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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No i 1.0 I.I ISO ™ t 1^ IIIM [ 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.6 ^ APPLIED IIVMGE 'oriJ tasi Mott itreet '^ochesler. New Torh 14609 USA i''6) *a2 - 030O - Phone (715) 298 59 '■^ UJ I UJ z UJ o (0 "^l: ill UJ CO UJ C/3 U CO o The Martinique HoUivOR in St. Vincent Calamity CoMAIMNC A FULL AND COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE MOST APPALLING DISASTER OF MODERN TIMES IMI.l DING A VIVID I)i:SCRIITI()N ol" Till. TI.RRIIU.I". VOLCANIC ERUP- TION'S ; Till"- DKSTRL'CI ION OF ST. riKRRI'. AND ( )T!I!.R TOWNS AND LOSS Ol" NLARLV 50,000 LIVLS, IIi:ART-RENI)IN(i SCENES, ETC. BY J. MARTIN MILLER Meiiiher ol the ("i(oj;iapliic Society of the L'nited States, who went to Martini(|ue a^ the Kiii'^it of tlie Na\y nepartnieiit at the re(|uest of the President In collaboration with HON. JOHN STEVENS DURHAM ILx-Miiiistcr to Hayti NO SUCH ERICIITEUL CALAMITY, UNEQUALLED FOR THE SUDDENNESS OE THE BLOW, THE NUMBER OE VIC- TIMS, THE COMPLl-.TENESS OE THE DESOLATION HAS EVER COME UPON THE CIVILIZED WORLD WITH SUCH OVERWHELM- ING AND HARROWING EORCE EMBELLISHED VITH MANY SUPERB PHOTCXJRAPHIC VIEVS TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE TERJUBLE CALAMITY JOHX S. BROWX cSf SON'S HVRIS. ONTARIO. CAN. •wTFHf-i i^ccj-^ona TO ac o^^ •-onghe^*, in TMf V-AR 1903 »* D. Z. HOV.^Ll If '-F OFFICE OF TM| .IBR*!* *N OF CONuHCSS, *T W* Sm.NOTOH D C u g PRCFACE. THE appalling catastrophe which visited the Islands of Mar- tinique and St. \'incent, resulting in the destruction of many towns and nearly fifty thousand lives, horrified every part of the world. The heart of humanity shudders at every calamity which results in the sudden death of thousands of people. Without warning, the terrible volcanic eruption overwhelmed the doomed cities. In the brief space of only a few minutes a large part of the Island of Martinique was turned into an unparal- leled scene of devastation. Few persons escaped the horrible fate that swept a vast multitude to sudden death. Mont Pelee, a great volcano long ago believed to be extinct, suddenly awoke from the sleep of ages. Out of the mouth of the treacherous cratei, around which nestled the summer villas and the pretty homes of the wealthy French West Indian resi- dents, suddenly belched forth smoke and flame. Then, like the discharge from a Titanic gun, the volcanic substances leaped thousands of feet into the air and from the awful cauldron's mouth poured down rivers of fire swallowing everything that lay in their path to the sea. Torrents of red-hot ashes and lava burned the country for miles around. Mont Pelee, which had been quiet for half a century, gave the first indication of its fatal activity on Thursday, May i, 1902, H week before the great eruption. Strange noises were heard on that day from the region of the mountain. At midnight of May 3, the volcano belched forth volumes of boiling mud. Disturb- ances were intermittent after that, doing little damage outside a radius of two miles, until Ascension Day, Thursday, May 8. At 7.50 o'clock on the morning of that day the people of St. Pierre heard a terrific explosion from the volcano. A volume of molten metal and lava was thrown off, enveloping the city and all the shipping in the harbor in one mighty flame. Simultaneously the tidal wave swept the roadstead. ^ 3 * PREFACE. ;.. J'"' * '<■"/'' '''"' "^ ""^ '"■■«"' °f «»""■■ «'■ Pierre, co,-er mg a. area of f„„r ,u,lc.. by .„„. .as on fire. Bv land and s.a allwas one seet,„„g „,as. of flame. Nothing e.scaped .4ni,„al andvegetabe life «a,. .n.flfed on, in a ni.en.. Sevem«v, hour, after tl.e dr.saster thousands of charred bodies wer v " dead on tlie water front. - ^ A relieviuj. party from the Frenc]. warship Suchet on the afternoon of Thunsdav, the day of the disa.ster. Tent a.shL H captam .stnnated the h.s.s <,f life .t 40,000, incnding Governo hX ::,dr'"^;" ''^""■^-' con.nandin, the troops, and ^e hnndred soldiers, who were armed before the disaster to pacify the panic-stncken people and prevent looting. ^ ' Hnge trees were torn up by their roots and laid flat scarce one being left standing, and other indications showed that the va. of fire mnst have passed ov.r this section of the island at extreme uirncane velocity Every house in .St. Pierre, not excepting t"e that were nio.st solidly built of stone, is ab.solutely in ruins The ooaies could be seen m every direction. It is known that many persons who sought refuge in the cathedral perished, but their bodies were .scarcely visible, heit overed with debris. The sites of the club, the bank, the bou e the telegraph office and the principal shops-everywhere wa le same scene of utter desolation and death The Island of St. Vincent was also shaken to its centre by a trible convulsion of Mont Soufriere. X'ast destruction in this sland was caused by the raging eruption, and here alone more than two thousand persons lost their lives. This work depicts the scenes following the deadh- eruptions Mont Pelee and Mont Soufriere. the frantic efforts of the •"habitants to escape their doom, the present appearance of he u.ned cties and a full description and history of the Islands of Martnnque and St. Vincent. It also narrates the magnificent ttpris nig o people every where to afford relief to the snrvivtrs of thereat catastrophe, including President Roosevelt's message to Congres -ecummending an appropriation of S500.000 by ouf Government CONTHNTS. iNTRODLXTlOX CHAPTER I. ArPAi.i.ixf. Talamitv i\ ihe Islands ok MARiixiorr: ano St. \'i.\( kxi'. — iRAcic Dkath of Maxv Tikusands ok Peoi'ih. — DFsrkii'Tiox t)\-' ihk Islaxds. — Frightful Scenes ok Devastatiox <55 CHAPTER II. Graphh" AccorxTs of the Great Dksaster. — Tragedy Completed ix the Brief Space of a Few Mixites. — Despatches from I/xited States Officials. — Volcanic Islands Described. — Urgent Appeals for Help ... 82 CHAPTER III. Mariixioce Citv a Heap of Smokixc Ruins. — Streets Filled with Charred Bodies. — Large Poritons ok THE Island Exgl'lfed with L.wa. — St. \'ixcExr also Devastated. — Relief for the Sifferers loo CHAPTER IV. AwKii. Sci'.xE IX St. Pierre — Whoi.i: Mouxtaix .Appeared ro Blow rp. -Ships Sw.m.lowkd i?v ax Exormous \Va\i;. - H.\KRowix(. Tales p.v Em.-Witnesses of the Burned City • • 121 CHAPTER V. President Rcjosenkli's Special Message to Congress. — Large Appropriation by Our Govern.mext for Imme- DiATi; Relief oi.- the Survivors. — .ADnnioxAL Details OF THE TeRRII!LE CaL.XMITY. — SCENES BAFFLING DE- SCRIPTION Ijg i " CONTENTr. ("HAPTKR \ I Two Thoi-sanp Persons Kii i.kd i\ Sr. \"i\cent. — Greai '**' Al.AKM \^ in PHF F\ll oj THE l.,|, \Np._A\VFrL SlDDEX- vKss.ii- nil- Cm AMin \i St, PiFRKF.—GKAPHir Stories Tell' in Witnesses ci- nn: Dkadia Fxplgsiox . ... i-^- ("H AF^rKR \n. \ARKAn\EsoF Person M i:\rEKi!;N(i:s.- T(^fRisT Portra\s Mont Peeee. — Simrmn- Hisiokn' nE NJa.\tinique. -- C'.KAI'Hir I.I-riKK INOM \ ( (i\St l.'.s U'lEE. — GreAT DES- - ASTER'S I ROM Xdl'ANK I 'K' I" TIONS. -- SCENES IN 'IHE S'l KK ki:n Isi.anhs ,_. (HAPTKR \I1I. Si. \ IN( ENT \'OE(AN<) IN Arn\ E. I-:;-iFTION.— TERRIFIC CAN- N-iNAHE Heard One Hi ndrep Miefs Awav. — Kings- town Showered wirn Hot Ashes and Pebbles , . . 20^ CHAF^TER IX. F--OR Wi.EKs Mont Peeee Belched Ci.olos of S.moke.— Splen- nil> AND AlT\LLIN(; PHENOMENON.— INCESSANT ROAR OF AwiTT. Thlnder. — Terrors Paralyze the Helpless Inhabitants 221 CHAPTER X. Xiw H-Rkoks Revealed Uailv. — Mont Pelee Again in .\cTi\ E EkiT'TioN.— Rivers and Lakes Dried Tp.— Hiss- iN'-. Pits oe La\a.— Physical Changes Made by the ^Tthreaks . . . 239 CH.XPTER XI. smr Tmssid i;n Giant Waves Without a Breath ok Wind. — siokv OE the Captain of a Danish Vessel. I.oN(, H(..Rs OF Terror Endlred by the Crew.— Wreck or ihi suif p,irir'v\\i ^'-4 LU QC UJ DC QC CO UJ CO o ■Mifr*«**afe,-aMi;. - 'f.i- J^.-, A PICTURESQUE STREET, ST. PIERRE, MARTINIQUE UJ E uh Panama and the andes.— The Great Canyon.— California and Utah.— Yellowstone F^ark.— Mexico AND South America 383 CH ' PTER XVIII. Amazing Phenomena Connected with X'olcanoes and Earthquakes. — Fiery Explosions and Mountains in Convulsions.— Changes in the Surface of the Earth, ^ .1 CONTI.N iS, r«ua CHAlTlCli \l.\. i,i ffering to her suffer- ing citizens." RELIEF SHIPS DART FROM ALL POINTS TO SUCCOR. h'rom half a dozen neighboring islands and from F'ort-de- 1-rauce shii)s rushed to the ulief of St. Pierre, i)repared to succoi the survivors of the stricken city if any were h-tt to tell the tale. F'ort-de-lM-ance. the capital, is only twehe miles away by \»ater, and the ships which, were hurried to the scene should haw riaclud there within an hour from their drp;irtnn\ ,\t F\irt-de- I'lami' is thi- fiui-; ,and-locked harbor in the Windward Islands, INTRODUCTION. 85 with a liuge dry clock, and there are always many big ships there. Officials of the island lost no time in dispatching vessels to the destroyed town, and within a few honrs after the catastrophe relief ships were lying off the doomed town. From Guadelonpe, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Dominica, St. Thomas and Porto Rico relief expeditions were sent. Speculation was now most anxious as to the fate of neighbor- ing villages and islands. Harry J. Tifft, of Middleton & Com- pany, West Indies traders, of New York, who spent several years at St. Pierre, and whose wife is a native, said that the nearness of St. Pierre to many other points in the Windward Islands ought to insure speedy relief and early accounts of the disaster. Said Mr. Tifft: " There are five villages with :i total population of over i2,oJl. I. liCl 1 i 1^ 86 INTRODUCTION. pr()\isinn.s mainly from St. Pierre, and with the destruction of the town there must i)e .serious trouble, if not actual fiunine, amon>r tlie people. "St. Pierre \v:is the chief commercial town, not only of the island, hut of the several islands close abcnit. Fort-de-France is not a commercial point of any note. It has a few mercantile esta ^\sliments, and tlie chief importance is tlie fact that the Government is situated there. MOUNTAIN WAS NOT FEARED. " When I lived at St. Pierre no one ever thought of having the least fear of Mont Pel6e. During the eight years I was there .here was never the .slightest smoking or any otiier indication tliat it was active. This long inactivity made the people feel secure, and perhaps wlien it began to smoke recentl}- they con- sidered it as no more serious than the harmless eruption in 1S51, and remained at their homes." .Still the friends I ' Consul Prentiss and his family led the American pul)lic to hope for the safety of the officer. Rela- tives lived at Melrose, Massachusetts. They had received a ktter from Mrs. Prentiss dated .\pril 25, thirteen days iiefore the eruption. In this letter Mrs. Prentiss said : "This morning the whole po])ulation of the city is on the alen and every eye is directed toward Mt. Pelee, an extinct volcano. iCverybody is afraid that the volcano has taken into it'^ heart to hurst forth and destroy tlie whole island. Fifty years ago Mt. Price hurst forth with terrific force and destroyed every- thing fo'- a radius of several miles. " h'or Several daxs the niount.iin has been bursting fortli, and iuiuiense (|uautities of lava are flowing down the sides oi the uiouutani. .\ii iju- iniiahitants are going up to see it. INTR'iDl'tTKiN. 87 " TliL'ix- is 11' it. ;i linrse to he had on \]\v ishuitl; tho>c' hchiii^nn;^ to tlif natives arc kept in readiness to leave at a nioiiient's notice. Last W'cchiesdav, April 23, I was in my room with little Christine, and we heard three distinct shocks. They were so great that we sii])posedal first tliat there was someone at the door, and Christine went and fonnd no one tlicrc. " The first re])ort was very lond, hut a second and third wxre so great that dishes were thrown from the shelves and the house was conudetelv rocked. We can see Mt. I'clee from the rear win- dows of the lu)iise, and althongli it is fully four miles awav we can hear the roar and see the fire and lava issning from it with terrific force. "The citv is covered with ashes and clouds of smoke liave been over onr heads for the past five days. The smell of snlphnr is so strong that horses on the streets stop and snort and some of them are obliged to give up, drop in their harness and die from suffocation. "Many of the people are obliged to wear wet handkerchiefs over their faces to protect them from the strong fumes "sulphur. Mv husband assures me that there is no immediate danger, and when there is the least particle of danger we will leave the place. "There is in American schooner, the Anna E.J. Morse, in the harbor, and will remain here for at least two weeks. If the volcano becomes very bad we shall embark at once and go out to sea. HEARTS BREAKING UNDER THE STRAIN. Horror over the calamity had been the controlling feeling of the nation. Now came the sense of sympathy for residents here, whose hearts were breaking under the strain of waiting f )r defi- nite news of loved ones in the stricken island. The magnitude of the catastrophe was sucii as to ap^aii evervbody. It came with the suddenness of a thuuderclao from 88 IN'TKODI'iTIdN. a clear sky. The rc;i(liiiL,r ])ul)lic did not know that Mont Pelee liad been sliowini; signs of action. lint when the first sliock was over the was an immediate thoui^ht of affordin;..