The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-13
DEATH LIST NO LESS
sr PIERRE A GREAT FUNERAL
PYRE.
THE VOLCANOES STILL SMOKE
WORK. OF RELIEF GOING RAPIDLY
FORWARD.

accident Recommends a $500, 900
AnuroprfatiOn-COng ApprOpri-
otes 500, Are Being
Eouipped with Supplies and Will
sail Wednesday-AssOcia Press
Dispatch Boat Visits st. Pierre and
sends Report of Horrible Situa-
tion-Men and Women Died in
crouDs From SuROcating Fumes
and Their Bodies Burned and Mu-
tiIated.
Fort de France, Island of Martinique,
May Fit now seems to be generally
admitted that about 10000 persons lost
their lives as a result of the outbreak
of the Mont Pelee volcano, at st.
Pierre, on Thursday last. Careful in
vestigation by competent government
officials show the earlier reports of the
Associated Press were accurate.
Ten Minutes of Destruction.
Briefly put, last Thursday morning,
+he city Of st. Pierre disappeared with
in ten minutes, in a whirling fire
NOn1Te0 from RlOHI oOSOOO pCl =
sons were instantly and horribly killed
and the volcano, whose ancient crater
for more than fifty years had been
occupied by a quiet lake in which pic
mic parties bathed, suddenly dis
charged a torrent of fiery mud, which
rolled towards the sea engulfing every
thing before it. Then the last of cable
communication was broken, and the
doomed city was isolated from the
world.
The American consul at Guadalupe,
Louis H. Ayme, has reached the desc
late spot where st. Pierre stood and
confirms the awful story in all its es-
sential details.
From an interview with Col. Ayme,
who is a trained American newspaper
man, correspondent of the Associated
Press learned the following facts:
Thursday morning the inhabitants
of the city awoke to find heavy clouds
shrouding the Mont Pelee crater. All
day Wednesday horrid detonations had
been heard. These were echoed from
ST. Thomas on the north to Barbados
on the south. The cannonading ceased
on Wednesday night and fine ashes fell
like rain on st. Pierre. The inhabit-
ants were alarmed, but Gov. Mouttet,
who had arrived at st. Pierre the
evening before, did everything posi-
BILE to allay the panic.
The British steamer Rorairna reach
ed st. Pierre on Thursday with ten
passengers, among whom were Mrs.
Stokes and her three children and
Mrs. H. j. Rice. They were watch
ing the rain of ashes, when, with a
frightful roar and terrific electric dis
charges, a cyclone of fire, mud and
steam swept down from the crater
over the town and bay sweeping
all before it and destroying the fleet
OF vessels at anchor off the shore.
There the accounts of the catastrophe
so far obtainable cease. Thirty thous-
and corpses are strewn about, buried
IN the ruins of st. Pierre, or else float
ing, gnawed by sharks, in the sur
rounding seas. Twenty-eight charred,
half-dead human beings were brought
here. Sixteen of them are already
dead and only of the whole number
-FOUR are expected to recover.
A Sunday Morning Scene.
The Associated Press steamer, char
tered in Guadalupe, neared Martin
lque at $50 Sunday morning. The ISL
and, with its lofty hills, was hidden
DellQ6 hnpa Nail of Wiz on 4
en-colored haze. Enormous quantities
OF the wreckage of large and small
Snips and houses strewed the surface
OF the sea. Huge trees and, too, often
Oodles, with t1ocks of sea gulls soaring
ABOVE and hideous sharks fighting
ABOUT them, were floating here and
mere From behind the volcanic veil
came blasts of hot wind, mingled with
others, ice cold.
AT Precheur. five miles north of St
Flerre, were seen canoes filled with
men and women, frantic to get away.
VINO begged for a passage on the
Steamer.
The whole north end of the island was
covered with a silver gray coating OF
dShes resembling dirty snow. Furious
oldsts of fire, ashes and mud swept
over the steamer, but finally st. Pierre
was reached
Two miles along the water front and
nan mile back to a cliff at the base
vi lhe volcano. The houses of the
I!cher French families were built OF
stone.
The still smoking volcano lowered
aooVe the ash covered hills. The ruins
"eIe burning in many places and
44shttul odors of burned flesh filled
The air.
n Picture of Destruction.
"lth great difficulty a landing was
Hecled. Not one house was left in
80 Niscid heaps of mud, of brighter
S9HeS or piles of volvanic stones were
S IN on every side. The streets could
uiN be traced. Here and there
'iI4a the ruins were heaps of corpses.
'iillost all the faces were downward.
~, - one corner twenty-five bodies of
go women and children We're min
- IN one awful mass, arms and legs
a. -. uulng as the hapless beings fell
re SIie last struggle of deaths agony.
p-HlouSh the middle of the old Place
NJ IN IN ran tiny stream, the remains
- ne River Gayave. Great trees
an roots upward and scorched by
were strewn in every direction
sse blocks and still hot stones were
iottered about From under one
- stone the arm of a white woman
qded. Most notable was the ut
fn sl!ence and the awful. overpower-
a. stencil from the thousands of
.Careful inspection showed that
IL. merry stream which so com
bs,eV destroyed st. Pierre must