The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-07-22


of the pioneers have located to take
to be had near the great cliffs of Aux
Abymes. The never-failing dread of
a return Of the monster which, in
the popular superstition. came out of
the mountain and laid waste to the
city shows itself in the new archi-
lecture.
Instead Of the artistic little domi-
Giles of stone with their attractive
red-tile roofs the newcomer has
built for himself an inexpensive
matched hut, bare of everything but
absolute necessities, all of which he
can leave at a moments notice and
suffer little loss should occasion de-
mand it,
The fisherman's boat is moored at
his very door and his mast is always
standing and his sail is always ready
for work should Mont Pelee give
despite all his fears his superstitiOns
and his precautions the rebuilder of
St. Pierre is constantly gaining
neighbors.
Each day the little steamboat from
Fort de France carries tourists to the
new settlement, landing them at the
first of the jetties, to grow on the
site of the old. These people must
have guides. They pay we'll, and SO
the guide follows the tourist and
places his hut among the fishermen.
The First New Building.
A businesslike government has
built a fairly satisfactory hotel Just
in the middle of the mass Of ruins.
This was the first new building to
rise on the foundation of the Old
Next barracks for housing gendarmes
were built and then, encouraged by
this, one of the mercantile houses Of
Fort de France erected a branch ad-
Joining the police station, and thus
the nucleus of the new St. Pierre
was formed.
The determination of the native to
rebuild his beloved city is worthy of
one of greater cultivation and Cfvfli-
zatlOn for single view of the city
makes 1t apparent that his task is
TO be no easy one. Over the greater
part of the ruins is spread a LAYER
OF volcanic mud and ashes, from ten
to eighty feet deep, covering the
former aqueduCt which supplied the
city with water for all purposes. To
replace this waterway must be the
hrst task Of the rebuilders. and in
TINS nature will aid them, for where
the mountains about tue town form
arIy gave it a few streams now there
are hundreds pouring down from
every part of the volcano. Already
in the little village beside the ruins
one can see the beginning of such
water runs as existed formerly
the city, from which in
the morning the housewife drew her
supply for the day.
Next one will note the beginning
of what in time will probably be an
other great cathedral. There on the
hill back of the newborn village
stands the little shrine protecting
from wind and sun the miniature
crucifiX which has survived through
the most turbulent times, to be a
guiding post and a source of com
fort to traveller and settler alike.
Here the travelling priest occasional
ly gathers his little flock, with rough
volcanic rock for benches and the
shrine serving for an altar.
This is the beginning of the new
city-a city being founded in fear
and yet in love. Memories and as
sociations are gradually drawing
back the people of St Pierre, who
turn from the work of rebuilding
hundred times a day to rest their
eyes on the crater of the great vol
cano, hoping against it, but yet fear
full of seeing again the great cloud
of smoke and ashes which they re-
member was the fOrerunner of the
former city's destruction.
Mount Pelee Quiet.
But the mountain gives no sign.
Day after day it stands there. gray
and silent as before its terrible out
burst Far up at its very TOP light
clouds of steam now and then come
forth, hang a moment on the side
of the mountain and then disappear
in the blue atmosphere. Bare of
verdure as though it had never
known a green leaf, the great hill
has attractions which it did not pos
sess when its palm-covered slopes
were the picnic grounds for a multi
tude