^ n-liet" to the surviving victims of the great cakimily. To this end active n.easures were immediately taken. Not only did our Ciovernnieiit at Washington act promptlv, hut coUiniittees were formed in every part of the country for the pur- po.se of collecting money and supplies. VICTIMS OF FALSE SECURITY. " Knowing tlv place as I do," said a resident of Martinique, "I liave little doubt th.it the disaster was just as terrible as described, and my anxiety for the fate of my sister and other relatives is great. There have been several eruptions of Mont Pelee, but never such a terrible catastrophe as that which is being described in the papers. That is why I think the reports have not been exaggerated. Undoubtedly when the ashes began to fall people thought it would be unsafe to remain out of doors, and when the fatal eruption came were caught in their houses, victims of the fal.se security engendered by previous comparatively harmless disturbances." From .Stockton, California, came the sad story that Mrae. Louise Lonit, a teacher of French in that city, was prostrated over the news of the terrible disaster, as her sister and family resided in that city. On learning of the volcanic eruption she swooned, and was m a serious condition for hours. Her sister, Mme. Gen- tile ; her husband, two sons, George and Raoul, and two daughters, Alice and Anias, are believed to have been killed. Raoul Gentile was rated as one of the most brilliant lawyers on the islaiul, ;ind for the past two years he was a member of the French Chamber of Depi.lies. Kt \w :!vl- V I J'--- ._; , >.„... ^ '1 vile iiivhiL cOiiCiiii INTRODi'iTION. 89 stories. There was deep .y;rief m the home of James McTear, of Newark, chief engineer of the Roraima, lost at St. Pi-'rre. His bride of less than a year ••, as completely prostrated, and in addi- tion was in a delicate condition. With her were her mother and sisters, who vainly tried to cheer her with what were feared were false hopes. Thev anticipated that she would not survive her com- ing ordeal. McTear, who had been in the country five years, was a native of Glasgow, where his father, a man of means, still lives. In Newark he met Nellie Walker, and about a year ago he mar- ried her. They settled in a flat. The poor wife sat surrounded by friends. Every time the door bell rang she started. vShe was not permitted to answer the summons, but anxiously asked "Is there any news? " SCORCHED TO DEATH. During the afternoon of llie eighth the British steamer R.od- dani, which had lef"t St. Lucia at midnight on the seventh for Martinique, crawled slowly into the Castries harbor, unrecog- nizable, gray with ashes, her rigging dismantled and sails and awnings hanging about, torn and charred. Captain Whatter reported that having just cast anchor off St. Pierre, at S A. M. in tine weather, succeeding an awful thunder storm during the night, he was talking to the ship's agent, Joseph Plis.souo, who v.as in a l)oat alongside, when he saw a tremendous cloud of smoke and glowing cinders rushing with terrific rapidity over the town and ])ort, completely in an instant enveloping the former in a sheet of tlaiiie and raining fire on board. The agent had just time to climb on board when his boat disappeared. Several of the crew of the Roddam were quickly scorched to death. By superhuman efforts, having steam up, the cable was "■'i'i " "■ -■ o ti A1 •1 i « 40 INTRODrCTlON. hears later, iiKuuii^L-d to resell Castrit-s. Ten of the R xldain's iiK-n were lyin,ij dead, contorted a. id l)nrned out of luinian seni- bhuice, aniou}^^ the hlack cinders which covered the ship's deck to a deptli of six inches. Two nujre of the crew have since died. The survivors of the Roddani's crew were hnid in tlieir praises of the heroic conduct of their captain in steering his vessel out of danj^er with his own hands, which were badly burned by the rain of fire which kept falling on the ship for miles after she got under way. Bej'ond burns all over his body, the captain is safe, as is also the ship's agent, though he is badly scorched. DOOMED CAPTAINS FAREWELL. All the shipping in the port was utterly destroyed, the West Indian and Panama Telegraph Company's repairing steamer going first ; then the (Quebec Liner, Roraima, Captain Muggah, of the latter, waving his hand in farewell to the Roddaui as his vessel sank with a terrific explosion. The British Royal Mail vSteanier Ksk, which called off Mar- tiniuue at \o P. M. May Sth, reports standing oflf shore five miles, sounding her whistle and sending up rockets. She received no answer. The whole sea front was blazing for miles. The Esk sent a boat aslioie, but it could not land on account of the terrific heat, which was accompanied by loud explosions. Not a living soul appeared ashore after the boat had waited for two hours. Fire and ashes fell all over the steamer. The first mate of the Canadian steamer Roraima, which was lost in the harbor at St. Pierre, thus describes the disaster : " Between 6.30 and 7 o'clock in the morning on May Sth, without warning, there came a sort of whirlwind of steam, boiling mud and fire, whicli suddenly swept the city and the roadstead. There were si)me eighteen vessels anchored in the harbor, includ- ing the Roraima, the Frencli sailing ship Tamaya, four larger 1 IMRMDrc'l |()\. u sailiiii,' ships and oIIkts. All the vessels inimediately canted over and hei^an to bum. The Tamaya was a bark from Nanles, Cap- tain Maurice, and was on lier way to Poinl-a-Pitre. All the boats except the Rorainia sank instantly and at the same moment. " Hvery house ashore was utterly destroyed and apparently buried under the ashes and bnruiiK^ lava. An officer who was Si-nt ashore penetrated but a short distance into the city. He found only a few walls standinj^ and streets literally paved with corpses. The Governor of the island, who had arrived only a few hours before the catastrophe, was killed." LIKE SODOM AND GOMORRAH. [l..\-CONSUL Tl'CKER -SAVS THAT THK MORALS OK IHK PEOPLE PRO- VOKKl) DIVINE WRATH. J " My first thoug^ht when I read of the destruction of St. Pierre was that it was simply the history of Sodom and Gomorrah repeated," said Colonel Julius G. Tucker, former United States Consul in Martinique. " The morals of the inhabitants of St. Pierre were very bad," he explained. "Good women were the exception among the natives. I cannot picture the vice and immoralit}' of that place vividly enough. It had to be seen to be understood." Colonel T-it :ei served the United States Government there fioni 1895 to 1899, having been appointed to the position by President Cleveland. " The people were simply like rats in a trap, and had no way to turn. We never thought of an eruption proceeding from the volcano. It seemed entirely extinct, and the fact that a little lake lay at the bottom of the crater led strength to this supposition. "The crater lays about twelve miles to the north and west of St. Pierre," h-^ s?^d. "And could be climbed after hard work. It was very steep with precipitous sides and rou-;h rocks and <2 INTKODL'CTION. lava beds. The craUT i)ro]Kr was about two liuiulrcd yards in diameter and eighty teet deep. At the bottom was tlie hike, eon- tainin^ elear, lim])id water. The slrani,^' part about this hike- was its unfathomable depth. All kinds of soundings we v tried, but no one ever succeeded in finding the bottmn. ALL SUPPLIES FROM AMERICA. " While I was Consul, I secured a jtleasanl little place on top of a mountain behind the city, where it was eoobr. The city was excessively hot, there being little bre<'/.e on the Caribbean Sea, and the breeze from the Atlantic Ocean being cut otT entirely by the mountain to which I refer. "There is only one industry on the island of Martinique — that of sugar raising. Surprising to state, no sugar is exported. It ,s all turned into rum and then shipped to France. Everything necessary to the life of the inhabitants is gotten from the United States, but nothing is exported to this country. Despite the fact tliat the manufacture of rum was the principal industry, the inhab- itants were never drunk. I ne\er saw a drunken native on the ishind during my entire stay. The only intoxicated persons I ever saw were foreigners. "There were verv few .\mericans on the island, and not a single (lerman. All countries are there represented except Ger- manv, nianv having both Consuls and \'ice Consuls. " The iuha!)itants of St. IMerre were very superstitions and excitable. I remember that during my stay two eartlujuakes occurred, but they lasted only several seconds. Everything rattled and shex^k, and the people ran out into the streets and began praving and crj-ing. The women screamed and fainted, and altogether excitement prevailed supreme. I cite this to give an idea of what must liave occurred when the disaster overtook the people and destroyed their city and their lives." INTRODUCTION. 48 On May lo, a message frcm St. Vincent, a iieigliburin).,^ British island, said : " The Soiifriere has been in a state of eruption for nine con- secutive mornings. On May Stli, the day broke with heavy thunder and lightning, which soon changed into a contin- uous, tremendous roar. Vast columns of smoke rose over the mountain, becoming denser and denser, and the scoria-like hail, changing later to fine dust, fell upon all the adjacent estates, de- stroying a vast amount of property. At Chateau Belair the ashes were two feet deep in the street. In Kingston they were fully an inch deep, and many large stones fell in the parish of George- town. "The earth shook violently and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon a midnight darkness spread over the country. Thirty people are known to have been killed and the damage to property in the windward district was very heavy." STORM ROARED ALL NIGHT. The storm roared about Soufriere all night without cessation, but on the following morning it became intermittent and fainter. A report from Barbadoes says f)n May 7 the sky was heavily overcast, the heat was excessive and there was a distant sound of thunder. Later, early in the afternoon, dense darkness set in and a great quantity of vivid dust fell and continued falling until a late hour. No damage is reported. The following cablegram was received from Governor Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, of Barbadoes : " The Soufriere volcano on St. X'iucent erupted violently yes- terday. Loud reports, resembling artillery fire, were heard at Barbadoes at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. At 5 o'clock there came darkness and thunder, accompanied by a strong downpour of dust, which coutintied until night. Barbadoes is covered several inches 44 IN IKUULCIIUN. i I dc'i-p \vitli .--.iii.-l-l'.- KtrinDed of tl'.eir limbs or forcibly uprooted ; roof-tiles from the mausiou, boards from the negro INT1C(M)1\ TIDX. 45 quaitcTs and hramlR'-. torn from trct-s wen- liurk'd tlirouj^'h the air. 'Phf door of tl.r case-a-VL ill v^roaiu-d on its liuijc hinj^cs, and strauu'd at tlic iron bars stretched across it. Tlie air williin the cave hecanir liot to sufforation ; ino.ans and cries arose from the tirrificd nc^-roes ; l)Ut liitle jose])!iiiie uttered not a word. Ch)se chisi»in;^^ her arms around her father's neck, and clins^in^ also to her mother's li.ind. she l.iy (|uiet and calm. FAMOUS PALM AVENUE DESTROYED. The hours ,,assed slowly; hut finally the door ceased to strain at it'=. fastenin,i.,'s. and M. Tascher commanded the liu^'e uej,M-o w l;o liad char-c of it to open it a little way. Carefully and .slowdy the holts were drawn and d:iylii;ht admitted. All was quiet without. 'IMie d irkness that had accoiiii)anied the storm, caused by the dense clouds and slieets of ram, had ocen dispelled by the sun, which was now shiuiujj; bri;^htly. The wind had died away to a mo.an; exhausted nature lay ]>rostrate, torn and bleedinj.,'. Hardly .1 tree u;is left staiidiu- ; hu;^^.,. ceibas, cedars and sapote trees had been uprooted and cast to the i^round. But the most mournful spectacle w.is the palm a\enue, for in place of the columnar Irnnks, with tlii ir waving; plumes, was a ratji^ed n.w of shattered stumps. The huts (.f the nei,'^roes, wdiich had been jrronped about the su-ar mill, were entirely destroyed, aiul soon a hundred (U'si)airin'.^ beiii'^s were ;^roi)in,^^ in their ruins. Rut the crowning desolation of :dl was tlu- total destruction of the Tascher mansion. ()iil\- the ,i.;reat suu;ar house remained standing of all tlu^ buildings iiertaining to the estate. To this structure the now homeh'ss faniilv directed their steps. Its walls were of stone some two feet in tliickness, its rafters heavy and covered with earthen 'iles, tlie doorways were broad, with granite lintLds. .\bovc the ground floor, where the machinerv was placed, were *wf) large chamber:.. The b^'ains supporting the floor were sound M IN I Kill 1 li 'S. •uul stronij. and tlic tlinir ii-^tlf intnct, .ind tlicic (lu- riini!\- tivik up tlu-ir ahddc. M. TaM-luT ilr La I'am ric \\v\vr nl)uilt llu- ^Mfat honsi-, and llin> t"ati\ nr tortiiiu', willed t'lal Joscphiiie should know no otluT plaii' of ri-sick'net,' wliili- slu- lived in Tiois-I lets, nnless xisitin^ at the lionse of a tVii-nd, or at seliool. l?nt she was to live to kn.ow still stran;^cr jilact's .it" abode ; tlie K'i'n Cannelite ])rison, till- stately jialaei' ol the 'i'uiUries and eheeifnl Malniaison, in whose '^Mrdi-ns she ehcii'-lud ihi' ])lants ot lier native isle. