Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-05-13
WRECK or ST. PIERRE
Few Of the Inhabitants Left and
None OF the Town.
A PITIABLE SCENE
Shower Of Fire and Lava Rushed sud.
denly Douu on the Town Cgtting
on Al Means OF Escape.
Most Of Rescued Hurt.

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received here from the vicinity OF 81
Pierre. 10 miles away. contain further
details OF the terrible volcanic mp
heaval The crater Of Mont Pelee had
been bearing rs Smoke cap" since
May 3. but there was nothing until last
Monday TO indicate that there was tho
slightest danger. On that day a stream
OF boiling lava burst through the tor
OF the crater and plunged into the val
ley OF the river Blanche. overwhelm
Ing the Guerin sugar works and killing
20 people.
a commission was appointed by the
governor TO investigate the outbreak
and Il returned a reassuring report on
Wednesday evening; but about
O'Clock on Thursday morning a shower
OF fire rushed down on 81. Pierre and
the coast from LeCarbet. which had a
population OF G0O0. to lie Prechw
which had a population OF 1000. burn.
ing up everything In It's path. Through.
out Thursday the heat In the vicinity
of st. Pierre was so intense and the
stream OF flowing lava was so unrc
hitting that Il was impossible 20 APP
proach the town during the early part
Of the day. AS evening approached the
French cruiser Suchet. after a battle
with the heat. suffocatlon and sulphur
fumes. succeeded In making a dash to
ward the shore. nearing the land close
enough TO enable her 10 take on &c
survivors Of the disaster. all OF whom
were horribly burned and mutilated
81. Pierre at that time was an abso
lutte smoking waste. conceallng 10000
corpses whose rapid decomposition
necessitated. In some cases. Instantly
completing their cremation. which was
only partially accomplished by the
lava.
The inhabitants OF Fort De France
were panic stricken. The morning of
the disaster when the sky suddenly
blackened until e was as dark as mid
night. the sea shrank back 30 yards
and hot rain began 10 fall.
The $50 survivors who we're brought
here from the vicinity Of ST. Pierre by
the French cable repair ship Pouyeai
Guertier came from the town OF lie
Precheur. where. surrounded on ali
sides by floating lava. they were near
~ roasted 10 death and expected mo
mentarily 10 be engulfed.
81. Pierre was destroyed IN the
twinkllng of an eye. and that not 40
OF the inhabitants OF the city escaped
Some OF the outlying parishes OF the
island OF Martinique have been inun
dated The whole northern portion OF
the island Is burning q has been de
nuded Of vegetation and Is rocky
wilderness.
II Is believed from the information
received here that the disaster sur
passes all that Imagination can con.
celve. The whole northern portion OF
the island Is laid waste Three large
communities. exclusive OF St Pierre
have been destroyed.
All the hills surrounding Le Carbet
and lie Precheur are covered with
refugees 20 the number OF about 5000
who are being taken away gradually
In the meanwhile provisions are being
conveyed 10 them.
or the 30 persons who were original
" rescued by the French cruiser
Cuchet. the majority were fearfully
burned. and nine died while on theii
way to the hospital.
The corpses which are heaped in the
ruins OF St. Pierre are not only com
pletely naked. but are frightfully
mutilated.