The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-12
St. VINCENT NOW
THE DANGER POINT
The Soufriere Volcanoes Awful Work
Grave Alarm Is Felt The.
Loss Runs Into Hundreds.

Kingston, Island of St. Vincent, B. w. l.,
May 1.-THE crater of Soufriere is still
belching fire and lava and great loss Of
life is believed to have occurred. Hun
dreds are known to have persisted and the
list may grow to thousands. III
Great physical changes have taken place
in the neighborhood of the Soufriere.
/ Among the deaths are whole families,
whose corpses are in several cases still
lying unburied. The dead will be inferred
in trenches. - ssst-.
After numerous earthquakes during the
preceding fortnight, accompanied by sub
terranean noises in the direction of the
Soufriere volcano, a loud explosion from
the crater occurred Monday last, and the
water in the crater lake assembled in a
stupendous cloud Of steam and exploded
heavily. E>.,E
The noises grew louder continually till
Wednesday morning, when the old crater,
three miles in circumference, and the new
crater, formed il. by the last eruption,
belched smoke and stones, forcing the
residents of Wallibou and Richmond val
ley, beneath the volcano, to flee to Chat
eau Belair for refuge. The thunderOus,
noises, which were continually increasing,
We're heard in neighborlng islands two
hundred miles away.
At midday the craters elected enormous
columns of steamy vapor, rising majestic
ally eight miles high and expanding into
wonderful shapes, resembling enormous
caulifowers, gigantic wheels and beautiful
| flower forms, all streaked up and down
and crosswise with vivid flashes of light
| ming, aweing the beholGer and impressing
the mind with fear.
| The mountain labored TO rid itself of
mass of molten lava, which later flowed
! over in six streams down the side of the
| volcano, and the greater noises following
| united in one continuous roar all evening"
| through the night to Thursday morning,
accompanied with black rain, falling dust
and favilla scorial, attended with midnight
| darkness all Wednesday, creating feelings
| of fear and anxious suspense.
| On the morning Of Friday there was
fresh eruption and elections of fiery mat
ter, more dust covering the island, in
some places two feet deep.
The steamer Spheroid has arrived here
with st. Vincent advices up to Saturday.
| She reports that 700 persons are known to
have perished and that this number is
being constantly increased. ~-~~
| Governor Llewellyn has left for St. Vim
| cent on the warship Indefatigable The
steamer Wear has also gone with a sup
| ply OF fresh water. The warship Pallas
has been ordered to Martinique with pro-
visions for the survivors. The steamer
Kenneth from Trinidad, and the Solent,
| from Barbados, are also taking proyi-
! stons and otherssupplies. - t.
Northern End of Island u Ruin.
| The northern end of the island is cut
on from the southern end by enormous
| streams of lava. The entire northern end
| OF st. Vincent is being laid waste.
I Small craters are bursting everywhere.
NO vessel can approach the northern
| shore Of the island on account of the in
tense heat and the steam.
On Thursday last the government char
tered the steamer Wear to go over and re-
port. Terrible flames were visible during
the entire journey. At midnight it was
seen that a volcano was in eruption ap
| parently about four miles away.
The Wear ran into heavy showers of
gray ashes and the people on board were
almost suffocated. The atmosphere was
so dense that we could see nothing. The
steamer put about and steamed to the
south for two hours before she was clear
I of the showers of ashes. At 3 o'clock in
the morning she put back towards the ISL
! and and encountered more ashes and was
/ again compelled to put off. She arrived
l at Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent,
i at about o'clock in the morning. 1t was
| seen then the volcano was in constant
/ eruption and there was tremendous
/ roar. Forked lightning played incessant-
! ly over the disturbed section.
:. The whole of that part Of the island is
/ smoking. Sixty persons are reported to
have been killed by lightning while get
| ting away. On Tuesday and Wednesday
| the island was showered with ashes. Near
| Belair the ashes were three feet deep: On
/ Thursday there was continuous shower
Of hot sand and water, Everything on the
| island was ruined by the ashes = --7.
! The Wears First Trip. $50
i The Wear reports regarding that trip
4 as follows: I'D
i We left Kingston at o'clock in the morn
1 ing with orders to tow a relief boat from
4 Belair to Owia Carib. quarter point off
1 Barroulie we received message from shore
4 by boats that the passage was impossible.
4 Nevertheless, we proceeded on our voyage.
Il When opposite Belair, there was grand
Fl view of the west side of the crater: Rivers
i Of lava were coming down the mountain sides
4. in every direction and flowing into the sea
Il The huge crater covered with smoke and
I there was an incessant eruption. Great guam
titles Of ashes were blown in the air and
+ were falling toward the sea, thus obscurns
Il everything. new lane was observed run
81 ming out toward the sea for half mile. II
4 was probably lava which had been cooled BY
Il the sea water. 1t was brownish color Il
| was impossible to get close to the town. The
II sea was Uttered with trees and other wreck:
I age. We attempted to proceed to ST. Lucis
4 through the falling muck Of ashes, but found
i it impossible. 1t meant suffocation to try it
> We returned and entered the belt again mile.
: out at sea, but there the same result
Il On the horizon there was nothing to be seer
s but falling ashes and other muck, which
Il were piled up like an enormous wall. Inside
the belt all was dark. '*E
Il We put back and steamed round the islam,
to the windward. Opposite Georgetown W.
I. encountered a gale of wind carrying smok
= and debris. To the north the entire terrtor,
4 of the disturbed district was clearly visible
Il Besides the large crater. numerous small
i craters were in eruption. Many rivers Of law
ii were flowing seaward, one of them half mil
g wide When we were close to Georgetown w
z passed to the windward along the coast to
4 ward St. Lucia and saw no sign Of life. 1t i
!: believed that every person within the dis
: turbed area persisted.
II GRAVE ALARM FELT
s St. Vincent in Dense Black Fog o
Il Cinders and Sand.
81 London, May 12.-Sir Robert Llewelly1
4s| governor of the Windward Islands, cable
1 4 the colonial Office as follows from s.
i / Lucia:
81 intended to go to St. Vincent in
II small coasting steamer, but was strongl
a advised not to attempt it as the steame