Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-05-16
BRITONS THANK AMERICANS
Chamberlain Expresses Gratitude Of En-
gland for Aid to St. Vincent.
TRANSMITS KIND FEELINGS TO ROOSEVELT
Oner of the President TO Send Relief
to Volcano Sufferers IL Cordially
Appreciated by the
British.

the foreign office desiring Lord Lansdowne
very gracefully to acknowledge and accept
President Roosevelt's offer OF assistance
aud to inform Mr.. Roosevelt that Mr..
Chamberlain cabled to the governor Of St.
Vincent today asking for information as
to the best method Of utilizing the
United States offer. Until the governors
answer is received nothing definite can be
done. The colonial office especially asks
the Associated Press to announce that any
relief intended for the inhabitants Of the
island Of St. Vincent can, for the present,
be safely sent and will be wisely dis
trbuted II addressed to the governor of the
Windward Islands, St. Vincent.
Appreciate ROoseveIts Oner.
The Associated Press is authorized to
announce officially, on behalf Of both the
foreign office and the colonial office. that
President Roosevolt's offer has created
the deepest gratitude here. All the officials
declare that no occurrence of recent years
has so brought home to them the deep and
material friendship existing between the
two governments.
Lord Monkbretton, Mr.. Chamberlain's
secretary, said to a representative of the
Associated Press: I'VE are. indeed, grate-
full to America. Our only difficulty is to
insure an equitable distribution of the
relief sent from all sources. Until we hear
from the governor of st. Vincent we be-
lieve 1t would be better to defer organizing
system Of distribution, though anything
sent to him will doubtless be well applied.
Experiences from previous disasters
teaches us that unprincipled persons take
advantage of charity and that a man who
has only had his pig-sty burned down will
demand a new house We have heard moth
ing today and find 1t difficult to communi-
cate with st. Vincent.
BaIfour Speaks with Feeling.
In a statement in the House of Com
mons today regarding the measure pro-
posed by the government for the
relief Of the sufferers from the volcanic
ment leader, A. J. Balfour, after a reference
to the steps taken, added:
I'VE have taken account OF the most
sympathetic manner in which the United
States government has, to use it's own
language. expressed its desire to share in
the work of rescue. As to the manner in
which this generous offer can best be ac-
cepted, the government of the Windward
Isles has already been consulted"
The correspondent of the London
Times, at Paris, M de Blowitz, sup
plies his paper this morning with an
account Of the St. Pierre disaster, tele-
graphed to him by friend, from Fort de
France, Martinique, under date OF yester-
day by way of the island of Malta.
The account which does not differ very
materially from that already told, con-
cludes as follows;
1t is a melancholy and almost humiliat-
| ing thing that the site of st. Pierre has
| to be guarded by the military, for numer-
Gus pirates from the neighboring islands
were preparing TO come and lay hands on
| anything of value.
WASHINGTON, May 15.-By direction of
the president Secretary Hay, on May 12,
sent the following cablegram to Ambassador
Choate at London;
| Express to British government the SYM
| pathy of the president and the people of
befallen st. Vincent and our desire to
share in the work of aid and rescue.
NEW YORK, May ia cablegram was
received today at the offices Of the Quebec
Steamship company saying that the steamer
Korona, with survivors of the Roraima, left
St. Croix today and will proceed direct
to New York. It. should arrive here May
10 or 90
Plans for Receiving Funds.
Colonel Brainard, who is in charge of
supplies Of the army building New York,
received an order from Washington today
instructing. him to receive all public do
nations in the way of supplies for the relief
of the sufferers in the West Indies.
Edmond Bruewart, the French consul
general at this port, is extremely pleased
| at the promptness with which relief has
been sent to Martinique. 81 have never
seen anything organized so quickly or sat
| isfactorily" he said 81 can say for France
that it is deeply grateful.
'I expect that NJ. Cambon will today
make public the cablegram he has received
from M. Delcasse. the foreign minister,
| thanking the Americans who have come so
generously to the aid of the survivors OF
this dreadful disaster. One OF those who
is especially thanked by Senator Delcasse
is Senator Fairbanks"
The cablegram is follows;
On behalf OF the people of France trans
| init the expression of their extreme graft
tude 10 Senator Fairbanks for his gem
erous initiative.
Bodies Are Being Burned.
NEW YORK, May 15.-In the destroyed
city Of st. Pierre the work on the ruins ID
being continued in an unsatisfactory man
ner. says a Fort de France dispatch to the
Herald
The dead are being burned. the pyres
being fed with petroleum and tar. Great
fires are kept going, which, at night, light
up the entire island. and which. being seen
at St. Lucia, led to the belief that Fort de
France had burned.
Although thousands have been burned
many still remain TO be cremated. Search
ers. while walking through the ashes. otter
step upon what seems TO be & charred pillar
OF stone. only 70 learn as It yields gfue-
somely under foot that It u the trunl
OF another unfortunate.
Some OF the walls OF the houses that still
stand erumble and fall at touch. Some
idea Of the terrible heat that poured down
from Mount Pelee may be had when 1t Il
known that the iron rollers OF the PrinellC
Sugar mills were melted as though the,
had been put through a furnace.
Countless Floating Bodies.
The Danish war ship Valkyrien mas re.
turned from Fort de France. says a st
Thomas. ID. w. l., dispatch to the Tribune
The oficers confirm previous reports OF hav.
ing steamed through countless floating bod.
les on the way to Fort de France.
Margaret Stokes. the 9-year-old chilC
who is one OF the survivors Of the steam
ship Roraima. which was destroyed at 81
Pierre, ~ the only remaining member OF