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S EXAMPLE EMULATED Follo\vin]^^ is tin- text <>( cable niessai^cs that passed between Presidents Roosc\ell and Lonbert on the Martiniqne disaster : '• W'ashinL'^ton, \[;i\ lo, 1902. " Mis excellenev, M. h'.niile Liint)crl, President of the French Repnblir, Paris : "I pray your l\\cellencv to accept the profonnd sympathy (if thv American pciplc in the appallint( calamity which lias come >ipon the people of Maitinii|Ue. "TH K( )1)(^)RH U( )OSKVELT." '' President Roosevelt : " 1 thank vour Excellenev for the expression of profonnd sympatliN' yon ha\c sent me in the name of the American peoplt on the occasion of the awful catastrophe at Martinique. The iMcnch people will certainly join me in thanks to the American people. "KMILK LOUBERT." Enij)eror William telegraphed to President Lonbert, in P'rench. as follows : " Profiiundlv moved by the news of the terrible catastrophe which has just overtaken St. Pierre, and which lias cost the lives ol nearly as many jiersons as perish ed at I'onipen. i hasten to offer I-'rance my most sincere svmpa'hv INTK()l>rcTH)N. 47 " Mnv tlir Alui ,Jily toiutoil llit-' licaiis of those who weup for tluii' irifparat)^' hissc'S. " My .\iiil):issa(l<>r will ifiiiit to your I%\(.flUiuy tin- sum of io,cxx) Ulark^ i<^,5(h')), in ni\- Inlialf, as a coutril)Uiiou im tlic ruliff of the aflliitcd." Prrsidcut Louhi It ii ]iliL'u toaccrpt ui\- warm thanks, and also the ^ralitiulc of the victims whom \ ou ]iro])ost- to succor." The C/ar teh-^raplud to President Loul)ert, expressing,'- the sincere s\nii)ath\ of himself and the C/arina, who share with h'rance ih<' sorrow catised h\ tln' lerrihle West Indian catastrophe. ROOSEVELT RUSHES RELIEF. ( )n Monday the C<»mmereial Cahle Comi)an\- announced that eommunication with Martini(|ue is open \ia A/ores and Lishou, and made the followini,^ annonucemeut showin;;' the tortuous and expensive course neeessar\- to get word froiu the strickeu people : " In sending a cahle message tVoni Martinicpie to New York it mr.st jiass from h'ort-de-I-" ranee to Paramariho, 777 miles ; Para- UKuiho to Cavenut', ::-7 ; Cayeuue to Para, 562 ; Para to Per- n;unl)Uco, 1,27:!; Peruamhuco to .St. N'incent, 1,862 ; .St. \'inccut to Madeira, i,2')S ; Madeira to Lishou, 62') ; Lishou to I'ayal, i,U)o; Fayal to New York, \ia Causo, 2,552. Total, 10,276 miles. " Ordinarih- the cahle route to Martiuiciue is 2.262 miles, and the time recjuired for delivery of a message from three to five minutes. Now, the cahle company says, it takes two hours to deliver a message in Martinicpie or in New York, us the case may be. The cahle toll is Si.ug per word." On Mondaw May 12, important government work at Wash- id IN iRttni i:rii>N- ! -liTtoii was practically suspended that the ships with supi^iics might be despatched promptly. President Roosevelt's enll.u- siasm, to which was added the hearty coH^peration of three mem- bers of his Cabinet, set the machinery of the GovernnRUt hnnimii.i; on that day in providing measures for the relief of the stricken survivors of the Martinique catastrophe. From early tha: morning until after the close of the official business day, there were more lively times at the White House and in certain bureaus of the Departments of the Treasury, War and the Navy. When the President and his busy subordinates finished their work they had the satisfaction of knowing that nothing within the province of the Administration had been left undone to further the work of humanitv in the devastated island. ROOSEVELT GOES RIGHT A.T IT. The French Ambassador, who called on President Roosevelt in the forenoon to deliver a message of thanks from the President of France for the sympathy expressed by this Government and to ask Mr. Roosevelt to assist in extending succor to the people of Martinique, learned that plans had already been set afoot to lend a strong hand in the work of relief. The direct result of the Ambassador's visit was the transmission of a message to Congress by President Roosevelt, asking that $500,000 be appropriated for the purchase of rcdief supplies and expense of their transportation and distribution. In his special message to Congress, he says : " One of the greatest calamities in history has fallen upon our neighboring island of Martinique. The Consul of the United ,St.ites at (Guadeloupe has telegraphed from Fort-de-France, under (laic n( Mav u, that the disaster is complete : that the city of St. Pierre has ceased to exist, and that the American Cmsul and his familv have perished. He is informed that thirty thousand people have lost their lives, and that f, ft v thousand are homeless and INTkuULCllON. VJ I hungry; that there is urgent need of all kinds of provisions, and that the visit of vessels for the work (S supply and rescue is imperatively recpiired. " The Government of France, while expressing their thanks for the marks of sympathy which have reached them from America, 'inf.)rm us that Fort-de-France and the entire island of Martinique are still threatened. They, therefore, request that, for the purpose of rescuing the people who are in such deadly peril and threatened with starvation, the Government of the United States may send, as soon as possible, tl:e means of transporting them from the stricken island. The island of vSt. Vincent, and, perhaps, others in that region are also seriously menaced by the calamity which has taken so appalling a form in Martinique. " I have directed the departments of the Treasury, of War i'ud of the Nav, to *ake such measures for the relief of these stricken peoples as lie within the executive discretion, and I earnestly commend this case of unexampled disaster iu the gener- ous consideration of the Congress. F'or this purpose I recommend that an appropriation of ;J50o,ooo be made, to be immediately availing. "THEODORE ROOSEVELT. "White Housk, Washington, May 12, 1902." CONGRESS ACTS PROMPTLY. After the message was received in the House Mr. Hemenway (Rep. Ind.) presented the vSenate bill for the relief of sufferers by the volcanic disaster in the French West Indies, with a substi- tute uuaninKiusly recommended by the Committee on Appropria- tions, incrv^'iising the appropriation from $ilX),ooo to j^2cx),ooo. Mr. Hemenway said this action was taKen by the committeeiu view of the n'essage from the President recommending that $500,- 000 be appropnaled. Lieiieious coiiLi ibuLioUb weie beiug uiLniirby 4 MAR CO INTRODUCTION. the people of the United States, and the cc.nimiuee believed that $200,000 would be sufficient at least for the present. Should it prove to be insufficient he had in. doubt Cm-ress would increase the amount. But prompt action was necessary if the people to be affected were to be relieved and rescued at all. Mr. Underwood, of Alabama, a-ain expressed his objection to the proposed legislation. Members did not stand in the House to legislate upon their sympathies, or upon their heartstrings. The suffering people, victims of the recent disa -r. were subjects of the great and powerful republic of 1< ranee, a r. ilioii whose proud boast it had alwavs been that it wis able to take care of its own people. Congress had no right to be generous with the money of the people whom it represented. THE NATIONS SYMPATHY. Mr. McRae. of Georgia, said he was glad to believe that the people of the United States were willing that Congress should not only express their sy.npathy with suffering, but that they were willing that Congress should extend the proposed relief. He hoped that the bill would be passed unanimously, but if that could not be done, that it should be passed speedily. [Applause.] Mr. Livingston, of (k-orgia. said that it had been the practice of the United States ever since the Reimblic was established, to extend aid to the suffering, even to the uttermost parts of the earth, and he did not believe that the policy would now be re- versed. [Applause.] The bill was passed— iq6 to 9. The negative votes were cast by Messrs. Clayton of Alabama, Burgess and Lanliam of Texa.s, Gains, Moon and Suodgrass of Tennessee, Tate of Georgi.a, Un- derwood of Alabama, and Williams of Mississippi. Soon after the bill was passed the Senate received a message from the House announcing the passage by that body of a sub- I [NTKolU I , KJN. 51 stilutc for the Seiiriti.' hill fur the rt-liefof the citizens of the French West Indies, increasin.i,^ the appropriation from $100,000 to $200,- cxx). The snl)stitute was laid before the Senate and was immedi- ateh' passed. Mr. Culloni referred to the President's message recommending an .ippropriation of $500,000 and said that the Committee on Forei^ni Relations, to which the message was referred, would report on it the next day. PREPARATIONS TO SEND RELIEF. A dozen other tliins^s were done during the da}' by the Presi- dent and his assistants U> show how thoroughly their sympathies had been enlisted bv the distress of the people of Martinique. The following enumeration of what has been done by the Gov- ernment shows how thorough is the scheme of relief. The naval training ship Dixie t)rdered to sail immediately from Brooklyn with relief supplies — $70,000 worth of food, $5000 worth of medicine, $20,000 worth of clothing, blankets and shel- ter tents, three army Surgeims and one army Commissary, with $5000 to s])eiid, to go cm the Dixie ; the naval ccdlier vSlLrling ordered to load with stores at Sau Juan, Porto Rico, and jiroceed to Martinique; the naval training ship Buffalo, nl Brooklyn, ordered to get ready to takeimore supplies ; two naval water ships ordered to get ready for carrying fresh water to the sufferers; vessels of the United States Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Survey placed at the disposal of the War Department for carrying su'pplies or to take away survivors ; the UuitedStates 'cruiser Cincinnati sails from San Domingo for Martinique to take a^va}' .surviv )rs and render other assistance ; United States naval tug Potomac sails from vSan Juan, Porto Rico, for Martinique to take awa}' survivors and render other assistance ; National Red «Cross asked to co-operate. I" ruui liiis Liiiiiueriiiiur it wui uc seen IHS.! i'lCSiQciil i\.i»os>e- 52 INTKOUUCTION. velt luul a i)usy day. It was also a busy clay for Secretary of the Navy Moody, who .i^ot to his office when a ^ood many of his employees were just gettini; out of bed, and prepared to c.mtinue the K^ood work he had l.e-un in ordering the Cincinnati to >,Iar- tinic^ue, authori/iuK the Commandant at San Juan to send the Potomac there, and directint,^ that the Dixie be made ready for sea. Secretary of War Root had directed Commissary-Ck-neral Weston, Ouartermaster-Oeneral Ludington and Surgeon-General Sternberg to order the concentration of supplies at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for shipment on the Dixie. Secretary of the Treasury Shaw sent notice to the proper officers of his Department to get revenue cutters and coast survey vessels in readiness for instant presidp:nt superintends the work. When President Roosevelt went to his office Monday moniii.g he had made up his miiul personally to superintend thi- arrange- ments for furnishing assistance to the people of Martinique. The first thing he did was to direct Secretary Cortelyon to inform the Secretaries of the Treasury, War and Navy what he xvaiited done. Mr. C<«rtelyou promptly sent this identical note to each ot the three Cabinet (jfficers : "The President directs me to express to you his wi.sh that y(mr Department go to the furthest limits of executive discretion ill the work of relief and rescue in the afflicted islands of the Caribbean." It will be noticed that the relief measures contemplated by the President were not specifically restricted to Martinique, and it is understood that if St. X'incent or any other stricken community :ieed»d assistance it was to be furnished. In fact, the in.strnctions to Comuiaiidi r McLean of the Dixie, which were mailed by the Xavy DLpaitiuenl that evening, permitted him to call at any of tlie lirilidi islands where relief may l)e necessary. IXTKoOVCnON. 