West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-12

gun ana that the cable steamer
Pouyer Quertier is proceeding to re.
pair the northern cable.
The waves of lava are still report
ed to be flowing northward. They
have extended to LIE Carbet.
The candidates for election to the
french chamber of deputies who per-
Ished at ST. Pierre were Nm. Percin
and LIE Clere.
The colonial minister has organized
q relief distribution committee, con.
sistng of himself and NJ. Decrais, for,
mer colonial minister. the colonial
members Of the chamber of deputies,
the colonial senators and a number of
commercial men. The first meeting
OF this committee will occur .tomor
row..
The British ambassador, Sir Ed
hnund ]. Monson, called at the Elysee
palace yesterday afternoon and com.
municated to President Loubet per,
sOnalIy the sympathy of King Ed
ward.
Further Details of the Disaster.
fort De France, Island of Martin.
ique, May 12.-Advices received here
Yesterday from the vicinity Of ST
Pierre 30 miles from here) contain
further details of the terrible vol
canic upheayal which resulted in the
utter destruction of that town and the
death Of nearly all its inhabitants.
The crater Of Mont Pelee had been
wearing its "smoRe cap" since the
BID Of Ma. but there was nothing un-
til last Monday to indicate that there
was the slightest danger. On that
day stream CT boiling lava burst
through the top of the crater and
plunged into the valley Of the river
Blanche, overwhelming the Guerin
sugar works and killing % work peo-
pie, and the son of the proprietor.
A commission was appointed by
the governor to investigate the ou,-
break and 1t returned a reassuring re-
port on Wednesday evening. BIT
about s o'clock on Thursday morning
a shower of fire rushed down on st.
Pierre, and the coast from LIE Car
bet, which had population of 600.
to LIE Precheur, which had a poula
ton Of 1000, burning up everything
in its path.
Heroic Work of French Cruiser.
Throughout Thursday the heat in
the vicinity of st. Pierre was so in
tense and the stream of flowing lava
was so unremitting that it was al
town during the early part of the day.
AS evening approached the French
cruiser Suchet, after heroic battle
with the heat suffocation and sui
phur fumes, succeeded in making a
dash toward the shore, nearing the
land close enough to enable her to
take of 30 survivors Of the disaster,
all Of whom were horribly burned
and mutilated.
st. Pierre at that time was an alb
solute, smoking waste. concealing
10000 corpses, whose rapid decompo
sition necessitated in some cases. in
stantly completing their cremation.
which was only PARTLY accom- plisn-
ed by the lava.
The inhabitants of Fort de France
were panic stricken the morning Of
the disaster, when tie sky suddenly
blackened until it was : DIRK as at
midnight. The seas shrank back 80
yards, AMI hot rain begin to fall,
while gravel, the size of walnuts,
poured down on the town. This last
ed about Is minutes.
Survivors Nearly Roasted to Death.
The $50 survivors who were brought
here yesterday from the vicinity #
st. Pierre by the French cable repair
ship Pouyer Guertier came from the
town Of lie Precheur, where, sur
rounded on all sides by flowing lava.
they were nearly roasted to death
and expected momentarily to be en-
quilted.
The work Of relief is progressing
here on the most extensive scale pos
sible, but in anticipation Of disturb
ances the treasury building and the
are guarded by troops
The latest reports received here
showed that lava continues to pour
down the slopes Of the mountain,
slowly engulfing the whole north side
Of the island. while fresh crevasse7.
are continually opening.