The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-17
ALL WAS WIPED OUT
THE TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE AT
MARTINIQUE.
Latest Estimate Places the Loss Of
Life at 4O,OOO-All over in Few
Moments.

ST. THOMAS %. w. -, May 9.-It
is estimated now that 10000 persons
have persisted from the volcanic erup-
tions at st. Pierre, the surrounding dis
tricts and on other West Indian islands.
FORT DE FRANCE (Martinique),
May 9.-Of the O0O0 inhabitants of st,
Pierre it is thought that not a single
one escaped the terrible ereuption Of
lava from Mount Pelee yesterday morn
ing. Eighteen vessels in the harbor
were all burned and sunk and the total
numbers of passengers and sailors res
cued from them is thirty. All the rest
are dead.
The Governor of Martinique, NJ L.
MOuttel, who started for St Pierre the
day before. has not been heard from
and is thought to have persisted. His
staff Colonel and wife were with him.
Senator Knight, President of the Gen
eral Council, must also be dead, as well
/ as United States Consul r. y. Prents
and all the other Consuls.
The wiping out of the city was ac-
complished in few minutes. After a
W eek of rumblingC in the interior Of the
volcano, followed by showers Of lava
dust Wednesday, molten lava burst out
suddenly at o'clock yesterday morn
. ing. St. Pierre was destroyed and all
of it's inhabitants killed almost in a
twinkling. Those who saw the erup-
ton from the sea say that masses of
fire fell from the sky.
Although ST. Pierre is only fifteen
miles from here, it is impossible to APP
proach it on shore. Hot ashes and ruins
block all approaches. The cable to st.
Pierre is destroyed. Every available
vessel has been sent to the harbor of
st. Pierre to rescue survivors, if any
there be. The French cruiser Suchet
which was here during the night and
brought the first definite story of the
disaster has gone to Guadeloupe for
provisions and will reach st. Pierre
harbOr tomorrow morning. 1t is
thought that the residents of adjoining
districts not overwhelmed, who were
dependent on the city for their food
supplies, will be in danger of starva-
| tiot unless help soon reaches them.
The commander of the Suchet re-
! ported that he saw the eruption and
went in as close to st. Pierre as he dar-
/ ed. He rescued about thirty persons
! from vessels in the harbor, eight of
| them from the Quebec steamer Rorai-
ma, which exploded and sank after it
| had been set afire by lava. All of the
| rescued persons are burned, some Of
! them terribly. number of officers of
! the Suchet were sent ashore in small
I boats, but they were unable to penetra-
! t: the town. They saw heaps of bodies
]
a single living being. They report that
not single vessel in the harbOr endur-
+ ed the torrent of fire, all burning and
| sinking. The commander of the Suchet
believes that not a single person in st.
| Pierre at the moment of the outburst
escaped; that the entire town is des-
! trOyed, and that probably many of-the
surrounding parishes are devasted.
The cable repairship Grappler of the
West Indian and Panama Telegraph
Company was in the harbor and was
one of the vessels destroyed being one
of the first ships to disappear.
The ROraima was owned by the Que
bee Steamship Company. Captain Mug
gah was in charge of it, and f. Ince,
! Mrs F. ]. Ince and Mrs. Stokes were
among the passengers.
Another vessel that was recently at
st. Pierre and was probably still there
and consequently lost was the Anna
E. ]. Morse, owned by ]. 5. WinslOw &
Co., of Portland, Me. Captain Parker
was in charge. He arrived at st. Pierre
two weeks ago.
The manager of the Francois sugar
factory here tried to reach st. Pierre
! today. but failed. He came back re-
porting that the coast was covered with
ashes, the town enYeloped in dust and
landing impossible.
Few details of any kind can be OBJ
tanned about the preliminary stages of
the eruption. Gable connections with
ST. Pierre were broken Tuesday and
Wednesday, probably by earthquake
shocks. On Wednesday a shower OF
boiling mud is said to have descended
on a factory two miles from St. Pierre
! Wrpckinp IL md killing many pn1nloVpS