53 The pR'sideiit learned early throiij^h Secretary Hay that Thomas T. i'rt'itis, of Melrose, Mass., the United States Consul at vSt. Pierre, Mrs. Prentis and their two daughters had lost their lives in the Martinique disaster. He learned also from the same source that thirty thousand people had lost their lives and that lll'ty thousand were iiomeless. This news came to Secretary Hay from Louis H. Aymc, United States Consul at Guadeloupe, who left there on the loth for Martinique under instructions to ascer- tain the fate of the Prentis faniil}* and report conditions. Mr. Ayme's message, the substance of which was given by the Presi- dent in his special message to Congress was as follows: "The disaster is complete — the city wiped out. Consul Prentis and his family are dead. Governor says thirty thousand have perished ; fifty thousand are homeless and hungry. He suggests that the Red Cross be asked to send codfish, flour, beans, rice, salt meats and biscuits as quickl}- as possible. Visits of war ves.sels valuable." IMPERIALISTIC IN CHARITY. P'eeliiig confident that Congress would not neglect his appeal tor authority to render assistance to the suffering islanders, Presi- dent Roosevelt decided not to wait until an appropriation bill had heeu passed, but to order the immediate selection from the stores ot supplies to the amount of $100,000, that being the sum author- ized by the measure which passed tlie Senate and was delayed in the Plouse on objection by Representative Underwood of Ala- bama. By his personal direction Secretary Root, the Subsistence, Quartermaster's and Medical Departments of the army were ordered to get the.se supplies ready for shipment on the Dixie, and by the time the relief resolution was passed by both houses the actual work of concentrating medicine, food, clothing, &c., at Biooklyn for shipment on the relief vessel was well under way. ;')4 INTROUUlTION. b I' The wisdom o!" i^cci ftary Mooc'y's (Uci.sioii to order the Dixie to prepare for .sea was shown later, wlieii the President decided to send relief sup])lies. Two days were j^ained by Mr. Moody's foresij^ht. In response to the demand for more relief vessels, Mr. Moody sent instrnetions to the Commandant of the Brooklyn Na\ y Yard to have the trainini^ ship Hnffalo put in condition to proceed to Martiniciue, and to the Commandant of the San Jnrn Naval Station to load the l)iL!: collier Sterlinj; with (Juarter- niaster's stores and start for the devastated island wlien she had completed loading. TUG POTOMAC SAILED FOR MARTINIQUE. The first news which the Xa\y Department had that the tug Potomac had gone to Marlinicpie came two days later from ''.\i]> tain Yates vStirling, the Commandant at tlie San Jnan Naval Station. His telegram said that she sailed the day before. On the twelfth the Department got a telegram from Lieutenant Ben- jamin McCormack, the Potomac's commander, dated Island of Dominica, reporting his arrival there and that he was leaving immediately for Martinicpie. Rear Admiral Royal B. Bradford, Chief of the Bureau of Eqnipnient, who showed in the Spanish War that he was a resourceful officer, demonstrated again that he was alive to the reciuirements of an emergency, by suggesting to vSecretary Moody that fresh water for drinking puri^oses be sent to Martinique. He not only made this suggestion, but oflered to furnish means to carry it out. His idea was among the fust to be laid before the President and tiie Cabinet by Secretary Moody, when the relief plans were perfected. Admiral Bradford's suggestion was embodied in this memorandum for Secretary Moody : "It has occurred to the Bureau that the refugees from the isUuul of Martinicpic may sufici for the want of good water. INTKoDL'CriUN. 66 Natunilly surface water will he strmigly impregnated with sul- phur and therefore unsuitable for drinking purposes. There is a good water barge at Key West, with a capacity of 175,000 gallons ready for immediate use. There is another one at Nor- folk, with a capacity of 4(^0,000 gallons, ready for immediate nse. They might be towed at once to whatever locality is selected for a camp for the refugees. They can be refilled at Kingston, Jamaica, or Cai)e Haytien, Hayti, where there is an abundance of good water." Colonel William H. Michael, Chief Clerk of the State Depart- ment, who is a member of the Executive Board of the National Red Cross, reported that arrangements were being made for a spe^'ial meeting of the bt)ard to devise means for distributing relief to the people of Martinique. Miss Clara Barton, President of the Nati(mal Red Cross had left Washington for Russia to attend the Convention of the Red Cross Organization of the World. Brigadier-General John M. Wilson, United States Army, retired, is First \'ice-President of the National Red Cross. Gen- eral Wilson was in Washington. ROBBING THE DEAD. The following dcsixatch reached the United States by way of London, Wednesday, May 14th :— The incineration and bury- ing of Lhe dead at St. Pierre is still going on, but nnder great difficulties. The only men engaged in it are French soldiers. A small squad of them is at work. The entire atmosphere of the ])lace is so saturated with the stench that the burial parties are made ill by it. The men can only work for a hhort time at a stretch. In spite of the horrors of the place thieves are penetrating it, robbing the dead and digging in the ruins for treasure. Over Mont Pclee there still hangs a great cloud of smoke. Xi-i^^ *^llll7LH./ll \.\J llLi. Lk %.i.^>J »Vlti-». ^ll.l.i.1 1 , I 1 1 1 7 L 1 . !,„1..-..-^ ?.-,-.-~.^ 6*-. i\ I Ki mr. 1 i(»M. ■ > 1 A (k "-patch rrmii Lon Ion ivcvivL-d tlit- same (lav said that Mont VvlCv \\a^ --till in (.riiption. I^'iirtlicr disasters aiv iVan'd. AiiotlKT di.'S])alch from Foit-dc-I'Vaiuc says that persons returninij from St. Pierre rc|xirt that the hiotiny; of the dead in tliat place had he.^nn. It is stated that the authorities are jjayinK little attention to the cremation or burial of the bodies of the victims. The tuj^'^ Potomac, which was despatched from Porto Rico by the United vStates Xav\- Department, cruised alons:j the coast. vShe encountered a dense cloud of black smoke and was obliged to go five miles out of her course to avoid it. POTOMAC CATCHES LOOTERS, While on her way to l""ort-de-France the Potomac picked up a small open boat in which were five negroes and a white man. Thev all had their pockets stuffed witli gold and jewels, which they had stolen at vSt. Pierre. Lieutenant McCormack, the com- mander of the Potomac, ])laced the men under arrest and subse- quently turned them over to the commander of the French cruiser Suchet. The only ])ersons employed in burying the dead at vSt. Pierre are a small detachment of French soldiers. A des])atch to the " Daily Mail " from l""ort-de-France, dated Mav 1.2, and cabled In' wav of Pinheiroand Pcrnambuco, describes the correspondent's eighty-mile journe}' from Guadeloupe to Mar- tinique, where he arrived Sunday- morning. Mont Pelee was shrouded in a dull violet-colored liaze, which extended a mile above the mountain. The ha/e had assumed the shape of a giant mushroom, and its outer edges, where it caught the sun, sliowed a beautiful amber tint. Three miles from the land the ocean was strewn with wreckage. Many corpses were seen floating, on wiiich sea bmi.s aiu! sharks were preying. I INTRODrCTKIN. 67 The correspondent's boat reached the \ illaj^e of Precheur, a few miles nortli of St. Pierre, and it was fonnd that the jdace had been partly destroyed by fire. The few reniaininj^ inhabitants on the shore begj^cd to be taken off. They were told that help was on the way to them, and the boat proceeded. When off St. Pierre it was .seen that all that remained of the city were lonj? rows of ruined walls, plastered with volcanic mud. A nauseating odor came off from the shore. The boat hailed the mail steamer Solent, which was in the roadstead, and the latter directed the correspondent how to land. In many places tens and scores of victims were seen in a single mass. Here and there fires were still burning. A despatch to the " Express" from St. Thomas says that the Danish cruiser Valkyrien, rescued 500 survivors on the northeast coast of Martinique. The French cruiser Suchet rescued 2000, and the cable ship Pouyer Quertier a large number. All were conveyed to Fort-de-France. Only one life is known to have been saved in vSt. Pierre, that of a prisoner in jail. The French bank transferred all its funds and books to the cruiser Suchet before the catastrophe. SOME NOT KILLED OUTRIGHT. A despatch from Fort-de-PVance states a servant named Laurent, who was employed by a family in St. Pierre, was among the survivors who were taken to the hospital at Fort-de-France. , The physicians did everything in their power to save the life of the woman, but she was horribly burned and their efforts were in vain. Despite her injuries she was conscious and told what little she knew of the disaster. She said that she w.is going about her duties as usual last Thursday morning when suddcnl3- she heard a terrific explosion. She was so badly frightend that she fainted, aud while in this condition she was terribly burned. She remained J^^ iNTRonri riDN, UIR-OUSC1..US Inr a loUK U'lu-, hut ultimately Rovirid her SCUM.-S. Slu- tluMi saw two nicmlKTs ot* tlic family in which she was cmplove.l who were still alive, hul frightfully l.urne.l. They died before assistauee could reach theui. The wouiau stated that .>he had uo further kuowled.u^e of the catastrophe, and shortly after telliu- her story she died. The cable steamer Pouyer Ouertier has distributed large quantities of provisions anions^^ the sufferers. ACCES TO THE TOWN NOW EASIER. An undated despatch from Fort-de-l- ranee says that access to St. I'ierre had been easier since the catastrophe. No signs of fire were then visible. At the mouillage evervlhing appeared scattered ashy a tornado. Th- ir.m gates of the Custom House are standing. The inm beds that were used in the hospital are twisted by the great heat, but d.. not bear any other signs of fire. The bed clothes and other textiles ha\e coiuiiletely disapiieared. Two thousand corpses were found on the streets, most of the In.dies lying fare downward- The centre of the town and the fort are buried under several yards oi cinders. In the neighborhood of the creek several houses were finmd intact, but their inmates were dead, their hodies looking as though thev had been struck by lightning. M. Decrais, Minister for the Colonies, received the following despatch from I'ort-de-lMauce, Martinic[ue, signed by M.L'Huerre, Secretary-C.eneral of the C.overnment of Martinicpie : "The perimeter ravaged includes Carbet, Precheur and Ma- couha. I'.asse Poinle is also damaged. Precheur has been anuihilatrd and it is believed the same fate has befallen Grande Ki\iere and ^blcouba. I.N IK' iin t I IM\. M " Sc'n;it(ir Kiiit^ht l.imk'd ;it I'l \t luiir and Imiitd four hiuidrcd ()n(lifs, Hf !)!()ti^lil' llie sni\i\i)is to l'"ort-(li-l'"raiiLo \ csU-rday. 'riu' work of the coiiiinaiuKr ot" tin- Siuliel is alnnr prai.se. The thivc children of Oovcnior Mouttit will sail ou []\v mail sli-aiiier on J u IK' I, for iMancf. 'riicy will !)(.■ accompanied hy M. Mullc*- Governor MouiUl's thief in the Cal)inet." GHASTLY TEASTS FOR SHARKS. ^[. Deerais has reeeived the follouini;- despateh, dated I'ort- (le-Franee, Martini<|iie, Ma\' i.>: '" There are only twelve surxivors at the military hospital lure, whereas there are 3( ),()i to corpses strewn at St. Pierre beneath the ruins or afloat on the waves, where the sharks are devouring them. "Twenty of the dying, who wire half calcined, were brought here. Uf this numl er sixteen ha\e already died. " On Sunday the island was hid beneath a thick veil of mist of a leaden color. The sea was strewn with wreckage of ships, dwellings and trees and cor])ses. .Above the latter sea fowl hover around. Occasionally there is a breeze, alternately burning and icy. "The ruins of St. Pierre continue to ])urn. The air is filled with odor of burning flesh. No house is intact. Ivvcrywhere there are masses of wood, hot cinders ;ind xolcanic stones. The streets have disappeared. The corjjses lie nearly all face downward. "On one spot the bodies of twenty-two men, women and children lie huddled together near a wall, with their arms and legs protruding. A small rivulet flows where once was the Place Bertin. This is all tliat remains of the Goyave River. Large trees twisted by fire lie with their roots ui)ward beneath a nia.ss of rubbish, from which emerges the arm of a white woman. 5 I 11 ^ IN IKdlil < I li>N. ••ItMpiuais lli.it tlir Nolcanu ti.mnt r..iil;iiii' '1 pMiMMi.-u-. ^asi's. All tlu vutiniN w Im have Iniii t..nn.l ai-pauntlv r-S' ivd tlu'ii nidullr. ill nrcK-r In asnid death !•> Mill. .cat u.ii. '• AH tli..sr win. ueiv saved e<.me tn.ni iui:.;lil...iin,- -.illa-es. \'..t a siii^l^- -^oiil ^^-'^ '^■'^^■'1 '■■'"" ^^- '''^■'■'■'' il^*-''"-"' ST. VINCENT STKICKEN. The f.-llowiii- dislie-iii- de.spalehe.s ji-.trnd int.. the riuled States (111 \\'edliesda\-, the l-ltli : — CaSTKIKS, St. 1-iuia. May i ,Uh.- " Ad\ iee> lia\i' just reached here fnmi St, \'ii. '• ].laeiii.u tli^' l"''^ "'" 'i''^' "' ^l'-'' '■"''""' ''>' ihf enij-.tioii of La SnitViere at ioiki." St. Th()M\s. 1). \V. I., M.iv i.Uh.— "The latest advices tha' have reached here fnun the i-^laiul ..t" St. \iiieeiit ..iily add t.. the h.-rrors of the situati.m there. It xvas tlu-u-ht uheii the news of the disaster first became known that, thoti.uh tlu- material loss would be heavy, the death list would not be very 1 ir.^e ; but it is now known that up t.. the inescit time the fatalities ninnbcr 7.^), and K^rave fears are entertained tl it the list is lu.t yet cimiplete. "La .Sonfriere continues to emit tire and cinders, and u is thought that the erui)tion will not eease until M..nl Pelee, m Martiniciiie, becomes quiescent." London, ^hly i 3lh.— " Th.e; > 'i- ccmsiderabU anxiety here as to tlie condition of affairs ..11 llie Hrilish island of St. N'incent. The kitest news wliieh was received about thirty-six hours a.