field hospital out
| fit The Barbados government also sent
seven hundred barrels OF provisions. one
ton Of ice and full supply OF medicine.
These were useful. but the dead only needed
! quick burial.
The stories OF the survivors added TO the
| awful details OF the particularly harrow
/ ing account OF the loss OF the British
steamer Roraima John q Morris OF New
! York. Who r. now at the military Hospital
| at Fort dc France. says the vessel arrived
| az As eight bells were struck "A ffightful
| explosion heard Up the mountain. A
| cloud OF fire topping and roaring. swept
/ with lightning speed down. the mountains
/ side and over the town and bay. The Ro-
raima was nearly sunk anc caught fire az
| once II can never forget the horrid. hery
| choking whirlwind which enveloped me-
said Mr.. Evans. "Mr Morris end rushed
! CONTINUED On FAGK = CO.. -