The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1902-05-17
A LANDING At ST. PIERRE.
An Official Relief Force Found Moth
ing But Ruin and Putre-
flying Bodies.
LATTER BEING GATHERED AND BURNED.
Hundred. of Refugees st lie Carbet
and Case PIote DsinR-subter-
ranean Rumblings Continually
Add To the Horror of the Ruin
Already Accomplished.

ranean Humblings continually
Add 10 the Horror of the Ruin
Already Accomplished.
Fort De France, Island of Martin
ique, Sunday. May 11.-several
steamers. including the government
vessel Rubis started from here Sat
urday for ST. Pierre. They had on
board a government delegate, "A num-
ber of gendarmes, detachment of
regular infantry and several priests.
The vessels also carried a quantity o3
firewood. petroleum and quieklime.
for use in the cremation of the
bodies of the victims of the terrible
volcanic outbreak of Thursday last.
Large quantities of disinfectants and
stocks of clothing for the refugees
also were shipped TO st. Pierre. The
refugees had. as rule, assembled at
lie Carbet and Case Pilote, not far
from st. Pierre. and, il is reported
over thousand of them have died
since the fearful stream of lava
poured down Mont pelee.
Sea Covered with wreckage.
The sea for miles around was COW
cred with the wreckage of the ves-
sells sunk off St. Pierre at the time
of the disaster, and on shore only the
trees, all bent seaward by the force
of the volcanic shower. were left
standing. When nearing st. Pierre
the Rubis met tugs towing lighters
filed with refugees. The stencil from
the corpse-strewn streets was awful.
Only few walls were standing. The
report that the hospital clock was
found intact, with its hands stopped
at 1850. was confirmed, as was the
statement that the offices of the ca
BILE company had entirely disap-
peared.
On all sides were found portions OF
corpses, which were gathered up by
the soldiers and gendarmes and
burned on one of the public squares
Not IA Drop of Water.
Not drink of water was procura
| BILE ashore. Darkness, caused by thu
clouds of volcanic dust, shrouded the
town, and continuous subterranear
rumbling added TO the horror of the
scene. The fort and central quarters
of the town were razed to the ground
and were replaced by beds of hot
cinders.
The iron grille-work gate of the
government offices was alone stand
ing. There was no trace of the streets.
Huge heaps of smoking ashes were to
be seen on all sides.
At the landing place some burned
and ruined walls indicated the spot
where the customhouse formerly
stood. and traces of the larger shops
could be seen.
Corpses in All Attitudes.
In that neighborhood hundreds of
corpses were found lying in all kinds
of attitudes. showing that the victims
had met death as if by lightning
stroke. Every vestige of clothing
was burned away from the charred
bodies, and in many cases the alb
domens had been burst open by the
! intense heat. Cnriously enough, the
features of the dead were generally
calm and reposeful. although in some
cases terrible fright and agony were
depicted. Grim piles of bodies were
stacked everywhere, showing that
death had stricken them while the
crowds were yainly seeking escape
from the fiery deluge. On one spot
group of nine children were found
locked in each others arms.
Treasure Found Intact.
The vaults of the Bank of Martin
ique. at the head of what had been
the Rue De L'Hopital. were found in
tact. They contained 100000 francs
in specie and securities, which was
sent here for safekeeping.
The vaults of the government treas
ury are now being searched, in the
hope that large amount of money
and other yaluables deposited by the
principal merchants of the city may
| be saved.
Many Refugees Rescued.
Nearly 1000 of the refugees from
the vicinity Of the village of lie Pre-
cheur. a suburban village TO the north
of st. Pierre, were rescued by the
French cruiser suchet and the cable
repair ship Pouyer-Quertier, and were
brought here.
As a result of his inspection, the
commander Of the Suchet reports
that creyices and valleys are con
stantly forming in the northern por-
tion Of the island, where the land is
in state Of perpetual change. For
tunately, that part of the country
was evacuated in good time by the in
habitants, who fled TO Fort-De-France.
Lava Continues TO Flow.
Lava continues to stream down the
mountainside, accompanied by terrific
thunder and lightning.
The dearth Of provisions Is begin
ming to be felt throughout the island
Numerous families are completely
ruined and even shelterIess. while
the means at the disposal Of the au-
thorities are much too inadequate to
cope with the distress.
Communication is particularly cut
on from all the surrounding islands
except by stray vessels. which are
seized upon by the inhabitants TO fee
from Martinique.
CoNgr-r ky.r sFFAHFf FRAN