Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-16


THURSDAY afternoon). May l5.-A cor
respondent Of the Associated Press has
just returned here from visit, on
horseback, to the devastated district Of |
this island, during which he travelled |
30 miles and penetrated to within five |
miles Of the Soufriere crater. The ash
covered area Of st. Vincent exceeds
that OF Martinique, which the CORE
spondent has also explored. A very
conservative estimate Of the death rate
here now places the number at 1900,
About 1900 bodies already have been in
tered. The entire northern part Of the
island is covered with ashes TO an ay-
erage depth Of is inches, varying from
thin layer at kingstown to two feet
or more al Georgetown The crops are
ruined, nothing green can be seen the
streets OF Georgetown are cumAered
with heaps of ashes resembling snow
drifts and ashes rest so heavily on the
roofs that In several cases they have
caused them 10 fan in. There soon viii
be 5000 destitute persons In need OF as
slstance from the government, which
Is already doing everything possible to
relieve the sufferers There are hun
dred injured people in the hospital at
Georgetown, gangs Of men are search
| Ing for the dead or rapidly burying
them in trenches and all that can be
! done under the circumstances is being
| accomplished.
The British cruiser Indefatiglbe
brought % tons Of supplies here and re-
| turned 20 the island of Trinidad today
| for more.
The governor OF the windward ISL
ands, Sir Robert Llewellyn, is here. SUI
peryislng the work Of the authorities,
VAST TERRITORY RUINED.
While the outbreak Of the volcano on
the island OF Martinique killed more
people outright, more territory has been
ruined In St Vincent, hence there is
greater restitution here
The Injured persons We're horribly
burned by the hot grit which was driy-
en- along with tremendous velocity.
! Twenty-siX persons who sought refuge
IN a room 10 feet by u were all killed.
one person was Drained with huge
stone nine miles from the crater
Rough collins are being made TO re-
ceive the remains Of the victims. The
hospital here Is filed with dying peo-
pie. Fifty Injured persons are lying on
the floor Of that building. as there are
no beds for their accommodation,
though cots are being rapidly con-
structed Of boards This and similar
work has been In progress since inn
mediately after the disaster. Two days
elapsed, however, before there were any
burials, as the negroes refused TO dig
the necessary trenches, though they
were offered three times the usual
wages by the local authorities The
nurses employed are incompetent. but
they are willing TO learn and are work
ing hard. The negroes are Indifferent
TO all that is transpiring and to what
has taken place. They expect TO re-
ceiye government rations, but there
have been Instances where they have
been refused to bury their own rela-
tives.
ENCROACHMENTS OF THE SEA.
It is estimated that the sea has en-
croached from ten feet to two miles
along the coast near Georgetown. and
that section on the north Of the IS.
land has dropped into the sea This Is
apparently verified by the report OF
the French cable ship Pouyer-Q uertier
that soundings now show seven faith.
oms where before the outbreak there
were 36 fathoms OF water.
, Lieut.. Benjamin Il. Mccormack, com.
manding the United States STEAMSHIP
Potomac, now In these waters. ha,
called on Gov. Llewellyn and Offered
/, him the sympathy Of the United State.
and any assistance which Il Is In hii
power TO render The Potomac I'M
, also landed what she can spare OF hel
! food stuffs The Potomac carried ON
cial dispatches TO the island Of 81
Lucia
soUFRIERs NOW QUIET.
Since midnight Tuesday, the subter
p ranean detonations here have ceased
, and the Soufriere Wednesday reapsed
apparently into perfect repOse n,
e smoke rising from the crater and tn,
assures emitting no vapur The stunt
ed vegetation that formerly adorne,
the slopes Of the mountain has disap
peared, having given place 20 gray col
, ored lava, which greets the eyes ~
every side. The atmosphere Is dry
but somewhat agitated. Rain would b.
welcome. as there rs n great deal o
dust In the air which Is very disagree
able and Irritating 20 threats and eyes
and Is causing all the merchants TO pm
their dry goods under cover The In
! habltants (meaning the white popua
/, tion, as a ruleD naturally are anxlOu
4 20 know whether the repose OF the vol
" cauO Is permanent. or whether 20 is M
= lul which usually precedes greater rar
oNysms Some people nntici
T hRH d