The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-30
ST. PIERRE rs REBUILDING.
People Begin to Return Six Years After
Catastrophe.

Six years have passed since st. Pirrc
Martinique was wiped out BIZ the vol.
canic forces Of Mount Pelee, and in ten
short minutes became a city Of the
dead For a long time the devastated
region was Stunned and empty, for the
horror Of that May night in 1902 held
the islanders. But slowly this has
changed, and the last few months have
witnessed gradual but growing popu-
lation Of the district st. Pcrre today
has a hotel, a wharf Is being construc-
ted, steamers soon viii be seen in the
port, whence only one vessel was able
to escape the night Of the disaster. and
the authorities have found 1t exped
lent TO establish a local police force.
Six years ago the entire district Of ST..
Pierre, a mass Of ruins and waste. was
particularly avoided BY the islanders
Of the fearful story OF death hidden be-
meath its blanket of ashes. Then with
incredible rapidity the coarse tropical
vegetation took root and Aourished in
the volcanic matter covering the mum
berless dead amid the fallen walls Of
their homes.
Such has been The situation ia the
stricken area until about month ago
when slowly the people Of the island,
their fears and horrors stilled by the
lapse Of time, began returning to their
old homes. sc. Pierre il still abhofred
by many, though it has its share or
repopulation, BIT Morne Bougo Le Pre-.
oheur, Grand RiYiefe and Aioupa Bouil-
Ion, hamlets that six years ago were
familiar TO newspaper readers because
of the stories Of death, terror and dis.
ISOLATION that came from Them. have now
q population that is increasing each
month. With the people have come teIe-
graph and telephone lines, schools,
priests to say mass in the unconstrneted
churches and other evidences Of growing
to be rural community.
It would be perhaps too much TO say
that ST. Pierre is to be reborn and Be.
come again the commercial center of
Martinique, for other ports on the island
Fort de France and Trinite offer better
anchorage 10 ships than did st. Pierre
in the old days. But st. Pierre is the
huh. as it were, Of the roads to the
island, It is easier to move merchandise
into st, Pierre than anywhere else, and
this revival Of traffic win assur, GER
certain activity. Steamers Of the Guer
IN Line are 10 resume calling at st.
Pierre as they did before 1902 Already
several merchants have cleared away
the ruins OF their warehouses and
started reconstruction with the idea of
opening them again, aud they doubtless
will have imitatoFs
The authorities 10 not officially sane
ton this activity in st Pierre and still
warn the people Of Mount Pelee Still
the presence Of people in the city has
made necessary the installing of police
force and the clearing away and opening
up of several streets The upper part
of St. Pierre is covered with a heavy
growth Of GUINEA grass and today
cattle brouse over what six years ago
were the gardens and parks Of the well
TODD. Between RiyieFe DIES Peres and
lie Precheur the soil is strongly eroded
by the eruption and nothing green can
grow. In the upper valley Of the River
Blanche there are many holes IN the
earth from which smoke and vapor con
stantly issue showing that the volcano
IS in no sense dead. Some Of the out
lying villages are still barren Of foliage,
while others are as green and as luxur
iane as they We're before the eruption.
At Ponds 81. Denis the municipality
has been in operation since Sept p 1907
and the population to-day is practically
what it was before-ll00 ieople. Many
of the old Inhabitants have returned
to Morne Rouge and the fathers OF the
Espret have reconstructed and re0pened
their old church. The same is true at
Aioupa Bouifon. Naeoaba. .Basse Pointe
and other minor places. The new papu
iafion i devoiing itself TO the culsiva-
ton Of the sugar cane or else 10 its
former occupation Of fishing. = Spring.
field Republican.