Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-14
TERRIFYING, But
GRAND SPECTACLE
Cannonade OF the Volcano Sous
friere Can Be Heard 100
Miles Away.
Whole Northern Part OF the is'
land One Mass OF Travel.
ing Flame.
Associated Press Correspondent
Describes Appalling Scenes
On Martinique Island.


Castries, st. Lucia, May 14.-Sou-
friere volcano, on the island of st. Vim
cent, is still in a destructive eruptioh'
The terrific cannonade can be heard
hundred miles away. The reports are
followed by columns of smoke, rising
miles in the air. Immense balls OF col
cred fire issue from the crater. Light
ming is playing fiercely in the upper
sky and the whole northern part of the
island is one mass of travelling flame. 1t
Is impossible to reach the burning dis
trict by land or sea, and there is no
means of estimating the destruction
Wrought to life and property. Kings
town, capital Of st, Vincent, is still
safe, tho showers of ashes and pebbles
are continually falling down.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press here visited ST., Pierre, Martin
iaue. by the relieving steamer Kenneth.
The destruction there is appalling. The
streets are two feet deep with ashes and
cinders which covered thousands OF
dead bodies, scorched, black and shiny.
Many of the dead were never touched
by the volcanic fire, but some of the
signs of burning. Soldiers are guard
Ing property from prowling ghouls who
ere robbing the dead. They meet with
severe punishment when caught. The
stencil thruout st. Pierre is terribly
offensive. The crater is still active.
cross from st. Pierre to the island OF
Dominica in boats, and many drowning
casualties are reported. Assistance is
constantly arriving at Fort de France
from all the neighboring islands 1t is
Sust officially reported that there are
sixteen hundred dead, up to yesterday
at St Vincent. Admonitory rumblings
and earthquakes in the vicinity of Sou
friere came two weeks ago.
On May the lake in the old crater
became greatly disturbed. The follow
Ing afternoon the mountain began n
series of volcanic efforts. Severe
earthquakes accompanied these terrible
noises and detonations succeeded
quickly In the evening an immense
column Of steam issued from the cra-
aer and lasted until midnight.
Terrific explosions followed on
"Wednesday morning. and there was an
other sudden violent escape of steam.
At, noon three craters appeared to
open and began to vomit lava. Six
q I,n cid Of
Inc mountains, making an awful scene.
The mountain labored heavily for
half an hour after the appearance of
the lava. The fire flashed around the
edges Of the craters and there We're
tremendous detonations in succession.
iaapidly merging into a continuous roar.
This lasted thru Wednesday night
and until Friday morning. The thun-
derings Of the volcano were heard thru
out the Caribbean sea.
The eruption began Wednesday. A
huge cloud in dark and dense column,
charged with volcanic matter, rose to a
height OF eight miles from the mount
ain top. Darkness like midnight de-
scended and the sulphurous air was
laden with a fine dust. A rain of favil-
lax scoria, rocks and stones followed.
There were bright flashes, numerous
and marvellously rapid These with
laundering, mountain shocks. earth
quake roar, lava and falling stones Gre
eted scene of horror.
Large areas of cultivation have been
buried beneath volcanic matter.
On the Windward coast seven planta-
fions were totally destroyed. Nothing
green is visible.
Sixteen hundred and twenty deaths
are already reported There are 167
cases in the hospital at Georgetown un-
der treatment.
The deaths have been caused chiefly
by suffocation by sulphurous gases,
lightning and burning lava masses.
Few of the cases in the hospital are
likely to recover The crew of II. M. S.
Indefatigable buried thirty peasants
found dead on the Owia estate, north of
Soufriere.
A new crater is reported formed on
the Richmond estate near the sea
shore.
The country districts on the Wind
ward coast are Uttered with dead
bodies.
The Royal Mail steamer Wear is
transporting food and water to the Lee
ward coasts. and sailing vessels pro-
ceeded to the Windward coast on the
same ocean. Doctors and nurses have
gone to the scene of distress. The ma
jority of corpses being found are COW
cred with ashes, decomposed and hard
ly approachable and the dead are being
Euried in trenches, thirty in each.