Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-12
Island OF st. Vincent Suffers AL.
most the Same Fate as
Martinique.
Hundred OF Persons Known to
Have Perished in the Deluee
OF Flame.
Eye Witness of the Devastation
Gives Graphic Account Of
the Disaster.

st. Lucia, b. w. l., May 11.-IHe
British lieutenant in charge of the gar
rison at ST. Lucia reports that both
craters on the British island Of st. Vim
cent, are emitting an enormous volume
of smoke, lava, and hot ashes.
The northern end Of the island is cut
off from the southern end by an enor-
nous river of lava. The entire north
ern end of ST. Vincent is being laid
waste. Small craters are bursting ev-
erywhere.
No vessel can approach the northern
shore of the island on account of the
intense heat and the steam which is
coming from all sides. 1t is certain
that hundreds of lives have been lost on
the island of st. Vincent.
It Is thought that when details are
received that the loss of life will prove
to be much heavier.
Kingston, the capital Of the island, is
all right up to the present time, but 1t
is being bombarded with stones from
the volcanic craters.
The terrific force of the eruption at
st. Vincent may be illustrated by one
incident. Ashes in great quantity fell
on the deck Of the British steamship
Coya, Captain Eten, when 1t was $50
miles away from the island.
Following is the story Of the personal
experience Of a correspondents:
Z s,CnIla oc,,,,r{co{iN hafy.par the
islands south of st. Lucia is inter-
rupted and the crater Of Morne Sou
friere, Island of st. Vincent. is in erup-'
ton. This could be seen from st. Lu-
cia, twenty-one miles away, and In fact
the flames were visible for forty miles.
'"The government chartered the
steamer Wear to go over and report. 1t
left here at 6 o'clock on the evening of
the Sth, Just after the Roddam had re-
turned from st. Pierre, Martinique.
Terrible flames were visible during
the entire journey. At midnight 1T was
seen that a volcano was in eruption ap-
parently about four miles away.
The Wear ran into heavy showers
of gray ashes and the people on board
were almost suffocated.
The atmosphere was SO dense that
we could see nothing. The steamer put
about and steamed to the south for two
hours before it was clear of the show
ers of ashes. At 8 o'clock in the morn
ing the steamer put back towards the
island and encountered more ashes, and
was again compelled to put off. 1t ar
rived at Kingston, the capital of st!
Vincent, at about 5 O'Clock in h morn
ing.
TT was seen then that the volcano
was in constant eruption, inc there
was a tremendous roa Forked light
ming played necessarily over the dis
turbed section. The flashes averaged
from sixty to 100 a minute.
Kingston, which is twelve miles
from the volcano, was covered with
three inches Of aches and showers of
stones on Thursday. The bed of the
old volcano was then a lake three miles
across.
THE eruption was first observed on
Monday. Huge volumes of water shot
up, and the people in that district fled.
There has been a continuous roar ever
since.
"The northern district from Chateau
Belair to Georgetown has been COM
pletely destroyed. 1t is impossible to
proceed beyond hat point on account of
the rivers of lava.
"a huge hill was observed where pre-
yiously there had been a valley. The
whole Of that part of the island Is
smoking. Sixty persons are reported to
have been killed by lightning while get
ting away.
con Tuesday and Wednesday the ISL
and was showered with ashes. Near
Belair the ashes were three feet deep.
On Thursday there was a continuous
shower of hot sand and water. Every
thing on the island was ruined by the
ashes.
Many persons were brought in boats
from Kingstown. Some of the refu-
gees who arrived on the coast were
dying Of thirst. Some Of these people
had beer thirty-six hours without q
drop of water. All the cattle were
dead because of the lack Of water.
There is little food in the coast VIII
lagos.
ION account of the scarcity of water
and transport it is impossible at pres
ent to go into the interior and investi-
gate the extent of the disaster. 1t is
impossible to say just how many peo-
pie have persisted, but the number will
probably run into the hundreds.
1--WE left Kingstown al s o'clock in
the morning with orders to tow a re-
lief vote from Belair to Owia Carib.
A quarter point off Barroulie we re-
ceived a message from shore by boatS
that the passage was impossible.
Nevertheless we proceeded on u
voyage.
when opposite Belair there was a
grand view of the west side Of the
crater. Rivers of lava were coming
down the mountain sides in every di-
rection and flowing into the sea. The
huge crater was covered with smoke
and there vas an incessant eruption
Great quantities of ashes were blown
in the air and We're falling toward the
lane was observed running out toward
the sea for half a mile. 1t was prob
ably lava which had been cooled by the
sea water. 1t was of a brownish color.
It was impossible to get close to the
town.
"The see was Uttered with trees and
other wreckage. We attempted to
proceed to st. Lucia thru the falling
muck of ashes, but found it impossible.
It meant suffocation to try it. We re-
turned and entered the belt again miles
out at sea, but there was the same re-
suit.
"On the horizon there was nothing
to be seen but falling ashes and other
,.,,o,~ r,hirh were ni1a1 I'm Gko or