Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-07
SURVIVOR OF MARTINIQUE
STOPPING IN ATLANTA

Cornelius F. Olivierre, colored. late Of
st. Pierre, Martinique, Is in the city. He
Is the first survivor of the disastrous vol
canic eruption of Mt. Pelee to visit At
| lanta. The tale he tells of his experiences
following the earthquake and the erup-
ton, during which time he existed four
days without food, is graphic enough to
suit the taste of the most ardent seeker.
Of blood curdling adventure.
olivierre is an educated negro and by
profession is a teacher OF Latin, French
and English. He was born on the Island
OF Trinidad, which is a days sail from
Martinique At the age of sixteen he was
sent to England to be educated In the
Queens Royal college, London, remain
| Ing there three years. He was sent by
the governor OF Trinidad to teach English
| subjects in the English college at ST.
| Pierre four years ago.
tOlivierre is a typical African in appear
anee, tall woody haired with fiat nose
and dark hued. The resemblance between
him and the average American negro ends
| there however, for his speech Is OF the
| purest English, with here and there
| touch of French accent. He is dressed In
old shabby clothes. without neck scarf,
and says he was left homeless and pennt-
less by. the catastrophe.
,''I was teaching school in st. Pierre May
8 when the first sign of the earthquake
| appeared" he said THE earthquake con-
tinued for some time and caused tremend-
Gus excitement. The governor issued a
proclamation that all schools, stores and
other public places be closed. This order
| was observed by the schools and by some
OF the stores, but a few merchants
| thought the dangerous prophecies were
| exaggerated, and their places of business
! remained open. The terror stricken peo-
Il - g. ha IN cathedral and
when that was filled, to others
'It was a period of CONSERVATION, which
knew scarcely any bounds, when the Ho-
| tel Napoleon Bonaparte and a cathedral
was destroyed, killing hundreds of people.
1.-THE eruption itself started May at $3.50
| in the afternoon and never ceased until
/ May II. My house had been destroyed
and rushed into that OF friend. Later
| he and his wife were killed by big rock
| as they tried to rush from the building. /
| remained in the house, not daring to leave
| II for four days. and was finally rescued
by the English marines, which were dis
patched to st. Pierre from Port au Prince,
the capital.
AT the beginning of the eruption there
| was no noise for Eve minutes, but the
rumbling began then and the noise became
terrific Twenty-Five minutes after the
eruption started the crater burst with
tremendous intonation, sending gigantic
/ as four or five tons, three or four hum
| dred feet into the air and for a distance
OF four miles.
! AT the same time monstrous streams
| OF lava began descending the mountain,
spreading terror. ruin and devastation.
The waters of the sea became boiling
| hot, and when the people in their terror
sprang into the sea they were boiled to
| death. Many were killed by the flying
rocks After the eruption Of the volcano
/ came the terrible deluge OF oiling water,
mixed with sulphuric acid, killing those
who breathed IT, even II they were beyond
reach of the downpour. Banks Of trees
were stripped of as was the flesh OF hu-
man beings. The deluge lasted for p
i minutes.
I'm the harbor of st. Pierre were thirty
/ five ships and nearly all OF the crews
/ persisted, only a few being saved. The
/ number of ST. Pierre inhabitants saved
from the disaster aggregates 2510. over
/ g. 900 lost. their lives. but the exact num-
Der will never be known"