The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-07-02
ST. vINCENT'S TRAGEDY
La Soufriere's Deadly Work
Similar to Mont Pelee's.
AvFULsCEsEsIswAsTEDBE REGIONS

Conditions in the stricken district -
the island Of 81 Vincent are alinos;
beyond description, writes the New
York Teralds special correspondent
from Port of spain. Trinidad. under
the date of May 10. have Just rs-
turned from visit 10 Georgetown and
the ruined country around a. where 4
was quickly found that the explosions
! Of the Soufriere were az least as viO.
lent o. tbOsc u Mont Pelee 10 MART.
nique.
That the destruction of human life
was not ~ great as at St Pierre was
/ due only 10 the fact that no large city
was near sOufriere. Had there been
ST. Pierre near that awful volcano
there would have been the same ap-
palling loss OF life as on Martinique.
As Il was. 1900 inhabitants Of the
sparsely settled country around the
soufrere have been killed. aud TO
these must Inevitably be added very
many OF those who escaped alive. but
terribly burned. aud who cannot sur.
/ yiye.
Nineteen shocks % earthquake were
felt az Wallibou on Saturday. May 3.
and at other places the ground appear.
ed 30 be Osciilating almost continuous
ly. The crater showed signs on Tues
day morning OF having awakened from
It's long slumber. and by 3 o'clock In
the afternoon a column Of heavy smoke
with a Jet Of lurId flame was seen to
| issue from the summit Of the mountain.
| That Jet Of flame. with It's sinister look
| ing column OF funereal smoke. was the
| death warrant Of 2.OOO human beings
doomed 10 perish miserably within q
| few hours. Then began that race for
! life which a man who happened TO be
az Chateau Belair has thus described:
Il was fishing at somg distance from
the shore when my boatman said to
me: Look at the Soufrierc. sir. II Is
smokingr From the top of the cone.
reaching FAR ~ Into the heavens, a
dark column Of smoke arose. while the
mouth Of the crater itself glowed Ike
a gigantic forge belching "A huge Jet OF
yellow fame The mass OF smoke
spread out into branches extending FOR
miles. and clouds Of sulphurous vapor.
|
the crater. began TO roll down the
mountain slopes.
I'VE reached shore and started 20
run for our lives We were soon en-
yeloped In impcnetrable darkness. aud
was unable 10 distinguish the white
shirt OF my boatrnan even at a yards
distance. But as be knew every inch
OF ground held on 10 a stick he had.
and so we stumbled on until we reach.
ed n place OF safety. The incessant
roar OF the volcano. the rumbling Of
the thunder. the flashes OF lightning
added to the terrific grandeur OF the
scene. AZ last we emerged from that
pail OF death. half suffocated and with
our temples throbblng as II they were
going TO burst"
II was only on Friday afternoon that
residents OF Kingstown. the capital,
began 10 gain some idea OF the disas
ter which had befallen the country OF
the Caribs. as the northern portion OF
the Wndwnrd coast is called George
town Is the center OF that once fertile
and beautiful district. now a desolate
waste OF ashes. Between this town
and the capital there is a fairly good
road. running for the most part along
tie sea.
The Journey IL usually performed on
horseback. but a mail wagon, which
takes passengers, plies regularly along
, the road. IL is also possible 10 obtain
at times some sort of vehicle drawn ty
mules, and II was by one OF these con.
veyances that proceeded to George
town on the day after the eruption.
II In almost impossible TO con y In
writing any idea OF the desolatc ap.
pearance OF the country beyond the
fifteen mile post-that is, fifteen miles
/ from klngstown and seven from
: Georgetown. The whole place looked
4 as N millions OF barrels OF cement had
been emptled over the land, covering
every inch OF ground with coat OF
dismal gray. As we proceeded notic'
ed that the small stones scattered about
were of larger size aud that the bed OF
dust became thicker until we reached
a Georgetown, where the streets were
r covered TO a depth OF three feet
IL was only when we reached the
center OF the town, however, that W,
a.
began 10 realize the horrors caused by
u that fatal eruption. We passed three
houses from which there arose heart
rendlng walls OF suffering. II was II
these houses that the Injured. for few
q OF whom there was any chance OF re
e coyery. we're being slowly tortured Il
y death by the ineXorable hand Of ma
!. ture. We hurried on through George
n town 10 the country beyond, WHERE
most OF the inhabitants had persisted
The FIRST place we got 20 was the over
seer's house In Langley park. wher,
Is thirty-seven bodies had been found
e They had already been buried. but a
II many dead animals. the working stool
Of the estate. lay scattered about, th
stencil was unbearable.
At every step we encountered fresl
u scenes OF horror. and when we reache'