The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-22
Newspaper at St. Pierre Just
Before the Eruption.
1T JOKED THE VOLCANO
And Assured the Population
Everything Was All Right,
Special Cor. \. Y. Evening Post.l


is incomplete without one amazing chap
ter. This chapter, one Of saddest proph-
ecy, is taken from the sole remaining
record Of this city Of twenty-six thousand
souls. its newspapers. And the keynote
OF the chapter is struck in this paragraph
printed on May 6, two days before the
catastrophe. in Les Colonies, the Repub-
ncan organ Of Martinique.
What has tomorrow in store for US?
A flow Of lava, rain of stones, jets Of
ssphyxiating gas? What submerging cat
aclysm? Or shall We have simply an IN
undation Of mud? There is asecret. and
when it shall be known mary men VIII
not be able to keep It.
This paragraph was written in comment
upon the destruction of the Guerin sugar
factory the day before at Riviere Blanche
Gin the northern part Of the city,, where
several hundred persons including Eu-
gene Guerin, the son of the proprietor
were killed. For many days before this
time Les Colonies had chronicled the
ominous doings of Mont Pelee. and. in
the main, scorned them, even going so
far as to call mad fools" those who fed
from the outlying districts to St Pierre
for safety
Almost at the very last, TO the 7th Of
May, when this newspaper announced:
THE Feast of the Ascension viii be cele-
bratcd tomorrow. As our printing oisce
VIII be closed, our next number win APP
pear on Friday" it sought in every way
10 allay the rising fears Of the people. 1t
proclaimed the safety Of St. Pierre in
nearly every ISSUE and in the last num-
81, fc off
its news Of the fight Of mony to Fonds-
Saint-Denis, Morne d'Orange, Carbets.
and other supposedly sheltered towns
with vehement protestation of its inabil-
ity to understand the panic, the foolish
mistake.
St. Pierre had ample warning of the ca
tastrophe in which it was overwhelmed,
but the newspapers refused to add voice
20 the cry. and Les Colonies was SO stead
fast in this that it printed an ill-timed
Jest about Mont PeIee snoring in its sleep.
As far back as April > the people knew
OF the ominous couriuon Of affairs at the
crater. On that day Julien Roman,
guide of Morne Pavilion. went to the era
ter and found it a caldron filled with
q boiling black mass which rose and fell
as he watched it, its surface 'pulsng'
and Hberating jets of vapor.
But the people of St. Pierre. to whom
Mont Pelee was a volcano fifty years
dead, saw no warning in the tale of the
guide What did they see in it? The op-
portunity for a days outing an eXcur-
sion. and forthwith 5aunting parties were
formed to climb the mountain and view
the remarkable things which were going
on above. 1t was no time FOR fear, they
said among themselves; Roman was
romancer. as his name implied; he had
got in the fog which frequently shrouds
Mont Pelees hoary head and his magma
ton had done the rest They were not
10 be frightened, not they. noone vouched
for Romans veracity. And later, when
there was confederation of Romans
story. and the people knew that Mont
Pelee was in a state of unrest. they ceas-
81 ridiculing the story only to ridicule
the danger. This was under the influence
OF Les Colonies. which was giving It's
columns day after day TO a dreadtuliy
unfortunate discrediting Of the peril
on May >, six days before the destruc-
ton Of the city, Les Colonies printed this
fl the column of Echoes
Toward Mont Peleei-Ye call 10 mind
that next Sunday, the 4th Of May the
grand excursion TO Mont Pelee. organ
ized bv the members of la Societe Gym
nastiaue Ct de Tir. viii take place. Those
who never have enjoyed the panorama
offered re the eye OF the astonished spec
tator at a height OF 1900 metres,those
who desire to see, close at hand, the sun
yawning hole from which, in the last few
DAYS. thick clouds of smoke have escaped
much 10 the CONSERVATION OK the inhao-
stants of Precheur and Ste. Phlomene.
should profit by this fine opportunity
They should hasten 90 register their
names at the headquarters Of the soci-
ETY. in the Rue Longchamps. This evening
al the latest
The meeting OF the xecursionists viii
be at the Marche du Fort at 3:l5 clock
in the morning and the departure for
Mont Pelee viii oe at $3.50 sharp The
excursion viii so TO Riviere Blanche ana
thence to isnard, where guioes viii be
found waiting. Those who do not care 10
trou.4e themselves about food should pay
an assessment Of three francs. They viii
not regret being relieved of the trouble
Of procuring food. According 10 the lists
al our command. the company viii be a
large one.
-IE therefore. the weather is fine, the
eNcursionosts win pass day which they
VIII Ions keep ia pleasant remembrance.
ut is understood that on the day Of the
excursion there viii be no target prsc-
tice ST TIE Botanical Garden.
This is the spirit in which the people Of
S. Pierre went onward to their destruc-
ton. There can be no doubt that there
We're forebodings in many minds because
superstition prevailed among a majority
OF the dwelers there. the blacks. but
those Of influence among the French did
not believe and. actually. were not afraid.
The excursionistz. according to the ac-
count printed i'm the newspaper On tie
following day (aIay 81 came home from
Mont Pelee in disorder. The mountain
gave them ample return for the Two or
three francs they had paid 10 see it.
While the large party was making ready
70 return 20 ST. Pierre Mont Pelee aweke.
A short time before dark what appeared
to DE flames and smoke appeared upon
the crest OF the mountain and down its
sides long festhery drifts Of steam were
discerned. The excursion party FASTENED
houeward. but was overtaken by q rain
az .linty substance. and It became
drscsht Tor the picniokers 10 keep to-
gether. It was believed. however. that
al reached home IN safety Describing
the events q the afternoon. Les Colonies
quoted one Of the excursionists IS foi-
lows.
walking through the oIuders which
shoVercd down upon as from Mont Pe,ee
gives ore the Impression q walking de-
ughfuuy through American -four Uu-