Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1902-05-23


stantly suffocated every one who in
hailed them, and of other gases burn
ing furiously, for nearly all the vic
tins had their hands covering their
mouths or were in some other attitude
showing that they had sought relief
from suffocation. All the bodies were
carbonized or roasted
Through the middle of the old Place
Berlin ran a tiny stream, the remains
of the River Gayave. Great trees,
with roots upward and scorched by
fire, were strewn in every direction.
Huge blocks and still hot stones were
scattered about.
The completeness of the catastrophe
is evident when it is stated that, so
far as known at the present time, no
one save handful of survivors picked
up from the wrecked vessels in the
harbor by the French cruiser Suchet,
escaped Even they are unable to
tell what actually happened, so crazed
are they from the experiences they
passed through. 1t is certain, however,
that the disaster came suddenly
On the morning of the disaster the
inhabitants of the city awoke to find
heavy clouds shrouding the Mont Pc
lee crater. All the previous day loud
detonations from the volcano had been
heard, so loud that the reverberations
echoed from st. Thomas on the north
to Barbados on the south. The fear
full crashing sound ceased and there be-
a Of fnn oh rxyb oh fol
like rain over the city, The inhabitants
became alarmed, but Gov. Mountet,
who arrived at St. Pierre the evening
before, did everything possible to al
lay the panic They partly succeeded,
but scarcely had the fears of the peo-
pie been allayed when there came the
explosion, and in an instant ST. Pierre
its people, its houses, had been blotted
out of existence.
After a search of three hours in the
ruins found no trace of the American
consulate. Consul Thomas T. Prentis,
his wife and two daughters, are I'M
doubtedly dead. That quarter of the
city is still a vast mass of blazing
ruins. Nor has any trace of James
Japp. the British consul, been found.
Mr.. Japp had a large family at st.
Pierre.
From everything l saw | feel conf
dent that 10000 is not too great an
estimate of the loss of life. Every one
in the city persisted, and suburban
towns added thousands to the number
of victims
Plantations and email ,,;11o~x. -
been devastated by the ceaseless rain
of ashes and fire which has poured
from Mont Pelee.
These survivors have taken refuge
in the hills, away from the danger of
the lava flow in the valleys, but still
by the showers of fire. They
must be relieved, taken to places of
safety, fed and clothed. The work |
must be done quickly Hundreds and
even thousands of them must perish
is 1T is before help can reach them.
The work of exploring the ruins of
st. Pierre, of bringing away the refu-
gees in the hills in the northern part |
If the island and of burning the bodies
If the victims is progressing as rapidly /
IS circumstances will permit.
Fort de France is crowded with refu-
;ees and food is already so scarce that
larm is felt that it will be exhausted
efore supplies can reach here.
AS result of the relief work the
eople who had fed to the hills be-
ind the village of LIE Precheur, nearly
900 in number, have been brought
ere.
They are in a most pitiable condi-
ON. Hundreds of them are frightful-
7 burned and in most urgent need of
ledical care. All the doctors and
urses in Fort de France are working
light and day among the injured and
hey are assisted by scores of volunteer
urses, many women of the wealthiest
antilles of Fort de France giving their
srvices
A number of steamers, including the
overnment vessel Rubis, started from
ere for st. Pierre. They carried gov
'nment delegates, a number of gend-
rmes, a detachment of regular in
.ntry and several priests.
The vessels also carried a quantity
fire wood, petroleum and quicklime,
IT use in the cremation of the bodies
the victims of the terrible volcanic
Itbreak. Large quantities of disin-
Giants and stocks of clothing for the
'fugees were also shipped to ST.
ierre.
The refugees had, as a rule, assem-
ed at lie Carbet and Case Pilote, not ,
r from St. Pierre, and, it is reported, :
yer thousand of them have died !
nee the fearful stream of lava poured !
OWN Mont Pelee.
The sea for miles round was covered '
it'll the wreckage of the vessels sunk g
I st. Pierre at the time Of the dis ]