The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-14
LITTLE PROGRESS At ST. PIERRE
MANY oFiTHE DEAD COVERED WITH
ASHES AND CINDERs.
About Two Thousand CarbOnized
Bodies EOund-GhOuIs Arrested by
an american Naval omcer.

St. Vincent island, British West Indies, has
had it's horror as well as Martinique,
though lesi disastrous in loss of life. From
advices received here to-day it seems GER
tain that inearly 1000 persons have per-
ished sincl the dread souffriere Sulphur
piD begarf belching its deadly gases and
covering lhe land with ashes and lava.
Many of Inc victims were asphyxiated in
the dense Toul smoke that filled the atmos-
phere. su:3hurous gases spread over the
land. killing man and beast. The souffriere
is still slightly active and nothing has been
done towa.ds disposing of the bodies of the
dead. as Il is dangerous to approach the
devastated. territory There are several
volcanos ,;a the island, and the souffriere.
so namedi because the crater was partly
filled With sulphur, had several openings.
Whether tsse outbreak was in the old crater
or the nevti ones formed in a previous erup-
tiOn is not; yet known.
St VINCENT island is eighteen miles long
and clever, miles wide, and it has pOpula-
ton of n.hrly $1,000 persons 1t was dis
covered bM Columbus in 149S. The island
is more thoroughly English than the two
others of the group. Great Britain OBJ
tained so{ereignty in 17S3. The island is
unique inI natural wonders and beauties.
1t is CONFESSED largely OF a single peak ris-
ing from she oceans bed. with no outlying
islets. 1t b. about ninety-five miles west of
Barbados |. Volcanic hills cross the island
from nortf to south intersected by beauti-
ful and fertile valleys.
Histories among the volcanic eruDtions on
the Caribtsee islands was that of the souf-
friere of st. Vincent in 1872 Earthquakes
had for tiyo years terrified dwellers on the
South American coast and the West In
dian islaf IDS In March of that year an
earthquake buried 10000 souls at Caracas.
spread ru:l along the line of the Andes and
ended in .she Outburst from the souffriere.
which ALTERED the appearance OF the island
and destroyed its eastern end.
The Sotlfriere is situated at the northern
extremity Of the island, and is 4O4S feet
high. 1t - the last of a mountain chain
which wa;4 called Morne a Garou by the ma
tives. BafOn Humboldt states that ii had
thrown o.;t flames in 171S Previous 10 the
eruption ibf 1872 the appearance Of the
souffriere was most interesting. The crater
was halfla mile in diameter and five hun
cred feet in depth. in its center was a
conicaI hin, fringed with shrubs and vines.
At its batse were two small lakes. one sui
phurous. the other pure and tasteless. From
the fissurs of the cone thin white smoke
exuded. occasionally tinged with a light
blue flame. Evergreens. flowers and aro-
matte shfubs clothed the steep sides OF the
crater W hich sent as the first indication Of
the eruption on April %. a tremulous noise
IN the aiL a severe cOncussiOn of the earth
followed. and then column of thick black
smoke bfTst from the crater Volumes of
sand dartSened the air. and woods. ridges
and canS pieces were covered with light
gray ashes. which speedily destroyed all
vegetation. The sun for three days seemed
TO be in t. total eclipse. the sea was dis
cosored aad the ground bore wintery ap-
pearancei from the crust Of fallen ashes.
Carib natives who lived at Morne Rond
fled from their houses to Kingstown. As
the third: day drew to a close flames sprang
pyramidilally from the crater. accompanied
by loud thunder and electric flashes, which
rent the column of smoke hanging over the
volcano :Eruptive matter pouring from the
northwest side plunged over the cliff, carry
ing dowI rocks and woods in its course.
The island was shaken by an earthquake,
and beaten by showers of cinders and
stones. which set houses on fire and killed
negroes nd natives.
IL was; considered a remarkable circum-
stance taat although the air was perfectly
calm dusing the eruption Barbados. which
Is ninety.-five miles 10 the windward. was
covered inches deep with ashes The inhabi-
tants there and on other neighboring
islands were terrified by the darkness.
which continued for four hours and a half.
Troops Aere called under arms. the sup
position from the continued noise being
that hostile fleets were in an engagement.
Northeast of the original crater OF the
sounrier., a new one was formed which was
a half Ihile I'm diameter and five hundred
feet deet. The old crater was transformed
into a beautiful blue lake walled in by rag
ged cliffs TO a height OF eight hundred feet.
Ii was considered a wonder worth seeing