^o, was to the effeet that La Sonfriere was still in eruption. Since then no definite news has l)een reeeived in official (luarlers. The latest infiir'mation was that the northern part of the island was cut off from the .southern end by enormous sUeams of lav.i and that lioats" crews were unable to land." M,. ,,,1, — "'rill- r)nii-,h iMiiiser Valkvrien has rescued five hundred refugees from points alou- \ IN I Ki <:>[> IHiN. 61 thr iii:i-t iti iIk' iiuriii ami unit Ih-.isIc'HI ]i;irts of the island of Mai I iiiKjiir. '■'i'iir li( lull LMinlmat Siulut, w liosf officers and crew nave l)tcii wciil.iiiv, Ik KiicalK- siiur llic disaster overtook St. Pierre, hasMMUid ji'ix) ])iTsoii<. l'<\ervliod\ ahoaidtlie little warship is iiiMi 1 \ f \liau' i( (1, liiit llif vessel liaidiv arrives at I*ort-de I'laiu.' Willi sill \i\ (lis heliiie all hands are ea^er to a^ain set out oil t lu-ir work nf iiierc\'. "The l'"niieii calile steamer Pon\er Qnertier has also assisted in tin- \Miik ut risi lie and has taken all the snrviv irs that she ]iiekeil iipt) I'll! t (le-!*'i aiue. w lieie the otliei \essels have also landed all tliosr tlle^• re tiled. "All the li.iiise aeeomniodation at I'ort-de-lM ance was taken up da\s aL;() Lai^i- iinmliers of the siir\ivors are occupying tents liirnislicd I)y the ( 'loxeinment.bnt the crowds of refugees are so lari^^e that many are CMiiipelled to shift fir themselves as best tin \- can." STENCH FROM ROTTING CORPSES. Tlie Stench tnnii the bodies in the ruins of the town is- intolerable The scene of desolation in c^t. Pierre aud for milei' around is be\i)nd the power Inistini^'-" uu'tl-.ods iu o.'irrviu,u:- (.u liis iidiuiuistratiiin, tlR-\' uiiijlil li;i\c fnuud m>uu' c-dufii luatiou ul tlicir coutcutiou. The Pi\'si(k'ul did uot "bust" nuy wild horses, hut he tore into little bits a laru^e aniouut ot' utfieial vvd tape, aud broke dowu a few ti'^urative fences tliat under other aduiiuistratious uiiglii ha\e retarded the pro:^ress of liis intention to ^'t relief to the scene of tile West Indian catastroidn' witli the least jiossible delay. In doin^ thesi- thini^s his trainiuj; as Assistant vSecretary of the Na\\' serxfd him in ydcid stead. APPEALS FROM RED TAPE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. The most '.nportant ihiuL; the President did was to issue an a])peal to the peojde of the United v'^lates to send i)ri\ate contribu- tions to connn'tiees named b\- liim fir tl" assistance ot the surviving inhaldtauts of Martini(|Ut' and St X'incent, and in addition to the ph asnre of signing the act a})propriating $2CK3,(X)0 foi relief measures, the cNpeuditure of uearl\- every cent of which had been pro\ideil for bef ire the act had even passed tlie House, 'n)e had the satisfaction of knowing ll.at the Sen..te had adopted an addition d nieasuie to increase the relief fund to the lialf million dollars asked for b\- the President in his special message. The ai)i)eal was issued at the end of a Cabinet meeting lasting three hours. It is as follows : "The Pre-ident a]^pointed a committee of eminent .Americans tliss, Treasurer of the NeA' York committee, which committee acted as the ceiitr.il distributing i)oint <^ V llilL ',>■ I INiROUUCTlOy. B3 Tlic President directed ;i!l the postmasters throng-hout the country, and requested the presidents of all the national banks, to act as agents for the collection of contributions, to forward the same at once lo Mr. Bliss at New York. The postmasters were also directed to rcj)ort to the Postmaster-General, within ten days, any funds collected on this account. QUICK CHARITY NEEDED. The President appealed to the public " to contribute gen- erously for the relief of those upon whom this appalling calamity had fallen, and asked that the contributions be sent in as speedily as possible." The men designated on the several committees are recjuested to act at once. I^illowing were the committees : New York — The Hon. Cornelius N. Bliss, treasurer; Morris K. Jessup, John ClafH:\ Jacob vSchiff, William R. Corwine. Boston— .\ugustus Hemenway, Dr. Henry S. Pritchett, Henry Lee H' ^inson. Philadelphia— Charles Emory Smith. Provost Charles C. Harri.son, Joseph G. Darlington, Clement A. Griscom, John H. Couvers. Baltimore — James A. Gary. Washington— Charles C. Glover. P-nsburg— A. J. Logan, H. C. P'rick. Buffalo— John G. Milburn, Carlt(m Sprague. Cleveland— Myron T. Herrick, vSamuel Mather. Cincinnati— Jacob G. Schm"^\ipp, Briggs S. Cunningham. Chicago— J. J. Mitchell, iarvin Hughitt, Marshall Field, C.raeme Stewart. Milwaukee— F. G. Bigelow, Charles F. Pfi.ster, Fred Pabst. Minneapoli.s— Thomas Lowry and J. J. Shevlin. St. P, al— Kenneth Clark and Theodore Schurmeir. Detroit— Don ^L Dickinson. 64 1\ i'KC'DUCl loN'. St. Louis— Charles Parsons, Adolphus Bush aud Robert S. Bookiiij^s. Louisville— Thomas Bullitt. Atlauta— R.obe;-t ]. Lowry. Kansas Cit\ — \V. P. Clark and Charles Campbell. Omaha— John C. Wharton and \'ictor B. Caldwell. Denver— D. H. Moffatt. San Francisco— Mayor Sclunitz, George A. Newhall, A. Shar- doro, R >bert J. Tobin, Henry T. vScott, A. A. Watkins. New Orleans— The Hon. Paul Cipdevielle, Mr. I. L- Lyons, Mr. S. T. Walmsley. THE CABINET AT WORK. A good part <«f this extra-long Cabinet session was taken up in considering relief measures. It was realized by Mr. Roosevelt and his advisers, after a brief review of the situation, the $200,000 appropriated by Congress was entirely t(X) small to carry out the comprehensive plans of the Government. The cost of provisions, medicine aud other s.ipplies already ordered sent to St. Pierre is nearly equal to the full appropriation, and as the latest news from St. Vincent indicated that much distress prevails there, an addi- tional expenditure for relief will be required. President Roosevelt aud his Cabinet were determined not to undertake any half-way measures, and they were anxious to give to the stricken people uf the British island the same degree of succor that had been deemed necessary for its French neighbor. On account (if the advantageous geographical situation of this country to Martinicjue and St. Vincent the United States Government was in better position than P^igland or France to send assistance to tile West Indian eiilouies of those nations, and the President was going ahead on tlu' idea that diph)matic formalities, such as offering ; ;, 1, .-.1.1 L;^ j; „.-_,...„. J ...;»i. 'lie 1.1 i PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE MARTINIQUE BBLIBF COMXITTE£ J. H. CONVERSE, PHiLA. J. G. DARLINGTON, phil*. C. A. GRISCOM, phila. C. N. BLISS, NEW YORK J. Q. MILBURN. buffalo C. E. SMITH, phila H. C. l-RiCt*, PITT8BUHQ 0. M. CICKINSON, DETROIT J. A. GARY, BALTIMORS M. J. HERRICK. CLEVELAND V^yA I O) hi ai O UJ UJ UJ UJ (0 ;» i I 111 D O Z H cc < UJ X oc UJ Q. I- (0 cc < UJ z (0 -I < Q. U. o UJ Z UJ > < Ml ■ D g z I- < UJ Ui a H 0) flC < UJ z UI > o oc C3 UJ -J a. Q. < UJ z 'I ■ lil II i; CIIAl'TlvR r. Ai'Ai.i.iNi; CAi..\Mri'\- i\ rill'. Islands <>i- M aktinkji-h and St. X'iNCi'.NT.— 'I'k \r.\c 1)i;ai'ii or M \\ n' 'I'lhus w ds < ii' I'l-;- 'rLi:. l)i:s(.kii'ri().\ ()!•■ ■nil; Islands.- I'*Ki(;iiiii l Sci..ni.s 'u.- I.t,. V \S'V\'l'H >s. 'X'lvN'S ol llunisaiuls (if nun, UDnifii and (.liildrcr swept to siul- * (Itii (k-ulli. I')cautifiil c-itiLS hurit-d in a tVw ininntr-, iukU r an appallini( downiionr ot" hot (.■iiuk-rs, aNius and stRMins ot' la\a. Scenes ot .snfffiini; and devastation that l)e;..;;.4ar description. ( )nr whole country and the rest of the civili/ed woild horrified hv tht- appalling news of the ,i,nealesl calamity in many centnries. Siuh is the tragic stcn-y of .Martinicjne and other portions of the fair West Indies. There have been many disasters bv ilocxl and the in recent times, bnt none to etjnal this. The Johnstown calamity was on a tar less scale. The dreadfnl (kiKestoii flood did not lesnlt in ;.n eighth part of the loss of life that has visited St. Pierre and other cities whose doom has been sealed by this dire calamity. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as it were, a mnltitnde of hnnian beings were jjlnnged into the jaws of death. Fine resi- dences shared the fate of the hnmbler dwellings of the jjoor. IJnild- ings devoted to business, churches, markets, ships in the harbor, all were consumed by the ruthless rain of fire. The news of the overwhelming disaster came as a shock to people everywhere. Bulletin boards in all our cities were sur- rounded by eager crowds to obtain the latest reports. Many who had friend- in the stricken island were kept in suspense resjx'ct- ing their tate. With bated breath was the terrible calamity talked about, and in every part of our country committees of relief were immediately foraied. The magnitude of the disaster gr-w from day to day. Every fresh report added to the intelli- ,1.^ — 1.. 5-M.\R 66 I I 1?-i M TRAcir KiArii 111 I ii(ii>,.\M.-; (ii noriK s;ui(l^ of the iiilKil)U.iiUs in llif Wc-sl Iiulus had Ihimi sut])! <.ut l)t cvislfiKt'. In order that the reader may have an inlelliKent uiulerstand- iug of the cahnnitv dejtieled in this \;ards their physical fvatures, their produces and iheir inhahitants. Martini(ine, one of tlie W'e-'l. India islands, beloiiKMnK' I" ^^"^ chain of tlie Lesser AntilK-., and constituting; a I"remh colon}-, lies ^,3 miles south of Do.ninica and 22 north of Saint Lucia, riie greatest length is 45 miles, the mean width ig; and the sur- face comprises nearly 400 scjuare miles. ,\ cluster ot volcanic mountains near the n< rtli end, a similar group in the south and a line of lower heii.hts between them, form the backbone J the island, which culminates in the northwest in Mont Pelee (4430 feet), and has altogether a much more irregular and strongly marked relief than it presents to the eye — the deep ravines and precipitous escarpments with whi'-h it abounds being reduced iu appearance to gentle undulations by the drapery of the forests. DEEP AND DESTRUCTIVE TORRENTS. Of the numerous streams which traverse the few miles of countrv between the watershed and the sea, about seventy or eighty are oi considerable size, and in the rainy season become deep and often destructi\ e torrents. The east coast of the island, exposed to the full sweep of the Atlantic, is a succession of inlets, headlands, islands and rocks ; the south coast is much more regular, but bold and steep ; and the west alone presents, iu the bay of Fort de Fr;'.nce, a stretch of mangrove swamp. Of the total area, about 83,990 acres are under cultivation, 83,843 occupied by forests and savanna and 08,83 7 by fallow. On an average, 47,440 acres are devoted to the sugar crop, i?go to coffee, 640 to cotton and 1660 to cocoa. The mean annual tem- perature is 81' in the coast region, the monthly mean for June being 83, and that of January 77°. Of the annual rainfall of 87 inches, August has the heaviest share (ii.j, inches), thotigh TR\f;i( niATH (>y THC)f-..\Niis or imoimi: «7 llu- !.iin\ si;i.s<)ii rxte ui,> lioiii J mu- U> ( )i.i<.1ri ; Maiili, llic Inwi'st, has 3,". Maitiiiiciuc i-iijo, s ;i itiiuirkalik- iiiiimiiiitv fnnu liunicaiics ; halt a (.(.•nliir\- may j)ass without .-erioiis disaster fioin such a visita- tion. Thf great mass of tlie p( _ i latioii consists of Creole iiei^roes ami half-castes of various j^rades, ranyiui;- from the '' Saccatra," alio has liardh- retained auv trace of Caucasian blood, to the .'.o-ialK(l "San^niele," with his mere sus))ici()n of nei^ro cum- in i.\ line. I'ort (le h' ranee, the capital, stands on a bay on the west coast. Since the earthcjuake of 1S3Q nearly all the houses are of Mood, and ha\e only one story ; the streets are laid out with i;reat re.L^ularity. .\n abundant suppl\- of water was introduced in 1.S56. St. Pierre, the commercial centre of the island, lies farther uortli on the same coast. It consists of a U)wer and upper town, the one close and unhealtliy, and the other for the must part weJl paved and pleasant. INHABITANTS OF MARTINIQUE. Martinique, also called Madina or Matiuinu, was discovered l)y Culumbus, i5lh June, 1502. It was at that time inhabited by Caribs, whu had expelled or incurporated an older stock. In 1635 a Xorman captain, D'Enambuc. from St. Christupher's, tuok pus- .^essiou o( the island, and in 1637 his nephew, Duparquet, became captain-general uf the coluny. In 1654 welcome was given to three Jews expelled from Brazil, and by 1658' there were at least five thousand pieople, exclusive uf the Caribs, whu were soon after exterminated. Purchased by the French Government from Dnparquet'.s children, Martinique was assigned to the West India Company, but in 1674 it became part of the nn'al domain. The French iandliolders at first devoted themselves to the cultivation of cotton and tobacco, but in 1650 sugar plantations were commenced, and in 1726 the coffee plant was introduced bv Desclieux, who, when water ran short during his vov'age to the island, shared his scanty allowance with his seedlings. BIB i: i H I , I 6g TKAC.IC- 1)1 Aril OF TIIorSANDS OF PKD'M.F.. vSlavf hibor luiviii.