Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-09-17
PELEE KILLS TWO THOUSAND.
Death Dealing Volcano HurIs Another
Internal Flood.

Internal Flood.
Mount Pelee has hurled another in
fernal flood over the Island OF Martinique
and this time the deluge Of fire has, killed
2000 persons The volcanoes latest death
dealing eruption came on the night of
Sept. 8, while Martinique's officials were
risking their lives in an effort to save the
Survivors " no remained il the northern
part of the island after the fatal out
burst of Aug. 30 Rescuers and homeless
men and women We're caught in the most
recent rain of boiling lava, red-hot rocks
and suffocating ashes.
The ship that brought TIE news to st.
Lucia, b. W. =, is the royal mail steamer
Yare. She sailed from Martinique be-
fore full reports could be secured. But
she brought enough information to awak-
en- the residents of St. Lucia to the ter
rors of Mount Pelee even now, after the
once populous city of St. Pierre has be-
come only burial ground for 10000 men
and women whose lives were snuffed cut
in an instant last May.
About the voicano's crater are now only
heaps of lava-eovered ruins. The sur
viyors of the villages there are scattered
In the country and for them the st. Luz
The Hare reports that great numbers
of persons are fleeing from Martinique.
The people are convinced that the whole
island is destined to destruction. They
are panic stricken on every hand, al
though some Of those of Fort-de- France
think Mount Pelee's wrath cannot be Wis
tied on them because of the distance
away and the nature of the intervening
country.
While the residents Of st. Lucia offer
open homes to the fugitives from Mar
Unique they fear for the citizens of st.
Vincent. La Soufriere, the big volcano
on that island, belched out great quanti-
ties of fire and stones and lava the other
night Tremendous reports, far louder
than the mightiest cannon, startled the
people on the farthermost parts of the
island. The surface Of the earth was
upheavcd in places and the whole land
trembled.
The minister of the colonies, NJ. Dou-
mergue. in placing 100000 at the dispo-
sition of the Governor of Martinique, NJ
Lemaire, to relieve the distress in that
island, has urged tho Governor not to
congregate refugees at Fort-de France,
but TO distribute them in the south, where
their necessities can be most easily sup
piled.
Recognizing the danger of tidal wave
at Fort-de-France, the colonial minister
has instructed Gov. Lemaire to adopt all
the measures necessary to enable the IN
habitants Immediately to eyacuate the
place in case of necessity and seek refuge
on the heights above the town. where
food depots should be established.
Not only was the eruption of Mount
Pelee on Sept 8 remarkable, but there
was a terrific explosion from La Sou
fri-se. on the Island of st. Vincent. on
the same day. The people of both Mar
Unique and st. Vincent are panic qtrick-
en-, fearing the total destruction of the
islands. At Guadaloupe though not men
aced directly by volcanoes, the inEabit-
ants are in terror of a possible tidal
wave, which would engulf evei ything and
everybody in the thickly populated coast
districts.
Terror Is in the air throughout the en-
tire chain of islands. Business is at :.
standstill, few shops are open and b IN
dreds would starve to death in sheer in II
fear of a more fearful end if it were -sot
for the efforts Of some Of the less timd
and terrified in the communities. The
fear of a tidal wave extends to q, cry
island and hundreds of people alrelay
have anticipated the destroyer from lac
sea and have fled to higher ground.
The captain of the steamer Savan. In
describing the explosion from La Sou
friere on Wednesday night said he ran
into dense clouds of dust twenty niles
southwest of st. Vincent and absolute
darkness prevailed soon afterward. Ie
changed his course to due west in o arr
to avoid the ashes which were falling
thick and fast. The first officer .ould
not see the captain, two feet away, and
only knew him by his voice.
The steamer Yare further reports that
more valuable plantations were destroyed
at the time Of the recent outbreak in adj
dition to the townships referred to Ia
previous dispatches and adds that he
anxiety and detection of the surviving
population are general.
Details received prove that the erup-
ton of Mount Pelee Of Aug. 30 was far
more violent than any of the earlier ex-
plosions. As the e-uptions continue the
mouth Of Mount Pe!ee grows 10 size. Ii
Is now of enormous proportions. Morne
Lacroix. one Of the peaks that reared
skyward from the side Of Pelee, has fall
en- bodily into the crater and been com
pieteIy swallowed. There seems TO be
side pressure in the crater and the burn
ing chasm widens percepubiy every day.