Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-13
Refugees Bodies Blistered
Wait for Succor.
SUFFERINGS ARE AWFUL
Every Effort Is Being Made to Rescue
Them-Are Encamped on the Hills
Three Other Towns EnsuIfed by
Rivers of Fire.

Fort de France, Martinique, May 12
Three smaller cities in addition to
st. Pierre have been overwhelmed by
the lava from Mont Pelee. They are
La Carbet, with population of 5000,
La Precheur, with 1000, and La Mara,
with 4 900.
The whole northwestern part of the
island, from La Carbet, three miles
south of st. Pierre, to LIE Precheur,
six miles north, has been ravaged by
the streams of fire, saving only the
tops of the higher hills.
On these hills 5000 refugees are
gathered, as nearly as can be estimat-
ed. The majority of them must be
horribly burned. Few of them have
had drink of wafer since the erup-
ton began Thursday morning, and
they are without food. Their suffer
ings must be a thousandfold more aw-
full than those of their fellows who
were killed by the fire itself.
Every effort is being made to rescue
them. Every available vessel is
searching the coast, it's sailors peer
ing toward land through the Justified
air for signs of life. Bold men are
making incursions between the
streams of lava to seek survivors.
They take their lives in their hands
for Mont Pelee is still throwing vol
leys of great stones over the whole
northern end of the island, and fresh
streams of lava are continually issu-
ing from new fissures.
Death List May Grow.
The loss of life at ST. Pierre and the
surrounding towns and cities will GER
tainly reach the estimate of 4O,O0O,and
may be greater. The total population
of st. Pierre, the three smaller cities
and the country districts around about
is between $4,000 and $4,000. If the
5000 men and women thought to be
on the hilltops can all be rescued the
loss of life will still be more than 4O,-
| 600.
The total number of persons
brought to safety thus far is under
500. The Suchet brought thirty per-
sons from the ships in st. Pierre har-
Dor late Thursday night, but nine of
them have died of their burns. The
$50 persons brought here on the cable
repair ship Pouyer Guertier came from
the town of La Prechuer.
Insane from Suffering.
| A few other refugees from the same
place We're brought here yesterday by
the Suchet They had been surround
ed on all sides by flowing lava, and
nearly roasted to death. Until they
every moment to be engulfed. Some
of them are violently insane from
their sufferings.
| Bodies Are Burned.
AT st. Pierre such rapid decomposi.
| tion has set in that it has been neces-
sary to burn all the bodies found.
This, however, has been possible only
on the seashore. Most of the bodies
are naked and badly mutilated.
No Building Left.
An official of the French cable com
pany has returned from st. Pierre will
the report that the company's Office
was burned to ashes and that there is
no trace OF the staff.
The latest news from st. Pierre
comes from the commander of the
/ Suchet, who made search in the
ruins and helped the burial party. He
says that there is not a single build
i ing left standing, that wherever tn,
lava streams did not pass the heat
was SO intense and the showers OF
molten rock were so heavy that every
bit of combustible material as well as
every bit of life was destroyed.
The captain made an attempt to ge
Ifarther north than La Precheur, where
4 he rescued a few survivors, but he
was unable to do it on account of tn,
/ showers of Suffocating ashes
4 Desolate Lava Bed.
| He reports that the lava streams ar
flowing more swiftly toward the nortl
I than in any other direction, and thai
lif they continue to work around in the
way they are going the whole end O
4 Continued on Page 40