Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-05-15
ST. PIERRE VISITED.
The American Consul At Guadalupe
Gets to the Dssolate City.
TIE AWFUL REPORTS CONFIRMED.

The AWFUL REPORTS CONFIRMED
II II Now Generally Admitted That so,
900 Peopis Lost Their Lives BY the
Eruption Of the Mount
Psles Volcano.
Fort de France, Martinique, MAJ
13.-It now seems to be generally ad
mitted that about 10000 persons LOST
their lives as a result of the outbreak
Of the Mount Pelee volcano at St
Pierre on Thursday last. Careful in
vestigation by competent govern
ment officials shows that the earlier
reports of the Associated press were
accurate. The American consul al
Guadalupe, Louis H. Ayme, has
reached the desolate spot where st.
Pierre stood and confirms the awful
story In all its essential details.
From an interview with Col. Ayme,
who is trained American newspaper
man, a correspondent of the Asso-
ciated press learned the following
facts: Thursday morning the inhab-
itants Of the city awoke to find heavy
clouds shrouding the Mount Pelee
crater. All day Wednesday horrid
detonations had been heard. These
were echoed from St. Thomas on the
north to Barbados on the south.
The cannonading ceased on Wednes.
day night and fine ashes fell like rain
on st. Pierre. The inhabitants were
alarmed, but Gov. Mouttet, who had
arrived at st. Pierre the evening be.
fore, did everything possible to allay
the panic.
The British steamer Roraima
reached St. Pierre on Thursday with
ten passengers, among whom were
Mrs. Stokes and her three children
and Mrs. H. j. 1nce. They were
watching the rain of ashes when,
with a frightful roar and terrific
electric discharges, a cyclone Of fire,
mud and steam swept down from the
crater over town and bay, sweeping
all before it and destroying the fleet
of vessels at anchor off the shore.
There the accounts Of the catastro-
phe so far obtainable cease.
Thirty thousand corpses are strewn
about, buried in the ruins of st. |
Pierre, or else floating, gnawed by
sharks, in the surrounding seas.
Twenty-eight charred, half dead, hu.
man beings were brought here. Six.
teen of them are already dead, and
only four Of the whole number are
expected to recover. The Associated |
press steamer chartered in Guada.
lupe, neared Martinique at $50 Sun.
day morning. The island, with its
lofty hills, was hidden behind huge
veil of velvet or leaden colored haze.
Enormous quantities of the wreck.
age of large and small ships and
houses strewed the surface of the
sea. Huge trees and, too often,
bodies, with flocks of seagulls soar.
ing above the hideous sharks fight
ng about them, were floating here
md there. From behind the volcanic
veil came blasts of hot wind, mingled
With Others ice cold.
At lie Precheur, five miles north
II st. Pierre, canoes with men and
women, frantic to get away, begged
or a passage on the steamer.
The whole north end of the island
vas covered with silver gray coat
ng of ashes resembling dirty snow.
furious blasts Of fire, ashes and mud
wept over the steamer, but, finally,
Il. Pierre was reached. The still
volcano lowered above the
sh-coyered hills. The ruins were
urning in many places and frightful
doris Of burned fire filled the air.
With great difficulty landing was
ffected. Not one house was left
ltact viscid heaps OF mud, Of
Fighter ashes, or piles of volcanic
tones were seen on every side. The
treets could hardly be traced. Here
nd there amid the ruins were heaps
corpses. Almost all the faces :
ere downward.
In one corner 20 bodies Of men,
omen and children were mingled in I
ne awful mass, arms and legs pro- l
'uding as the hapless beings fell in '
lie last struggles Of deaths agony.
through the middle Of the old Place
ertin ran tiny stream, the remains I
the river. Great trees, with roots
orched by fire, were strewn in
cry direction. Hugo blocks and
i'll hot stones were scattered about.
rom under one large stone tho arm II
a white woman protruded. Most
table was the utter silence and
e awful overpowering stencil from
% thousands of dead.
Careful inspection showed that the '
'ry stream which so completely de- k
royed st. Pierre must have been q
imposed Of poisonous gases, which 81
h