Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-05-17

slightest danger. On that day a
stream of boiling lava burst through
the top Of the crater and plunged into
the valley OF the river Blanche. over
whelming the Guerin sugar works and
killing % work people and the son OF
the proprietor.
A commission was appointed by the
governor to investigate the outbreak
and IL returned reassuring report on
"Wednesday evening But about s
o'clock on Thursday morning a shower
OF IRE rushed down on St Pierre and
the coast from La Carbst, which had
a population OF $500. to lie Pecheur
which had a population OF 1000. burn
ing UP everything in it's path.
Throughout Thursday tho heat In
the vicinity of ST. Pierre was 80 In
tense and the stream of flowing lava
was so unremitting that II was i'm
possible to approach the town during
the early part OF the day As evening
approached the French cruiser Suchet
after a heroic battle with the heat
suffocation and sulphur fumes. sue
cseded In making a dash toward the
shore, nearing the land close enough
to enable her TO take on 80 survivors
OF the disaster. ali OF whom were hor
ribly burned and mutilated. ST. Pierre
at that time was an absolute smoking
waste, concsaling 10000 corpSes
whose decomposition nscessitated In
some cases instantly completing their
cremation. which was only partially
accomplished by the lava Not a house
in ct Pierre Is standing the entire
city being consumed and buried.
Tho Inhabitants OF Fort De France
were panic-stricken the morning of the
disaster. when the sky suddenly black.
sned and II was at dark as at mid.
night. The sea shrank back 30 yards.
and hot rain begain to fall, while
gravel. the size OF walnuts. poured
down on the town. This lasted about
IS minutes.
Briefly put. last Thursday morning
the city of St Pierre disappeared
within ten minutes in a whirlwind OF
are vomited from Mont Pelee; 10000
persons were instantly and horribly
killed. and the volcano whose ancient
crater for. more than so years had
been occupied by quiet lake. in which
picnic parties bathed suddenly dis.
charged a torrent OF nsry mud, which
rolled towards the sea. engulfing
everything before it. Then the last OF
cable communication was broken, and
the doomed city was isolated from the
world.
The Associated Press steamer near
ed Martinique at $50 Sunday morn
ing The island. with its lofty hills
was hidden behind a huge veil Of vic
let or leaden colored haze. Enormous
quantities of the wreckags OF large
and shall ships and houses Strewed
the surface OF the sea. Huge trees
and too often bodies, with Jocks OF sea
gulls soaring above. and hideous
sharks fighting about them, were
floating here are there
The city OF st. Pierre stretched
nearly two miles along the water
front and half mile back to cliff
at the base of the volcano. The still
| smoking volcano. lowered above thu
| ash-covered hills The ruins wer,
burning in many places, and frightfu
Odors of burned flesh filed the air.
| with great dificulty landing wa
4 effected. Not one house was lef
intact. Viseid heaps of mud of bright
I! er ashes or piles or volcanic stones
! were seen on every hand. The streets
could hardly be traced. Here ant
there amid the ruins were heaps o
| cerpses, almost all the faces bein!
| downward. In one corner % bodies o
men. women and children. were min
gled In one awful mass, arms and leg
protruding as the hapless beings Eel
In the last struggles of deaths agony
Through the middle OF the old Plac
Berth ran a tiny stream. the remain
4 OF the River Gayave. Great trees. wit
roots upward, and scorched by fire