^ been iiUnKliKcd, theu- were 72. "oo blacks in the island by '7.Vi- Marliiiiiiiu- has several times been oeeii- pied by the liui^lisii. Captured by Rodney, in 1762, it was next year restored to tile Freneii, but after the eonr .est by Sir John jervis and Sir Charles (^-ey. in 171)4. it was retained for eii(ht years, and, seized a,y;ain in iSot), it was not surrendered till 1S14. The interesting.,^ narrative of a traveler in the West Indies contains the followin^^ : " We are ashore in St. Pierre, the quaintest, queerest and the prettiest withal, aniunjr West Indian cities : all stone-built and st'tne-tlai^^ed. with very narrow streets, wooden or zinc awnings, and peaked roofs of red tile, pierced by gable dormers. Most of the buildings are painted in a clear yellow tone, which contrasts delightfully with the burning blue ribbon of tropical sky above ; and no street is absolutely level , nearly all of them climb hills, descend into hollows, curve, twist, describe sudden angles. There is everywhere a loud murmur of running water -pouring ^through the deep gutters contrived between the paved thoroughfare and the absurd little sidewalks, varying in width from one to three feet. QUAINT STYLES OF ARCHITECTURti:. The architecture is quite eld : it is seventeenth century, prob- ably ; and it reminds one a great deal of that characterizing the antiquated French quarter of New Orleans. All the tints, the forms, the vistas, would seem tt) have been especially selected or designed for aquarelle studies- -just to please the whim of some extravagant artist. The windows are frameless openings without L'-lass : some have iron bars ; all have heavy wooden shutters with movable slats, through which light and air can enter as through W-netian blinds. These are usaally painted green or bright l)lnisli-gray. So steep are the streets descending to the harbor — by flights of old nu)ssy stoue steps — that looking down them to the a/ure waier you have the sensation of gazing from a cliff. From certain openings in the main street— the Rue \'ictor Hugo — you can get something like a bird's-eye view of the harbor with its shipping. BB^B TRA(;iC DEATH OK TJlorsANDS OF PKOPLE. 69 Tlie rf)ofs of the street below arc under your feet, and other streets are rising behind you to meet the mountain roads. They climb at a very steep angle, occasionally breaking into stairs of lava rock, all grass-tufted and moss-lined. The town has an aspect of great solidity ; it is a creation of crag— looks almost as if it had been hewn out of one mountain fragment, instead of having been constructed stone by stone. • Although commonly consisting of two stories and an attic only the dwellings have walls three feet in thickness ; on one street facing the sea, they arc even heavier, and slope outward like ramparts, so that the ])erpendicular recesses of windows and doors have the appearance of being opened between buttresses. It may have been partly as a precaution against earthquakes, and partly f()r the sake of coolness, that the early co )nial architects built thus ; giving the city a physiognomy so well worthy of its name— Ihc name of the Saint of the Rock. STREETS WASHED BY MOUNTAIN WATER. .\nd everywhere rushes mountain water— cool and crystal clear, washing the streets ; from time to time you come to some public fountain flinging a silvery column to the sun, or showering bright spray over a group of black bronze tritons or bronze swans. The tritons on the Place Bertin you will not readily forget; their curving torsos might have been modelled from the forms of those ebon men who toil their tirelessly all day in the great heat, roll- ing hogsheads of sugar or cr.sks of rum. And often you will note, in the course of a walk, little drink- ing-fountains contrived at the angle of a building, or in the thick walls bordering the bulwarks or enclosing public squares; glittering threads of water spurting through lion-lips of stone. Some mountain torrent, skilfully directed and divided, is thus perpetually refresh- ing the cit\ — supplying its fountains and cooling its courts. This IS called the Gouyave water: it is not the same stream which sweeps and purifies the streets. Picturesqueness and color; these :ire the particular and the unrivalled charms of St. Pierre. As you pursue the Grande Rue, If 70 TKACIC DIATH OF THOUSANDS OF rF.ori.E. m Ir II I I'. 1 or Rue \'ict(>r IIii,c;<>— which trawrscs the town throu^ijh all its length, muhilatinjT over hill sloj^es and into hollows and over a bridge— you become more and more enchanted by the ccmtrast <^f the yellow-ijlowin.c: walls to rij^ht and left with the jagj^ed strip of \ gcntian-blnc skv overhead. Charming also it is to watch the cross streets climbing up to the fiery green of the mountains l^ehind tlu' town. ( )n the lower side of the main thoroughfare other streets open in wonderful bursts of blue — warm blue of hori/on and sea. The steps by which these ways descend towards the bay arc black with age, and slightly mossed close to the wall on either side ; they have an alarming steepness — one might easily stnni- blc from the u])per into the lower street. Looking towards th( water from these openings from the Grande Rue, you will notice that the sea line cuts across the blue space just at the level of the u])per story of the house on the lower street corner. vSometimes, a hundred feet below, vou see a ship resting in the azure aperture — seemingly suspended there in sky-color, floating in blue light. A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. And everywhere and always, through sunshine or shadow, comes to vou the scent of the city — the characteristic odor of St. Pierre; a compound odor suggesting the intermingling of sngar and garlic in those strange tropical dishes which Creoles love." A population fantastic, astonishing — a population of tlie Arabian Nights. It is many-colored ; but the general dtmiinant tint is yellow, like that of the town itself — a general effect of rich brownish yellow. You are among a people of half-breeds — the finest mixed race of the West Indies. .Straight as palms, and supple and tall, these colored women and men impress one powerfully by their dignified carriage and casv elegance of movement. They walk without swingitig of the shoulders ; the perfectly set torso seems to remain rigid ; yet the stej) is a long, full stride, and the whole weight is springily poised ou the verv tij) of the bare foot. .\11. or nearly all, are without shoes: the treading of many naked feet on the heated pavement makes a continuous whispering sound. TFrs .sometimes two inche.'^ long, and an inch at least in c. ,'foruice) ; a necklace of double, trio.e, quad- ruple, orquiiuuple rows of large lu^low gold beads (sometimes smooth, but generally graven). / i 1 1 1 li e M I. 72 TRAGIC DKAIH <^K 1 HOLSANDS OV I'KOF'LE. \()\v, this .;l(>\v:n- v.wcirv i> not ;t wwvl imitation of pure nietai ; tlic f,u-iiii;4s arc w irtli forty dollars a pair ; the necklace ofa Mariini'iuc ([nudroou may c )St fi\'' liundred or even one tliou- sand francs. It nia\- be the jL^^ift of her lover ; but such articles are usuallv jmrchased either on tinij by small payments, or bead by bead sini^ly until the rec|uisitc number is made up. lUit f -w are thus richly attired ; the greater number of the wonen carr\inu;- burdens on their heads — peddlint^ vegetables, , cakes, fruit, read\-cooked food, from door to door — are very simply I'r.'.'ssed in a single plain robe of vivid colors reaching from neck Im re<;t, and made with a train, but generally girded well up so as to fit close to th'- figure and leave the lower limbs partly bare and perfectly free. CAPABLE OF GREAT ENDURANCE. These women can walk all da\- long up and down hill in the hot sun, without shoes, carr\-ing loads of from one hundred to one hundred and fit"t\- pounds on their heads ; and if their little stock sonietiuKs fiils to come up to the accustomed weight stones are added to make it hea\ y enough. Doubtless the habit of carry- ing e\ervtliiug in this wav tVoin childhood has much to do with the remarkable \igor and eivetness of the population. I ha\e seen a grand jiiano carried on the heads of four men. With the woMien the load is \erv seldom steadied with the hand after having been once placed in position. The head remains alino-t motionless, but the black, ([uick, piercing eyes flash into e\erv window and doorwav to watch for a customer's signal. And ti;e Creole sli\et-cries, uttered in a sonorous, far-reaching high key, inl(rrbRud ..nd produce random harnumies very pleasant to hear. l\\er\- inch of this magic island is draped in forests, except v.here in;ui has made tem])orarv clearings — forest; which cannot 111 descrii)td, photographed, or painted. The following description ]-y Dr. I-'. Ruiz g;\es onl\- a faint idea of the island's wonders: ( )uly tlu- sea can aiVord us an\- term of comparison for the atlf inpt to deseri'De a grand forest ; but even then one must imagine ilie ^ea on a day of storm, suddenl}- immobilized in the 'iRAMC UK ATI THOL'SAM^S Or I'lOl'I.i:. 78 express!.,!! of its niigiiticst fury. For the summits of these vast woods repeat HI the iuequalities of huid thev cover; and these inequalities a- iiiouutains from fortv-two to foilv-eight hundred feet in hei^lit. ..ud valleys of coi-respoiidiuj^ profunditv. All this IS hidden, blended together, smoothed over by verdure," in soft and enormous undulations, in immense billowings of foliage On'y Mi^tead of a blue line at the horizon, you have a g,-een line' instead of flashings of blue, you have flashings of green, and in all the tints, in all the c.mibinations of which green is capable- deep green, liglit green, yellow green, black green. When your eyes grow weary-if it indeed be jx.ssible for them to weary-of contemplating the exterior of these tremendous woods try to penetrate a little into their anterior. What an inex- tricable chaos it is ! The sands of a sea are not more dcsely pressed together thau the t,-ees are here-some straight, some curved, s(,me up.-ight. some toppling, fallen, or leaning against one another, or heai,ed high upon each othei-. LUXURIOUS VEGETATION. Climbing lianas, which cross from one tree to the other like ropes passing from mast to mast, help to fill up all the gpps • and parasites-noL timid parasites like ivy or like n, ss, but parasites which are trees self-grafted upcm trees-dominate the priniitive trunks, ovenvhelm them, usurp the place of their foliage, and fall back t., the ground, forming fictitious weeping-willows You S not find here, as in the great foiests of the North, the eternal monotony of birch and fir: this is the kingdom of infinite ^ai-ietv species the mo.st diverse elbow ea, h other, interlace, strangle and devour each other; all ranks and orders are confounded, as in a l;nman mob. The oak forces the palm to lengthen itself pro- ■ng.ously in oroer to get a few thin beams of sunlight ; for it is as difficult here fi,r :he poor trees to obtain one glance from this king of the world as the subjects of a numauhy to obtain one look fi-om their mo!,arch. As fi.r the soil, it is needless to thiuk of looking at It ; it lies as far below us probably, as the bottom of the sea ; ,t disappeared, ever so long ago, under the heaping of n TRAl.lC IM.AIll Ol llloUSANUS OF I'lUM'Li:. ilcbris, under :i sort o( miinnvf that has been accuniuhitinK" there since tlie creation ; von sink into it as into slinic ; you walk upon putreticd trunks, in a dust that has no name! Here, indeed, it is tliat one can i,^et .some comprehension of what ve-etahle anti([nity si,nnities : a Inrid li^^ht. };rccnish. as wan at noon as the lii^ht of tlie moon at midnij:;ht, confuses forms and lends them a valine and fantastic aspect ; a dense humidity exhales from all parts ; an odor of death prevails ; and acalm which is not silence (for the ear fancies it can hear the ^nxat movement of com- position and of decomposition perpetually i^ouv^ cm) tends to inspire \on with that old mysterious horror which the ancients felt in the primitive forests of Germany and of (iaul : " Arboribus suns horror incst." VARIOUS KINDS OF WOOD. Amoui;: the trees are the silk-cotton, species of mahogany and the caleta, or ironwood, a very strong wood. The flora is numerous, and closely related to that of the equatorial zone of South America. The fauna abounds in minor reptiles and insects. There are various kinds of tish and of crab. The manicon and a certain lizard are ealen. The only animal of note is the vicious serpent known as the fcr-de-lance, which lurks in the woods, the cane-fields, and the gardens, and whose fatal bite is the only thing npon the island to be dreaded. This snake is from four and a h.ilf to seven feet long, has tour fangs, at the root of which is accreted the virus, and rudin.icntary fangs to take the place of the old inies. The mongoos was introduced to exterminate the fer-de- lance. bnl it has not been successful. The climate shows three seasons— cool in spring, hot and dry in summer, and hot and wet in autumn and part of winter. There is much humidity. The tropical heat is mitigated by the sea- breezes and fresh wiiuls from the nu)untains. The island has no deep harbors, althougii there are :nrec indentations which afford good shelter. The principal of these is the Way of l-\>rt -de-France, llu- cajjital of the island, and the head- (juarters of the iMcuch admiralty in the West Indies. On the iKM.K I)i;ath ny niorsANDs of teopm-; 78 .