The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-05-30

France from all the surrounding coun-
try. These people are not destitute,
but they are terrified. They want only
one thing. and that is to be taken far
away from this island, with which they
| say, the gods are angry, and which
| they will destroy by fire before 1t
I sinks under the sea.
The consus here and the officers Of
! the war vessels in the harbor are way
laid by persons crazed with fear and
begging to be carried away.
The weather Is now calm and beau
tiful but the mountain Is veiled in vol
canic clouds, which often assume a
very threatening aspect, and occasion
al rumblings are heard. Some heavy
and very welcome rain fell this morn
ing.
The United States steamer Dixie
Captain Berry, from New York, arrived
today. after quick and safe passage
Her passengers include many world
famous scientists. Prof. Robert T. Hill,
government geoogist; Prof. c. e.
Borchgrievink, the Antarctic explorer;
Messrs. George Curtis and George
KEENAN,, and many magazine writer's
and correspondents are also among
those who arrived on the steamer.
The Dixie began landing her enor-
nous cargo Of supplies early and the
Sested and this is the greatest difficult
ty Of the administration.
The United States steamer Potomac
went to inspect st. Pierre, with the
commanders of the war vessels now
here. With the greatest difficulty the
party succeeded in making landing.
, The effects of the outburst of yesterday
were tremendous. The huge basalt
/ towers of the cathedral were hurled fiat
TO the earth. The bombardment of VOL
canic stones Is not sufficient to account
for this, and all evidences point to a
furious blast of blazing gas, travelling
at enormous speed and with incalcula-
BILE force. The deposit of boulders,
ashes and angular stones is enormous
Not human being 6..w what happened
at St Pierre yesterday morning. Fort
de France Is overwhelmed.
The second eruption was many times
more violent than that which effaced
st. Pierre and swept its people from
the earth. Nor has All volcanic activi-
ty ceased. Vast columns of smoke and
gas still pour from the great crater;
and new tissures have opened on the
mountain sides and are vomiting yell
low whirlwinds, which rush intermit-
= tently now from one point and now
from another. Boiling mud also Is
thrown out at times in torrents that
| reach the sea and produce small tidal
1 waves.
From sombre silent city of death
and desolation. st. Pierre has become
hideous amphitheatre of fiery, roar
ing destruction.
The people are convinced that God IL
angry with the island and means to
scourge il with fire and then sink IL in
the ocean. Utter and unreasoning fear
possesses all souls. Even Fort de
France is believed to be unsafe. The
& ne .rs 4.
IS helpful to the people, who say, THE
American flag makes safety"
The Potomac could not get close to
st. Pierre. The Dixie will sail tomor-
row for st. Vincent, but the other ves-
sells will remain.
The scientists who have arrived will
examine into the question of the dan
ger OF peaks of Carbet near FoFrt de
France becoming active volcanoes. The
outburst of yesterday afternoon means
ruined island, as all confidence is
lost
I'VE want not food but only TO
leave" is the cry of rich and poor.
DANGER AT FORT DE FRANCE.
NEW YORK, May 20.-A cable to the
Herald from Fort de France SAYS:
Fort de France is in a terrible panic to-
night, and Pelee threatens the city
with destruction. The volcano has de-
/ 'uillS illbIt tCllNe tndn ever, and fetu-
gees are crowding into the city panic
, stricken, and fearing the end of the
world is at hand. For twenty four
hours Pelee has been in constant erup-
tion, and the island has been shaken
by the workings of the forces within
! the earth. Hundreds have fled to the
ships in the harbor. which are now
crowded. Thirty thousand are on
shore, cut OFF from escape if Pelee
pourS its fires down upon them. A cat
aclysm is feared. even worse than that
which recently filled he world with
horror.
Last night was oi of terror here
/ The earth seemed 10 have lost its
foundations. and out of Pelee poured
"A storm of death. The Culmina ton
came this morning with a series of ex-
plosions that shook down walls in the
/ city and sent the inhabitants fleeing
in terror TO the open country. Thou
sands fell on their knees in the streets
crying to God for mercy. Clouds of
ashes and stones filed the sky and
then descended on the city.
Tie force of the explosions was
much greater than that which accom-
/ panied the eruption that destroyed st.
Pierre When great sheets of light