The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-17
ISLAND Is DEVASTATED.
Zone Of Damage Much Greater Than
at St. Pierre.


KingstOwn, Island Of st. Vincent,
Thursday afternOOn), May ia cor
respondent Of the Associated Press has
just returned here from a visit. on
horseback. to the devastated district Of
this island. during which he Travelled
fifty miles and penetrated TO within
five miles of the SOufriere crater. The
ash-cOvered area of st. Vincent ex-
ceeGs that Of Martinique, which the
correspondent has also explored. A
very conservative estimate of the
death rate here now places the num-
Der at 100. About 300 bodies already
have been inferred. The entire north
ern part of the island is covered with
ashes TO an average depth Of eighteen
inches, varying from thin layer at
KingstOwn to two feet or more at
Georgetown. The crops are ruined,
nothing green can be seen, the streets
of Georgetown are numbered with
heaps Of ashes resembling snow drifts.
and ashes rest so heavily on the roofs
that in several cases they have
caused them to fail in. There soon will
be 5000 destitute persons in need of
assistance from the government, which
is already doing everything possible to
relieve the sufferers. There are a hun
bred injured people in the hospital at
Georgetown. gangs of men are search
ing for the dead or rapidly burying
them in trenches and all that can be
done under the circumstances is being
accomplished.
The British cruiser Indefatigable
brought twenty-five tons Of supplies
here and returned to the island of
Trinidad today for more.
The governor of the Windward ISL
ands. Sir Robert Llewellyn. is here,
supervising the work of the authori-
ties.
Many Homes Destroyed.
While the outbreak of the volcano on
the island Of Martinique killed more
people outright. more territory has
been ruined in st. Vincent. hence there
is greater restitution here.
The injured persons were horribly
burned by the hot grit which was
driven along with tremendous velocity.
Twenty-six persons who sought refuge
/ in a room 10x12 feet were all killed.
one person was Drained with a huge
stone nine miles from the crater.
Rough collins are being made to re-
ceive the remains of the victims. The
hospital here is filed with dying peO-
pie Fifty injured persons are lying on
the floor of that building, as there are
no beds for their accommodation,
though cots are being rapidly con-
structed of boards. This and similar
work has been in progress since i'm
mediately after the disaster. TWO days
elapsed however. before there were
any burials. as the negroes refused to
( dig the necessary trenches, though
| they were offered three times the usual
I wages by the local authorities. The
/ nurses employed are incompetent, but
/ they are willing 10 learn and are
working hard. The negroes are indif-
! ferent to all that is Jranspiring and to
what has taken place. They expect to
/ receive government rations, but there
/ have been instances where they have
! even refused to bury their own rela-
tives.
It is estimated that the sea has en-
! croached from ten feet 70 two miles
! along the coast near Georgetown, and
/ that a section on the north Of the isl
and has dropped into the sea. This is
apparently verified by the report of
the French cable ship Pouyer-ouertier.
/ that sOundings now show seven faith
Oms where before the outbreak there
were thirty-siX fathOms Of water.
/ Lieutenant Benjamin B. Mccormack
/ commanding the United States steam
| ship Potomac. now in these waters,
/ has called on Governor Llewellyn and
offered him the sympathy Of the United
l States and any assistance which il is
{ in his power to render. The Potomac
has also landed what she can spare
/ Of her food stuffs. The Potomac car
ried official dispatches to the island
| Of st. Lucia,
Noises Have Ceased.
Since midnight Tuesday, the subter-
ranean decorations here have ceased
and the Soufriere Wednesday relapsed
apparently, into perfect repose. no
smoke rising from the crater and the
assures emitting no vapor. The stunt
ed vegetation that formerly adorned
the slopes Of the mountain has disap-
peared. having given place to gray col