Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-05
Public Panic -Stricke n,

i
i midnight.
Public Panic Stricken.
Point-a-Pitre. Guadaloupe, +. w. L.
Sept. 5.-Gunlike reports from the
south give warning that Mont Pelee is
j still violently active. Thick black clouds
! hang low in the sky. The heat is in
tense. Attic the governor has issued
"a proclamation announcing that the
/ commission sent ~ investigate La Sou
friere reports that there are no indica-
| tions of danger from that source, pub
lic panic has abated in no manner.
/ 1t is genera " believed that the ISL
and of Martinique is doomed to total
/ destruction, and the fear is that when
| be visited by an all-destructive tidal
wave. Business is absolutely at a
standstill. Few shops are open, and if
| it were not for the efforts of a few more
valiant souls hundreds would starve
to death here because of their fear of a
more terrible death.
The details that have been received
during the last two days prove that the
eruption of Mont Pelee of Aug. 80 was
far more violent than any of the early
explosions. The results were
more terrible than first reported AT
Morne Rouge more than 1000 have died
and many others are so injured that
they can not recover. Almost the en-
tire village has been destroyed. the
ichurch tower standing as a sort of
monument to the dead.
The gendarmes that were uuartered
at Morne Rouge were found dead with
| their horses in the road. they having
made an unsuccessful attempt to es-
cape the fire which was sllowered on
them from the crater of Pelee. The po-
lsitions in which their bodies we're found
tells the story of the flight. One by one
they We're overtaken by the wall of
flame that was shot down from the
mouth of the volcano. Not one escaped.
The troops that We're sent from Fort
de France to rescue the wounded We're
compelled to flee to escape the destruc-
ton which had enveloped their COM
rades.
AS the eruptions continue the mouth
of Mont Pelee grows in size. 1t is now
of enormous proportions. Morne La
croiX, one of the peaks that reared sky
ward from the side of Pelee. has fallen
bodily into the crater and has been
completely swallowed. There seems to
be side pressure in the crater, and the
burning chasm widens perceptibly ev-
cry day.
Clouds no more hang about the crest
of Mont Pelee. The terrific heat seems
to drive everything away. The column
of flame and smoke rears directly into
the heavens so that its top is lost to
sight. 1t is estimated that this column
is eight times as high as the volcano.
in the darkness of the nights it has the
appearance of stream Of molten iron,
standing fixed by some mysterious
power between heaven and earth.
From Morne Capote the relief troops
were compelled to make a quick retreat.
tho they succeeded in taking out few
wounded The entire country nearly up
deep cover of ashes. This has made 1t
those who have persisted while fleeing
to the seacoast.
Constance Cara, one of the few who
succeeded in escaping from Morne
Rouge after the explosion. found refuge
on the steamer Esk. Telling her story
she said that she was with twelve 9TH
ers in her house when Pelee gave it's
first warning of the disaster which it
was about to pour on the village. The
first explosion destroyed many houses.
She was hurled with great force against
the wall of the room in which she was
sitting.
On recovering from the shock she ran
outside and there saw three separate
tongues of fire sweeping down from the
mouth of the volcano. The earth shook
with such great violence that she could
not retain her feet. She was blinded by
the glare of the flames. The heat was
so terrific that her flesh was blistered.
She awaited the death which she be-
lieved to be inevitable. Fortunately
the fire swept a little to one side of her
and she was saved
Even at Fort de France the most
stout of heart have lost courage ana
believe that the end will be nothing less
than the destruction Of the entire ISL
and Thousands are leaving Marti-
nidue and the few who remain hope
that they will be taken away before Pc
lee finishes its work.
Col Lecnucer has reported to his
government that it is his opinion the
entire island of Martinique will have /
TO be abandoned. He asks for assist
ance in transporting the inhabitants to
the other islands of the West Indian
Ocean.
Official Report from Martinique.
Washington. Sept. 5.-The state de-
partment received the following cable
gram from United States Consul Jewell,
Fort de France dated yesterday. rela-