(iiilli side arc the ("riaiulf Aiisc du Diamante and the Hay dii Marin ; on the west there arc several other small coves. The eastern side is a daiiKfrons shore, where the Atlantic breakers roai and foam in a j;rand and indescribable snrt", which prohibits aj)proach to land. Martiniqnc is now a favored colony- of France, constitntinj,' a department of the republic, with a jj^ovcrnor and excellent admin- istration, sending: a senator and two depntics to the National Assemblv at Paris. The food-stnfTs of the United States arc absolntely necessary to the life of the colony, bnt the United vStates takes almost nothing from Martiniqne in retnrn. Sn-ar, coffee, cocoa, tobacc... ' t 'ton, and rnni are the principal prodncts, and all the planta- tions prodncin^- these are in a flourishing .state in comparis(m to those of the adjacent IJritish islands. There are upward of five hundred ordinary sui,Mr works. MONEY EMPLOYED FOR EDUCATION. One-fourth the revenue of the i.sland ($1,342,000) is devoted to education. There is a law school at Fort-de-France. There aie three sccundiry schools, with five hundred pupils; a normal school ; thirty-eight primary schools, with ten thousand pupils; and thirteen clerical and private schools. There are al.so two gov' ernmeut hospitals, military and civil, and the charge for a native in the last is twenty-five cents a day. At the two pri.scms the discipline is very mild. France also encourages agriculture by giving a bounty of ten cer.ts for every coffee and cocoa-tree. This is to prevent the exclusive cultivation of the sugar-cane. There is also a colonial bank, the object of which is to assist th.e planters ; experts determine the value of the crops, and the l.ank advances one-third their value. If the obligation is not met l.y the crops, the bank carries over its claim on the valuation oJ tiic next year's crop. An excellent sy -tem of highways has reduced the difficulty of travthng across the rugged island. Tr.-.nsportation is also carried on by small coasting-vessels, ultliough on the eastern si-!e 7B TK.\(.IC DKATH OF THOISANDS (iK ri.OlM.r.. ii Ii of the island this is especially difficult, as the cargoes have to he carried tlir()Ui,^li the surf on the backs of men, or pushed hy swim- ming ne,i,M-(>es in small boats throuijh the water. France has always nurtured this cobmy with a tender, lovluj,' hand, i^ivini,'- it the best of administrations, hclpinj::^ it freely when in distress, and protectiniL^ its industries whenever possible. The buK'e towns are St. Pierre and Fort-dc-France, on the i.eeward side, and (irande .\nse. on the windward shore. vSt. Pierre on the west side, is the prinei])al city. It is built (m cliffs ovcr- lookinij the b iv of the same name, which is nothinj; more than a very slit^hl curve in tlie shore-line, vessels h^ivinja^ to anchor in the open roadstead. It is a picturesque and beautiful place, with ne.at public buildin,i>:s and an interestinij creole population. The town has a luind^onie cathedral and other public buildings. SUBSTANTIAL APPEARANCE F THE TOWN, The town has an aspect of v^reat solidity, looking as if it had been hewn out of one uioantain fragment i.istead of constructed stone by stoue. .\ltliou,:^h commonly consisting of only two stones ;ind an attic, the dwellings have walls three feet in thick- ness. There are also many fountains throughout tlie city, carrying drinking water, which ci>mes from another source than thai of the water in the gutters. The main .street is known as Rue \'ictor Hugo. .Si, Pierre has many images and some fine statues. One oi the latter, standing on a height and easily visible from the sea, is a gigantic "Christ," which overlooks the bay; a great white "X'iigin" surmounts the Morne d' Orange, to the soutli of the city while "Our Mother of the Watch" overlooks the anchorage. There i>^ a great white cathedral with a superb chime of bells. Dehind tlie city is a beautiful cemetery. The market of St. Pierre is UDst picturesque. It is in the middle of a sfjuare surrounding a fountain, and filled with country- women dressed in gorgeous ( )riental colors, selling their little pnducts — oriugos,' luanas, vanilla beans, coc<^a — while the fisher- men lift their boats bodily out uf the water and convert them into TKACIC DKAIII (Jl- IllOl ^ANUS i •! I'i;( )|'Li:. 77 stalls, wliLTc can \)v seen a niosl wonderful tisli display, rivaling in c(.l(.rs the tints of the rainbow, and having a hundred (jueer h'rench names, uhi< ': it is useless to repeat here, sueli as the Bun Die nianie nioin i "The good (lod handle nie " ), etc. A fine road leads from St. Pierre to the village of Mon Rouge, situated two thousand feet above the .sea. In the village i.s a shrine to the \'irgin, which is visited by the inhabitant.s. Along this load are many shrines and little chapels with crucifixes and statues, with lamps burning before them. This road leads by the beautiful botanical garden, and pas.ses many tine and solid sloue bridges. MILITARY CENTRE AND ARSENAL. The capital, Fort-de-France, formerlv Fort Roval. is situated *m a beautiful but shallow bay near the south end of the west side of the island. The town, though secondary in commercial importance to St. Pierre, is the militarv center and arsenal of the Prench Antilles, the rendezvous of the nav^■, the terminus of the Prench tran.satlantic .steamships and West Indian cable .system It was half ruined by an earthquake in 18^9. and nearly con- sumed by a fire in 1890. After the last event the inhabitants ottered a bounty of fifty per cent, of the value of the olu buildings to help rebuild, and eight hundred thousand dollars were thus spent. Among the several interesting statues adorning Its public gardens the most noted is that of the Fmpress losephine, erected by the people of the island in h.mor^ of her nativity. She was born in Martinique. Throughout the island there are many little villages such a.s Le Montine, Petit Bourg, Le Francois. Grande Anse i.s'situated across the high mountain ranges, and is readied by a picturesque roadfiomSt. Pierre, which rises i.;to the higher" pa.s.ses, and is shaded by tree-ferns, accompanied by graceful bamboo and arbor- escent gracs. It IS in a region of black stones, out of which the houses are built. Black volcanic boulders dot the hillsides, and even the sands ot the beach are black, and full of valuable magnetic iron. The r t 7« TRACK- DIAril OK THolSANDS ')K I'l ol'I.E. vilhiKX- is a siiiall i.l.ui-. i.niuii'ally nnlvd tor llu- woiukrrnl fxpcrtness ..f its nan in swiimulnK l''^- l-n^ikcTs. ami tor llu beauty of its k-nialf " p. .it discs" youn- Kills wli.. cany liunleiiL upon 'their heads. At Diamond Rock there is the tomb ol the commander of .me of the KuKlish ships, and the remains ot the cistern which furnished the Euglish with water while the rock was fortified bv them in 1S44. Not less interesting than the natural features are the inhab- itants of this island, distinguished by beauty, thrift, and a remark- able and peculiar individuality. Most of them were either blacks nr members of that remarkable mixed race which distinguishes the island. The mixed populations show every variety of color and tyi)e— mulattoes, copre, chabin. and mates but they are gener- ally iiealty and thriving. Traces of Caribbean blood are seen iL- their color, physiuguoiuy, and physical characteristics. ISLAND OF ST. VINCENT. St. Vincent is a single island with no outlying rocks or i.slets. It is seventeen miles hmg and ten miles broad, with an area of one hundred and thirty-.me .square miles, and a population of nearly fiflv thousand people. A ridge of mountains passes along the middle through its whole length, the highest of which, the hou- friere, is at the north extremity. Us scenery is slightly different from that of other Caribbees. There are more extensive open views —slopes and valleys-while vast areas of more recent cinder and lava indicate that later volcanic action has taken i)lace. The island culminates in the vast crater of Morne Canm, which was the scene of a tremendous eruption in iSi_', when the eartluiuakes which for two years had terrified the West luduin region aiui the South American coast culminated in an explosion which was a most devastating and lar reaching cataclysm, being rivaled wiiiiin recent years only by the explosion of Krakatau, 111 the Straits of Sunda. In Caracas ten thousand people were buried in a single numieut. and ruin was wrought along the entire line ol the Andes bv earthquakes accompanying the event. The Suuhieie of St. Viuceut vomited \ast clouds ot dust. TRAC.IC I)i:\TII OF TII(il's.\\l)S (>i I'l > iri.l . 7ft vliicli (hukciicd tin- siii! foi an wiuirt- (la\ and spit-ad t,\\v ..nc linn drcd niik-sof st-ii and land. This cinptidn clianj^td tin- (.(.nt'ij.^ii ra- tion of the island and di-stioytd its casurn ind. Tin- presenl crater, formed at tluil time, is a halfntile in diameter and live hundred feet deep, and is now a beautiful lake walled in hj- raj^ged cliffs to a height of ei^lit liundred feet. Since 1S12 the volcanic force.-, have been quiescent, until the late eruption, and nature bad made the island nujre beautiful than ever. Kingstown, the capital, with about eiglit thousand inhabitants is on the southwest side, the town stretching alongalovely bay, wiili mountains gradually rising behind in the form of an amphitheatre Its red-roofed houses and a few fine stone structures show pictur- esquely through the palm groves. Behind these are the govenio''s hou.se and botanical buildings, overlooking llu' town. Three streets, broad and lined with good houses, front the water. On tliese aie stone b.iildings occupied as a police station and government stores. There are many other intersecting higliways, some of which lead back to the foot-hills, from which g(jod road.s ascend the mountains. DECAY OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. In St. \'incent we meet the same story of the decay o{ tlie sugar industry ; here it is on the verge of extinction No im- provements have been introduced in the manufacture, and the canes liave in recent years suffered severely from disease. No industry has taken its place. Arrowroot is next in importance to the sugar, but its price has also declined, adding to the depression. It i.s grown in fields which are planted like Indian corn when sown for fodder. When matured it is dug up and taken to a mill, where the roots are broken oil, ground, washed, and strained, and the mass allowed to settle fur a few days. The product is then placed on wire fram.-s with difTerent-sized meshes to dry. It gradually shifts down through these, and is then barreled" for shipment. In recent years it has brought about five dollars a barrel, or eight cents per pound ; formerly it brought from forty to sixty cents. Wages are very low and constantly being reduced, and the:- MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No 2 1.0 I.I 1.25 U|28 1.4 II 2.5 [1 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 ^ APPLIED IM^GE Ir ^ri ■'''3 Eos! Moi^i Strsei r^ -jchester, New To'ti 14609 USA ^= *16) 482 ~ 0300 - Phcn* ^ ^16) 288 - 5989 - Fqm I M 80 TRACIC DEATH UF llluUhANDS CF I'EOri.r.. ii! is a lauu-iitnble want of einployment eveti at the price ot less than tucnly-five cents a dav for aljle-l)odied men. who are constantly emiKnitino, leaving the women and children to shift for themselves. Th(-- are few Caribs rcinainint; in St. \'incent, the remnant of a hivv, umber that lived liere nntil 1796. when Great Britain deportc nve thonsaiid of them to the coast of Hondnras. Between St. \'incenl and Granada, instead of open water, we find several hnndred little rocky islands, all disposed in the trend of the lar^^er Caribbees. bnt offering an endless variety in shape and confignration. Kingsley has snmmarized their essential features as follows : On leaving St. \'incent. the track lies past the Grenadines. For sixty miles, long low islands of qnaint forms and enphouious names— Becqnia. Mustiqne, Canonan, Carriacon. He de Rhone- rise a few hnndred feet out of the unfathomable sea, bare of wood, edged with cliffs and streaks of red and gray rock, resembling, says Dr. Daw, the Cyclades of the Grecian Archipelago; their number is counted at three hundred. The largest of them all is not eight thousand acres in extent, the smallest about six hun- STOCK FOR EXPORTATION. A quiet, prosperous race of little yeomen, besides a few plant- ers, dwell there ; the latter feeding and exporting much stock, the former much provisions, and both troubling themselves less than of yore with sugar and cotton. They build coasting vessels, and trade with theni to the larger islands ; and they might be, it is said, if thev chose, much richer than they are— if that be any good to them. The steamer does not stop at any of these little sea-hermitages, so tluit we could only watch their .shores; and they were worth watching. They had been, i)lainly. sea-gnawn for countless ages, and nuiv, at sonic remote time, have been all joMied in (me long ragged clnue of hills, the highest about one thousand feet. They seem to be, for the most part, made up of marls and limestones, A\iai trap-dikes and other igneous matters here and there. And one could not help entertaining the faucy that they wcvc TKA.;iC DKATII O). THOCSANDS OF PFoi'IF gl ""<-■ solid c„„ic„l island lit V, V- ""^ •'"'""'■'""I "..„„„ai„ i„t„ -re fast approaching, and wl.ij ' . , i j" ",;' '" "'"''' '') V"vage, at niglitfall, nin„i„,r i,, ,,.„-,„ '"''"'• "" "'"■ u"t«aul i# ,-. r^■-■■ ■ tP': mm?'-- CHAPTKR ir. Graphic AccorxTS of thi-; Ckkat Disaster. — Tragedy Com- I'LETEl) IN THE BrIHI- Sl'ACE oi- A FlAV M I\ UTES.— DESPATCHES [■■ROM V.sv\ .•;i) States ()i-eiciai.s. — \'()I.ca.