The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-05-13
VEN RUINS Of ST. PIERRE
American Consul Visits the
Wrecked City.
NOT A HOUSE LEFT INTACT

NOT a 1OUSE IEf iE Az I.
Thirty Thousand corpses strewn
About Site of Destroyed city-TeIis
Story of the Awful Scenes Which
Met His Gaze.
Fort de France, Martinique, May Is.
1t now seems to be generally ad-
mitted that about 10000 persons lost
their lives as the result of the out
break of the Mont Pelee volcano.
Careful investigation by competent
government officials shows that the
earlier reports of the Associated Press
were accurate.
Briefly put, last Thursday morning
the city of ST. Pierre disappeared
within ten minutes in whirling fire
vomited from Mont Pelee, 10000 per-
sons 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
discharged a torrent Of fiery mud,
ing everything before it. Then the
last of cable communication was
broken and the doomed city was iso-
lated from the world
The American consul at Guadaloupe
Louis H. Ayme, has reached the desc
late spot where st. Pierre stood and
confirms the awful story in all its es-
sential details. From an interview
with Colonel Ayme, who is trained
American newspaper man, the CORE
spondent of the Associated Press
learned the following facts:
Thursday morning the inhabitants
of the city awoke to find heavy clouds
enshrouding the Mont Pelee crater.
All day Wednesday horrid detonations
had been heard. These were echoed
from ST. Thomas ont the north to Bar
BADGES on the south. The cannonad-
ing ceased on Wednesday night and
fine ashes fell like rain on St Pierre.
The inhabitants were alarmed, but
Governor Moutet, who had arrived at
ST Pierre the evening before, did
everything possible to allay the panic.
The British steamer Roraima reached
ST. Pierre on Sunday with ten passen-
gers, among whom were Mrs. Stokes
and her three children and Mrs. n.
j. Ince. They We're watching the
rain of ashes, when with a frightful
roar and terrific electric discharges, q
cyclone of fire, mud and steam swept
from the crater down over the town
and bay, sweeping all before it and
destroying the fleet of vessels at an
chor off the shore.
Thirty Thousand Corpses.
There the accounts of the catas
trophe so far obtainable cease. Thirty
thousand corpses are strewn about
buried in the ruins OF ST. Pierre ol
else floating, gnawed by sharks in the
surrounding seas. Twenty-eigh
charred. half dead human being:
were brought here. Sixteen OF then
are already dead and only four of the
whole number are expected to recover
The Associated Press steamer, char
tered in Guadaloupe, neared Martin
ique early Sunday morning. AT L.
Precheur, five miles north of ST
Pierre canoes with men and womel
frantic to get away begged for pas
sage or the steamer. Furious blast
of fire, ashes and mud swept over th
steamer, but finally st. Pierre wa
reached. The city of ST. Pierr
stretched nearly two miles along tn
water front and half a mile back to
cliff at the base of the volcano. TIL
houses of the richer French familie
were built OF stone. The still smokin
volcano lowered above the ash-covere
hills The ruins were burning in man
places and frightful odors of burne
flesh filled the air.
Grim Mounds of Dead.
With great difficulty a landing wa
effected. Not one house was left il
tact. Viscid heaps of mud, of brighte
ashes, or piles of volcanic stones wer
seen on every side. The streets coul
hardly be traced Here and ther
amidst the ruins were heaps {
corpses. Almost all the faces wer
downward. In one corner % bodie
of men, women and children wer
mingled in one awful mass, arms an
legs protruding as the hapless being
fell in the last struggles of death
agony. most notable was the ute
silence and the awful, overpowerin
stencil from the thousands of dea,
Careful inspection showed that th
fiery stream which so completely d.
stroyed st. Pierre must have bee
composed OF poisonous gases, whic
instantly suffocated every one who Il
hailed them, and Of other gases burr
ing furiously, for nearly all of the VI
tins had their hands covering the
mouths or were in some other attitud
showing that they had sought relic
from suffocation. All the bodies wei
carbonized or roasted.
Stories Of Survivors.
The stories OF the survivors adde
to the awful details of the particular
narrowing account OF the loss of Il
British steamer Roraima. Engineer
C. G. Evans and John G. Norris no