New-York tribune., 1902-05-18
ST. VINCENT is CALMER
SOCFRLERE'S ACTIVITY LESS
ALARMING.
DISTRESSING DETAILS FROM THE CARIB
COUNTRY-RELIEVING SUFFERING.

Kingston. Island Of St Vincent, May lin
TIE absence. Of symptoms of further eruptions Of
the volcano of Soufriere the inhabitants of ST
Vincent are gradually becoming settled.
Most horrifying details Of the condition of the
Carib country, where thousands of cattle and
hundreds Of human corpses lay in state Of
decomposition for several days during the agita-
tior, are revealed. Although the number Of
deaths IN the island. dJIu the disaster is esti-
mated, judging from the missing inhabitants at
TWO thousand, up 10 the night of May Is only
L2GS bodies had been buried. The undiscovered
bodies are probably covered with lava
IN q small shop which was opened three davs
after the eruption eighty-seven decaying corpses
were discovered, and not one of them was recog-
n-z1ble n the dwelling house Of the manager
ot one Il the estates thirty corpses were found in
q similar condition. and other sickening discov-
cries have been made. The district is being
rapidly cleared A number Of patients have
been brought 10 the city. OF these MANY are
suffering from fractured skulls caused by the
stones thrown from the volcano and a majority
Of them were burned by the lava thrown UP
with the vapor.
Toward evening yesterday there was 4 slight
CONFUSION, followed by a small discharge Of
smoke, but this caused no alarm The weather
IS fire. and the excitement is abating. The bed
Ct lava II the Windward district is still hot. The
abyss, i've hundred feet deep and two hundred
feet vide, which existed between Langly Park
and Rabacci, is filed with lava and the physi-
ca features Of the mountain on either side are
apparently more beautiful than before the erup-
ton.
a curious circumstance connected with the
eruption IS that the earthquakes were not gen
eral, Notwithstanding the srnaIIness Of the isl
and. While al Chateau BeIalr the convuIsions
preceding the eruption Of Nay we're almost
continuous every few hours in Kingston and
Georgetown only sixty shocks were felt in four
hours
Although attended with smaller loss Of life.
the eruption Of La Soufriere was not less vio-
lent than that OF Mont Pelee. IN the island Of
Martinique. The area covered by lava here
comprises sixteen square miles. The fact that
tn loss Of life and damage 10 property IN St
Vincent were smaller than in Martinique Is due
70 the position Of La Soufriere and the smaller
POPULATION Of the district the mountain over
hanging sugar and arrowroot estates, and
couple OF thinly populated villages, whose in
habirants were given warning Of the approach
ing disaster, and fed for their lives. All the
villagers who remained were killed.
The officials OF st. Vincent are busy relieving
the sufferers, and housing the sick and home
less. The problem now facing the government
IS how TO provide permanently for the natives
who lost houses lands and everything they pos
sessed- Peasant settlements may be formed on
the estates, the lands Of which the government
possesses the legal machinery to appropriate,
but money Is needed 10 assist the settlers TO
build houses thereon. and 10 provide them with
sustenance during the cultivation Of their land