The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-07-03

rOlTY YHouSlyb PEOPLE PERIsH.
si,'s>tsrs.s 'p...- 20 ..s,sii ass
only Thirty Known survivors-Ths
Awful WORK Wss Accompnshsd -
Abvu. Three Minutes The krup
sson esiil Continues,
Paris.-Ths minister Of marine. n.
Delassen, has received he following
from Fort dc France, Martinique. un-
der date 81 May 10. 4 p. m:
!, Arrived at Fort de France with pro-
visions, passing close to st. Pierre. Fire
continues; volcano still emitting ashes.
with less density. SUCHEf."
Castries, st. Lucas. b. w. I.-Mont
Pelee, O volcano mountain. some ten
miles north OF Pierre, the commercial
, capital OF Martinique, Is the mountain
which made q faint show OF eruption
nfty years ago. On Me- 3 last, IT oegan
to throw out dense clouds Of smoke. Al
midnight the same day flames, accom-
panied with rumbling noses. ngnted
the shy over an immense area, causing
| widespread terror.
May 4, hot ashes covered the whole
city quarter Of 81. Pierre an inch thick
and made Mont Pelee invisible.
At noon May 6. a stream OF borning
lava rushed 400 feet down the noun
tain side, following the dry bed Of .
torrent and reaching the sea, i've miles
from the mountain. In Its rush the
fiery food swept from Its Lath planta-
tions, buildings, factories. cattle and
human beings over breadth Of about
half a mile.
A. the rear of the mouth Of Rivicre
Blanche stood the large Guerin sugar
factory. one OF the finest ip the island.
II Is now completely entomed in lava.
The tall chimney alone is visible. One
hundred and fisty persons are estimat-
ed to have perished there. including
the owners son.
As the lava rushed into the sea. the
latter receded 500 feet all along the
west coast; returning with greater
strength, q big wave covered the whole
sea front Of St Pierre. but doing little
damage ashore or aHoat.
Terrible detonations, heard hundreds
Of miles northward. followed at short,
irregular Intervals. and continued at
night. In the intense darkness the
electric lights failed. but the town was
III up by lurid flashes of fame from
the mountains. The terror stricken
inhabitants rushed for the hills IN their
night clothes, screaming. shouting and
wailing-mad with terror.
The Plissono family escaped to st.
Tura In q small steamer. fhirty-6ve
persons. mostly women and children.
arrived here In the forenoon OF the 9Th
and furnished the above details. The
men remained at Martinique.
The same afternoon. later. telegraph
ic communication was interrupted with
both the islands Of Martinique and 81.
Vincent
During the afternoon Of the Sth. the
British steamer Roddman. which had
left st. Lucia at midnight ON the 7th
for Martinique, crawled slowly into the
Castries harbor. unacceptable. gray
with ashes. her rigging dismantled and
sheets and awnings hanging about torn
and charred.
Captain whatter reported that having
Just cast anchor on 81 Pierre at .. m,
In hne weather succeeding an awful
thunderstorm during the night, he
was talking to the ships agent. Joseph
Plissono. who was In boat alongside
when he saw q tremendous cloud OF
smoke and glowing cinders rushing
with terrific rapidity over the town and
port. completely. In an instant, envel-
oping the former in q sheet OF names
and raining fire and board.
The agent had Just time to climb on
board when his boat disappeared. Sew
eral Of the crew OF the Roddam were
quickly scorched to death. BY super
human efforts, having steam up. ,ne
cable was slipped and the steamer
backed away from the shore and nine
hours later managed to reach .astries
Ten of the Roddams men were lying
dead. cont0rted and burned out of hu-
man semblance. among the black Gin
ders which covered the decks to a
depth Of six inches. Two more OF the
crew have since died.
The survivors Of the crew were loud
In their praise Of the heroic conduct OF
the captain steering the vessel away
from destruction with his own hands
which were badly burned by the rain
OF hre which kept fallink on the ship
for miles after she got under way. Be-
yond burns all over his body the cap.
tain Is safe. as Is also the ships agent
though he is badly scorched.
Mr.. Plissono Is believed here to be
, the sole survivor Of the $4,000 inhibit.
ants Of the town. and all The shipping
In the port has been utterly destroyed
the West Indian and Panama Tele
graph Company's repairing vessel 60
Ing first. then the Jnebec liner Rorai.
ma. Captain Muggah, Of the latter
. waved his hand In farewell to tn,
Roddam as his vessel sank with Z
terrific explosion.
, The British royal mail ctcamer Esk
, which called on Martinique at I,
: o'clock Sunday night, reports standing
OF shore Ave miles, sounding her whis
, tie and sending up rockets. She re,
ceived no answer.
The whole sea front was blazing fol
miles.
The Esk sent boat ashore. but Il
4 could not land on account OF the ter.
rife fire. which was accompanied by
loud explosions.
Not living soul appeared ashore a.
ter the boat had waited for two hours
' Immense areas OF cattle range hav
G been destroyed by too much crowdin
and by sheep. Sheep In large bunche
nip the grass 80 close and SO cut II
o sod with their hoofs that II dies. tn
r | ralIu,ava NJ tha mort n vvaat have rom,