The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-17
.SOUFRIERE
NOW QUIET
Contlnued from - =.

Hewelyn and offered bin the sympathy
Of the United States and any assistance
which it was in his power to render ne
Potomac has also landed what she can
spare OF her foodstufTs. The Potomac car
ried Official dispatches TO the island OF
ST. Lucia Since midnight Tuesday. the
subterranean detonations here have
ceased and the Souniere, wednesday. re-
| lapsed. apparently into perfect repcse'
no smoke rising from the crater and TIE
| hssures emitting no vapor. The stGAted
vegetation that formerly adorned the
| slopes Of the mountain have disappeared.
! having given TO gray colored lava which
| Sreets the eye on every SIDE. The atnos-
phere Is dry, but somewhat agitated-
Rain would be welcome as there is great
deal OF dust in the air which IS very dis
| agreeable and irritating 70 throats and
eyes and is causing the merchants 70 put
all their dry goods under cover. The in
! habitants Cmeaning the white population.
as a rnle), naturally are anxious TO snow
whether the repose Of the volcano is per
maneut, or whether 1t is the lull which
usually preeedes greater paroxysmal ac-
tivity. Some people anticipating that
tions are leaving the outlying towns for
this city. The negroes who have remained
on the estates are half starved and the
Carib survivors are leaving their caves
and pillaging abandoned dwellings, and
shops. 4 number of arrests have been
made in this connection.
AS the colonial hospital here was
found Inadequate TO accommodate the
sufferers. large army tents have been
erected for the use of the patients who
are being constantly brought here from
other towns on the island, but even those
annex hospitals are overcrowded. The
local doctors have been reinforced by
doctor who arrived here from the Island
of Grenada, one of the British W-indward
Islands. He brought with him a num-
Der OF packages of medical supplies
which were extremely useful. The ar
rival here Of the first detachment Of the
ambulance corps which brought sufferers
from Georgetown, caused quite q sensa-
tion. This batch consisted of a hundred
persons, whose eharred bodies exhaled
fetid odors and whose loathsome faces
made even the hospital attendants shud-
der. 1t is doubtful whether one OF the
whole body viii recover. The death rate
among the people in the hospitals is stHl
verr high. in spite of the best medical
efforts made in their behalf. All the
neighboring British colonies are evincinE
sympathy with the sufferers here. Sub
scripticn lists have been started ard food
and clothing are being forwarded to St.
Vincent from all the British islands.
While the entire community is thankful
for this help and sympathy from British
sources on all sides on all,sides are hearG
grateful appreciation Of the prompt aid
furnished by the nited States. in sending
the Potomac here with provisions and
other things for the destitute people Of
st. vincent. The report that the vol
canic lake which occupied the top Of the
mountain has disappeared appears to be |
confirmed. 4 sea Of lava, emitting sui
phurous fumes. now apparently occupies
its place and several new craters have
been formed. The last time the volcano !
showed activity Tuesday last, the eraters /
old and new. and numerous hssures in /
the mountain side discharged hot vapor, /
deep subterranean murmurings were I
heard. the ground trembled a times and (
from the center of the volcano huge vol I
luttS OIL Slttii iOSts anu a NfLASN t--tf- 3
merian smoke mingling with steam issued I
from a new and active crater, forming I
an immense pail over the northern hills /.
lowering into the valleys and then ris-
Ing and spreading until it enveloped the /
whole island in a peculiar. gray mist.
action upon the part Of the +
volcanoes OF Martinique and Dominica /
and elsewhere seems TO denote a volcanic (
connection between these islands and ap-
pears TO verify the assumption of the vol
canic origin of the mountain chains run
ming parallel with the Soufriere in the
Windward districts AS this dispatch IS
sent it is excessively hot here and the
northern hills retain their foggy appear
ance.
The sulphuric vapors which stin cxhale
all over the island are increasing the
sickness and mortality among the sur
viving inhabitants and are causing SUI
fering among the new arrivals The hos
pitaI staffs are giving away to overwork
and are with difficulty bearing up
The stencil in the afflicted districts is
errible beyond description. Nearly all /
he huts left standing are filed with
lead bodies. In some cases disinfectants
md the usual means Of disposing Of the
lead are useless and cremation has been 1
resortcd TO- When 1t is possible tho