The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1902-06-19

that was-another growing note was
heard from Pelee and small river OF
hot, black mud, touched here and
there with red, was seen to come snak-
ing down out of the mists screening
Pelee's summit, to cascade over
hundred-fOot precipice and then to
follow the line of least resistance I'M
til it swirled about the Guerin factory,
setting that building ablaze and des-
troying many lives, then apprehension
grew into fear and soon might have
Iapsed into a panic, which doubtless
would have saved through flight the
lives of the thousands that were soon
to be sacrinced.
1t was at this crisis that the hand
of the government appeared. To Fort
de France, the seat of local authority,
had come reports of the uneasy feel
ing of those dwelling in St Pierre,
MartiniQue's commercial theater. 1t
is thought that Gov. Mouttet honestly
believed there was no cause for alarm
and that a panic in ST. Pierre would
work disaster in many ways, interrupt
ing commerce and injuring the whole
island well the threatened city
He, if none other, realized that an
exodus from the place would be
tacit acknowledgment of the danger
that lurl1ed in the volcano, which all
in Martinique would have the world
believe was long ago extinct and never
to be restored to the list of still active
nor yet classed with those that are
dormant.
So it came about that the governor
saw fit to exercise moral restraint,
| it not being within his province or
| within that of any other man to use
| physical force in a matter of this
| kind.
In st. Pierre there were some gov
eminent employees, among these gray
boards who had spent years in vol
| canic regions knew
thing of the preliminary warnings
| which come from these excitable
| hills. When the lava streams came
| pouring down from Pelee these at once
made hurried applications for leaves
| of absence The government sought
to make an example of the youngest
and in communication to him denied
the application for furlough, and said
moreover that if the applicant quilted
| his post at the time his position
would be taken from him. This man
unfortunately, names are hard to
| obtain now from Martinique's hysteri
cal popu1ation-p promptly decided that
his life was worth more than his place
and, packing up his belongings, went
with his family to some point inland
| just where one seems to know.
1t seems -tEat the others were not
so hardy, or were more SO, according
to ones way of looking at it. At al
events, when the governments die
tum was known all the government
employees decided to remain, and rs
fear loves company no less than mis-
cry does. these affected to make Ign
of the danger SO to better induce
the others to remain.
Monday, May 5-Less than eight,
hours, and the 10000 lives of ST
Pierre are to be blotted out as quickf.
as one snuffs a candle. Fear is riff,
among the popuIace the morning O
this day and an unwonted silence per
vades the city-the hush that precede
a great tragedy. Macaws and parrot
squawk discordantly from cages, foun
tains tinl11e merrily, seas and skie
, are blue, but pervading all is an al
of expectancy dread.
Few have yet left the city, but i
would now take little to turn ever
. street into a struggling stream of hi
. mainly fleeing panic-stricken from tn
| vicinity of that awful volcano FrOr
tales 1 have heard one can easil
: conceive of what a trampling rCs
, might have followed some tocsin alarI
such a mad rush for safety as theate
|, crowds are wont to make when tn
cry of fire is heard.
: But there was none in Martiniqu
: to give needed warning-not eve
: Pelee. All that day and the next an
l | the next the volcano smoked, and a
5 intervals emitted clouds of ashes
f | finely pu1ver1zed pumice the chemist
= | say the ashes are composed OF, bu
. | the wind sent the smoke and aShe
: away from the city, and while the rol
: ing clouds were seen from faro
v | points and while the ashes fell o
S the ships half a hundred miles ava
2 none in ST. Pierre seems to hav
known that the mountain was eve
a then pouring forth smoke and ashe
d What the residents did know we
e that a commission of biologists ha
e been appointed by the government
d survey Pelee and report upon it