The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-05-20
General News.
THRILLING STORY OF THE MARTINIQUE
DISASTER.

e1ght With Dead Over Which Sea
Gulls lowered md Among Which Sharks
FOught-Ths People sufocated by Poison
Gus Gases and Their Bodies CarbOnized
n Roasted.
FoRr-DE-FRANoE, Island of Mar.
Unique, May I3.-It now seems to
be generally admitted that about
10000 persons lost their lives as q
result of the outbreak of the Mont
Pelee volcano, at st. Pierre, on
Thursday, last. Careful investiga-
ton by competent government Off
Gals show the earlier reports of the
Associated Press were accurate.
The American Consul at Guadeloupe,
Ayme, has reached the desolate spot
where st. Pierre stood, and confirms
the awful story in all it's essential
details. From an interview with
Col. Ayme, who is a trained Amer
loan ne wspaper man, a correspondent
of the Associated Press learns the
following facts:
Thursday morning the inhabi-
tants of the city awoke to find
heavy clouds shrouding the Mont
Pelee crater. All day Wednesday
horrid detonations had been heard.
These were echoed from st. Thomas
on the north to Barbados on the
south. The cannonading ceased on
Wednesday night and fine ashes fell
like rain on st. Pierre. The inhabl-
tants were alarmed, but Governor
| Mouttet, who arrived at st. Pierre
the evening before, did everything
possible to allay the panic. The
British steamer Roarima reached
st. Pierre on Thursday, with ten
passengers, among whom were Mrs.
Stokes and three children and Mrs.
H. J. Inoe. They we're watching the
rain of ashes, when, with a frightful
roar and terrific electric display, a
cyclone of fire and steam swept down
from the crater over the town and
bay, sweeping all before it and de-
stroying the feet of vessels at an
ohor off the shore. There the ac-
count of the catastrophe 80 far OBJ
tainable ceases. Thirty thousand
oorpses are strewn about, buried in
the ruins of St. Pierre or else float
ing, gnawed by sharks, in the
surrounding seas. Twenty eight
charred, half dead human beings
were brought here. Sixteen of them
are already dead and of the whole
number only four r expected to
recover.
THE DREADFUL SIGHT IN THE HARBOR.
"'The Associated Press steamer
chartered in Guadeloupe, neared Mar
Unique at 6: 80 Sunday morning.
The island with it's lofty hills was
hidden behind a huge veil of violet,
or leaden- colored, haze. Enormous
quantities of the wreokage Of large
and small ships and houses strewed
the surface of the sea. Huge trees,
and too often bodies, with focks of
seagulls lowering above and hide,
GUS sharks fighting about them,
were floating here and there. From
behind the volcano veil came blasts
of hot wind, mingled with others,
ice cold. At LIE Prescheur, five miles
north of st. Pierre canoes with men
and women frantic to get away,
begged for a passage on the steamer.
The whole north end of the island
was covered with a silver gray coat
ing of ashes resembling dirty snow.
Furious blasts of fire, ashes and mud
swept over the steamer, but finally
st. Pierre was reached.
NOT ONE HOUSE LEFT INTACT.
The city of St. Pierre stretched
nearly two miles along the water
front and half a mile back to a cliff
at the base Of the volcano. The
houses of the richer French families
we're built of stone. The still smok
ing volcano lowered above the ash
covered hills. The ruins were burned
in many places and frightful odors
of burned flesh filed the air. With
great difficulty a landing was efec
ted. Not one house was left intact.
Viscid heaps of mud, or brighter
ashes, or piles of volcanic stones
were seen on every side. The streets
could hardly be traced. Here and
there amid the ruins were heaps of
oorpses. Almost all the faces we're
downward
DEAD BODIES IN PILES.
I'm one corner % bodies of men,
woman and children were mingled