The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-16
WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION.
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and as much of the balance as neces-
sary will be utilized. The administra-
ton anticipated the action of congress
in providing for the immediate relief
of the situation, with the result that
the Sterling sailed from San Juan with
supplies within five hours from the
time the appropriation became ayaila-
BILE, and the Dixie sailed from New
York with additional supplies in ex-
actly Twenty-Five hours after the presi-
dent signed the act making the appro-
priation. These two vessels carry more
than thirty-six days rations for $4,000
people, together with a proportionate
amount of clothing, tentage, etc.
The island of Martinique is one Of
the easternmost of the Lesser Antilles
that lie in great curve stretching
southwark toward the coast of South
America. The island is in the middle
of the bow or curve. This curved
group of islands resembles the Aleu-
tian chain, The convexity of the
Aleutian chain is toward the south
while the convexity of the Lesser
Antilles is toward the east. Both
chains of islands are volcanic.
Maj Unique is chiefly interesting to
travellers as the early home of jose
phine, empress of the French. Her
birthplace was on sugar plantation
few miles inland from Fort de
France or Fort Royal. Her statue in
marble stands in Fort de France, the
capital of the island. and the next city
in population to st. Pierre, now in
ashes. Fort de France has doubtless
escaped damage but it was partly
destroyed in 1889 by volcanic dis
turbance.
Volcanic disturbances on thesisland
of Martinique have been sufficiently
frequent in historic times to give the
inhabitants warning. But they have
chung to their beautiful island home
only to meet a disaster that would
seem at the present time to be likely
to cause the depopulation of the
island as soon as the people can get
away. But many are too poor to go,
and. like all dwellers in earthquake
regions, many have dread of earth
quakes and volcanic eruptions only
during the shocks and explosions,
whatever the destruction and loss of
life.
Martinique was discovered by Col
umbus on his fourth voyage and set.
tied by the Ere nch under Louis XIII.
in 1885. The city of St. Pierre was
founded in that year and has always
been the largest town in the island,
suffering less from earthquake and
volcanic eruptions than the sister
city of Fort Royal, farther south. But
ST. Pierre nestled under the shadow
of Mount Pelee, volcano as treach-
erous as Vesuvius in the year 70, when
Pompeii was buried. Judging from
all accounts, the explosion of Mount
Pelee was far more terrific than the
outburst of Vesuvius in 10. For most
of the Pompeiians escaped from the
falling ashes. st. Pierre was burned
by storm of fire and hot stones. The
explosion of the mountain resemblel
that of Krakatoa in the Straits of
Sunda, island of Java, May 81, 1888.
During the eruption of that volcano
and its fellows in Java, SO, 600 people
persisted by tidal waves and the fall
ing of hot stones that burned the for
ests and villages. Ships in the harbor
of st. Pierre burned like torches,
set on fire by the fierce heat of the
volcanic flame and melted stones. The
British steamer Roddam slipped
anchors and steamed away with half
her crew dead and nearly all of her
officers fearfully burned.
The people of Martinique are mostly
negroes, slavery having been intro
duced in the island about 1876. In
1886 there were 70, 900 negroes on the
island. After emancipation they
mingled freely with the poor whites
and the Caribs who escaped the early
French settlers. At the last census
the colored population numbered 100, :
600 of a total of 175, 600 French
planters, like La Tagerie, the father of
Josephine, have made the island their
home during all it's history. They and
their descendants constitute the white
population.
Cervera's squadron touched at Mar
Unique, intending to go to Porto Rico
but Admiral Sampson was at San
Juan and the Spanish Admiral sailed
for Curacao and thence to Santiago.