Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-05-25
Eruption Of Mount Pelse in Martinique
Starts Them Along Gloomy Path.
TEXAS TORNADO ADDS TO THEIR TERROR
Astronomer Evolves Theory that Earth is
TO Be Rent Into Fragments,
OCEAN TO POUR IN ON INTERNAL FIRES
Explosion VIII Follow which viii
Wreck the Planet and Divide
it Into several Small Ones
which VIII soon Die.

Copyright. 1902, by Press Publishing Coz
PARIS. May 24.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram THE disasters
at Martinique and neighboring West Indian
islands have unbalanced many people. A
dozen cases OF insanity are recorded in
Paris alone and several others in the
provinces. Out Of them all only three are
ascribable to grief at loss of relatives in
St. Pierre, while the rest were due to
terror.
Young Nine. Martiono, married a year
ago. unable to receive news from her hus-
band who went to Martinique q few weeks
ago 10 install new electric tram line ia
tally shot herself and her ssby yesterday.
The aged Countess Rotrou fell dead on re-
ceiving confirmation by caSle Of the death
Of three sons who had gone there four
months ago to examine a plantation they
had Just inherited. whole family OF fve
committed suicide in Marseilles because.
heretofore wealthy, the destruction OF their
property in ST. Pierre has ruined them.
Continuous rains and strangely overcast
skies have upset the minds OF some people
and give substance to the numberless pre-
dictions lately issued by fanatics that the
end OF the world is coming. Countless
numbers admit a feeling Of nervousness,
though yet able to laugh at their own ter
rors. Others are constantly being conveyed
to hospitals, gone mad upon reading about
the Texas tornado, new volcanic eruption
or some other catastrophy.
The newspaper editors receive numerous
requests from subscribers to discontinue
their papers because reading about erup-
tions, tornadoes and earthquakes proves
distracting to the women OF their houses.
Jules Planquette, a brother Of Robert
IN he of the
Chimes OF Normandy" a noted professor
OF geology wrote yesterday long letter as
serting that the earth is about to be shat
tered by a number Of smaller planets. Then
he hanged himself in order not to witness
the horrible moment. Evidently he, too,
had gone crazy.
Evolves n Startling Theory.
Planquette had previously entertained a
theory that the recent eruptions were
caused by vacuunl inside the earth. which
presently would result in vast suction OF
air through the craters, the oxygen giving
the inside hre tremendous activity; that a
great universal quaking of the earth would
follow, opening cracks in the bottom Of the
sea, the waters Of which would pour through
them and the enormous quantity OF liquid
would Immediately be converted into steam
pressure. which soon would burst the earth
Asunder. This would not necessarily kill
all Its inhabitants, but the human race
would be divided into colonies on the sew
eral fragments Of the earth. which would
continue to revolve in concert. but be sep
arated as the moon is from the earth now
until each piece. being much smaller, would
grow cold more quickly and in about I'VE
centuries the human race would become ex
tinct
The statement ts confirmed that suppos-
edly extinct volcanoes In the center o
France. one at Auvergne and another neal
creusot, emit rumblings and the neighborinl
villages are panicky. The whole regior
around Pau and Biarritz is shaken by slight
earthquakes almost daily, The municipa
y council OF Pau telegraphed a request to tn,
minister Of the interior to appoint a com,
mission Of scientists to examine whether
there is any likelihood OF volcanoes IN tn,
Pyrennees.