\ic Isi.an'ds De- scribed. — rRC.ENT Al'l'l-.AI.S I'OR Mi-.I.I'. \T0 such appallinij disaster, distiiij^Miised b\- the suddeimess of ^ ^ the blow, the number of tlie \ictinis. tlie completeness of the djsolation, has ever come to the civili/ed world with such overwhelm- ing and harrowing force. The destruction of Pompii is equaled by this greatest volcanic eruption y){ modern times. Nearly fifty thousand souls sjut instantly to eternity. All accounts agree that only a few minutes were required to overwhelm vSt. Pierre with fiery cinders and ashes, consuming the entire ])opulation notonlv of this city, but of a large section of the surrounding couutrv. The first reports of the disaster were almost too incredible to o^t believed. The following graphic accounts were among the first received : The French cruiser Suchet arrived at Point-a-Pitre, Island of Guadeloupe, French West Indies, from Port-de-France, on the morning of May 9th, bringin;; several refugees. She confirmed the report that the town of St. Pierre. Martinique, was entirely destrrning of May Nth by a vol- canic eruption. The commander of the Suchei reported that at i o'clock 01. May Slh, the entire town of St. Pierre was wrapped in flames. He endeavored to save about thirty ])ersons, burned from the ves- sels in the harbor. His officers went asiiore in small boats seek- ing for survivors, but were unable to peneirate the town. They saw heaps of b )dies upon the wharves, and it i.s believed that not a single person in St. Pierre at the mumeut of the catastrophe escaped. The G>overnor of the colony was but reccntlv in vSt. Pierre ORAPHlr ACC-OC\TS OF TFIK <;R1:\|- DfSASTFR. n^ Tile extent of the L-atastrophe cannot l)e imagined. Tlie captain of the Britsli steamer Roddani was verv serionslv injnred. \11 <'f h,s officers and engineers are dead. Nearly everv nieniher of the crew IS dead. The snpercargo and ten of tlie "crew of the Roddam jnniped overboard at St. Pe'-ne and were lost. The British Royal Mail steamer Ksk, which arrived at St Lncia on the morning of May 9th. reported having passed St' Pu rre the night b.fore. The steamer was covered with ashes though she was five miles distant from the town, which was in' unpenetrable darkness. A boat was sent in as near as possible to the shore, bnt not a living sonl was seen ashore. Onlv fl-uues were seen. The Qnebec Steamship Company's steamer Roraima v.as seen to explode and disappear. HAD TO FLEE FROM ST. VINCENT. The British schooner Ocean Traveler, of St John N B arrived at the Island .jf Dominica, l^ritish West Indies at '^ o'clock m the afternoon. She reported having been obligJd to floe from the island of St. X'incent, British West Indies, dnring the afternoon of Wednesday, May 7th, in consequence of a heavy tail of sand from a volcano which was ernpting there She tried to reach the island of St. Lncia, British West ^Indies, bnt adverse currents prevented her from .so doing. The schooner arrived opposite St. Pierre, Martinique, Thursday morning, Mav 8th \\ hile several miles off, the volcano of Mont Pelee exploded and fire fnmi It swept the whole town of St. Pierre, destroying the own and the shipping there, including the cable repair shiu ^rappler, of the \\ est India and Panama Telegraph Company of London, which was engaged in repairing the cable near tlie Gn'erin lactones. The Ocean Traveler while on her wa^• to Domi , encountered a quantity of wreckage. The cable officials" at San Juan,' Porto Rico, received advices from the Island ot Dominica that a schoone,- ,,iich arrived there Horn the Island of Martinique reported that more than forty thou sand people were supposed to have perished during the y"olcan--c" disturbance in Maitininn,. T'.-^ ,.^ku. • K "-ne \oican.L ■"" ' ■"" -^teaiiier CrapnlL-'- - r Kl cFAnih .\( ^.■l)^^^^ oi- iiiK (,rkai' disashk. iirlon.^iui,^ t(i llir Wist India and I'aiiaina Tclcgmpli Ccinpaiiy, of London, was lost willi all hands dnrinj; LIk' (.■rnj .ion of Mont PcKh/. The (irappkr was one of the first ships to disrippear. The following- despatch was sent out from Washington ou Friday evening, May 9th : "Washington is appalled to-night by the catastrophe that has stricken Martinique. According to official advices but thirty ])ersons out of twenty-five tliousand survive from nature's ilestruc- liou of the vh\- of St. Pierre. The administration is still in igno- rance of the effect • f the earthquake upon other sections of the i>land, which had a population of 165,000. " I'urther seismic disturbances are ap])rehended, and fears are enterlained that some of the American possessions, including vSt. Thomas and St. Johns, which are practically the property of the United States, may be affected. DESPATCH FROM OUR CONSUL. "Secret;iry Hav received this afternoon this dispatch from Consul Louis IL A\nie, statioutd at Pointe-a-Pitre, Ciuadaloupe : " 'Secretary of State, Washington : "'At 7 o'clock A. ^L on the Sth instant, a storm of steam, mud and fire enveloped the city and roadstead at .Si. Pierre, destroying every house in the city and community Not nu)re than thirty persons escaped with their lives. Eighteen vessels were b'.irned and sunk with all on board, including fi)ur American vessels, and a steamer iVom Oucljec, named Roiaima. The United .States Consul and family are reported among the victims. A war vessel has come to (iiuideloupe for ])n)visions, and will leave at 5 tomorrow. '" (Signed) .\^•Ml••., Consul.' "This dispalcli reached the State Department yesterday from Consul Ayme : " Secretary of State. Washington : " ' Comiuuuication with M irtinique l}y telegraph interrupted. Uuidile t.o I'oin-jii.inii ate willi the islaucl. .Accordiui' to iutorina- f.RM'IlIC ACCOUNTS OK Till. OKKAI IHSAhTI K, ^5 timi I received ;i j^^rcnt many ])e()])lc arc killed there l)_v ar earth- quake. Frequent earthquakes in Chiadeloupe. '"(Signed) Avmk. Consul.' "Appeals were received by the State Department from per- sons living in New York, wlio have relatives and interests in Martinique that war ships ])e immediately dispatched to the island .0 render assistance. Secretary Moody and Rear Admiral Taylor considered this morning the advisability of ordering a vessel to St. Pierre, but it was decided not to take action until the full ex- tent of the disaster was known. " The ocean-going tug Potomac, stationed at San Juan, was ordered to sail for St. Pierre. She is under the command of Lieu- tenant R. R. McCormick. The only other vessel the United States has in or near the Caribbean Sea are the Cincinnati, which is at Santo Domingo; the Yankton, at Cieufuegos, aud the Eagle and Vixen, at Havana." DESTROYED BY STORM OF FIRE. A despatch from Paris stated that the commander of the French cruiser Suchet telegraphed to the Minister of Marine, M. de Lanessan, from Fort-de-France, Island of Martinique, under date of Thursday, May 8, at 10 P. M., as follows : "Have just returned from St. Pierre, which has been com. pletely destroyed by an immense mass of fire, which fell on the town at about eight in the nuirning. The entire population, about twenty-five thousand, is supposed to have perished. I have brought back the few survivors, about thirty. All the shipping in the^ harbor has been destroyed by fire. Tlie eruption continues.'' The commander of the Suchet, at Fort-de-France, was ordered to return to St. Pierre, Martinique, with all the speed possible, and to forward details of the disaster to the French Government The Suchet had g(me to the island of Guadeloupe in order to ol-tain provisions. It was feared that M. L. Mouttei, the Gover- nor of Martinique, had perished. He telegraphed May 7 that he was proceeding to St. Pierre. Senator Knight is also supposed ti^uiiNc been at St, Pierre. -'^/■- _ i •,l,-v»-.. i ^*i *"' (KM'lilr AtCoLNTh O," rili: (iKl.AT l'i,-.\^T):R. The Colniiial Minister. M. Dccrais, received at h oMo. k in tlie e\eiiini; two cable nicssa,i,a's from the .Secretary ( kmral ot" Martniifiue. j. K. (). I'Hiierre, sent respectively at 5 and lialt'- l)asl 10 o'clock. The earlier cable reported that the wires were broken down between Fort-de-France and St. Pierre, but it w;,s added that in view of reports that the eru-ption of Mont Pelee had wiped out the town of St. Pierre all the boats available at Fort- de France had been despatched to the assistance of the inhal)itants (>f that place. The second des])aleh confirmed the reports of the destruction of St. Pierre and its environs and shippinj^ ],y a rain ot fire, and said it was supposed that the whole population had been annihilated, with the exception of a few injured persons rescued by the cruiser Snchet. INCIDENTS OF THE CALAMITY. Immediately after the receipt of the above despatches the fla.t,-- (.vcr the Colonial Offi-^e was draped with crape and hoisted at half-mast, M. Pon.trnenot, a sugar planter of the island of M.ir- tinique, received a cable despatch from Fort-de-France, sent bv the manairer of the Fraucais Factory, announcing that he had "tried to reach St. Pierre, but found the coast covered with ashes and the town eiu eloped in dust, and could not land." vSenator Knight, who is referred to in the despatch from Paris as having probably been at St. Pierre at the time of the disaster, is the President of the (ieneral Council, or local legislative body of the island of Martinique. On May 9th I'nited States Consul Aynie cabled the State Department from Cuadeloupe that great consternation prevailed in that locality in consequence of earthquakes and volcanic activity. Loud noises were heard continuously, which were ascri])ed to volcanic action. Telegraphic communication with Mar- tiiiiciue was broken in every direction. He was informed that many thousands of people had been killed in and about Martinique. Thomas T. Prentis was the Consul and Amedee Testart th.^ \'icc Consul ;U St. Pierre. Mr. Prentis was born in Michigan^ ^'\u ■ij^po:nteii iwU) ihc cv)n;sular 5>;l sice from Massachusetts. Mr. i ll f.R.M'Hir \( ( .)( Ms or TIIK (,r>atavia, and six months later was sent t.j Mar-' tmique. Vr. Testart entered the service in 1S9S. Colonel Louis H. Ayme, United States Consul at Guadeloupe, was, so far as known, the one American in a position to be most xtilly informed rc.srardin.c: the catastrophe in Martinique. He was not only n.,t far from the stricken island, but is familiar with it thmu.rh several trips he has made there during his consulateship at Gaudeloupe. ^ IN AN AGONY OF SUSPENSE. Colonel Ayme has spent much of his time during the la.st twenty years in Central America and the West Indies. A fc^v years after his graduation in 1874, from Columbia Uniycrsity he was appointed Consul at Merida, Yucatan, a post he held until 1.S84. He then made the collection of antiquities in the States of Southern Mexico which bears his name in the Smith.soniau Insti- tute. New Yorkers who have friends or relatives in St Pierre pas.sed yesterday in an agony of suspense. One of these was Perdinaiid Chatenay, an employe of the Seaboard National Bark. Mr. Chatenay was boru in Si. Pierre and lived there for sixteen years, before he came to X.-w York. His father. Aristide Chate- nay, IS the superintendent of a large sugar estate on the i.sland of Guadeloupe, but his mother and two sisters continued to In-e in their old home in St. Pierre, where young Mr. Chatenay visited them from time to time. From one such visit he h'ad only recently returned. Wh.it tlieir fate has be.n the son and bn.thet could only imagiiu'. _ _ Wholly unfitted tor his duties, h. sat .a.erlv .p..,,,.;,,,. n,.. caoie (ies])atclies in the newspapers, trying to f\m] a ray of 1 lope «s (.i;.\r;iii ,\ii i>i\i>, or riii: (,!;i:.\r i)i;,.\:/ri,i:. frdiii tlic (liitiuu'd rity. In tlic ahsciu-f of details lie fouiul little c'm-(st imjiortance. From the shore line back to the heart of this section is hardly more than 300 vards. In thi^ qtiarter are located the Custom House, the Bruisli and American Consulates, the Chamtx-r of Commerce, the Episcopal residence oi the Hishop of Martinique, the military barracks, big enough to accomraod.'.te two thousand soldiers, ])ut iiot now garrisoned since the military and naval l)ase of the island is at Fort-de-France. I lerc too were tlf Treasur\- Departu'.ent, the Military Hospital, the lKin((U',' de la Martini(jue, the Bantnie Transatlantique, the Col- onial r.ank of London and the Credit I^'oucier Colonial. This was .1 }^»i <;t ■ , .-.4 ■»+*-, . ., T^* .—.c • -.i- -:-.". -.T ■ 1 if *-1 ;^ .--.jf -. - -'■' -. - - ; , . ^ . . ' ^ ;. ,, t ■"l^^. r.RAPHIC ACCor.NTS oi- Tin; (,Ki;at I ISAsTIK m St. Picn-f uas tlu- ucaltliicst city of the- Wimhvanl Islands in propori,,,,, to Its population. Anion^ its prospcn.ns indnstrics wei-c about fifty rum distilU-rirs, c-adi with an output of from five Imndrcd lo five thousand quarts dailv. Another bij^r cmcern was the Tonne le Rie Mecaniqu... a ^reat n«.perat;e factory, represen't- niK an invcstuKMil of not less than S5' x>.. kx,. Sn.l,^ar cane was ^rown extensively thn.UKhout the island and there were about thirty centra] factories the largest of which K'-nnd an annual output .if al,out one milhon tuns of cane. Nearly all the big distilleries were owned by H. Rerte. a wealthy Frenchman. He liVesin Ponce but most of his business interests centred in Martinique. RICH WITH COCOA GROVES. In the n.n-thern pait of the island all the valleys .sloping down from the mountains were rich with cocoa groves, the humid moi . tureof the lower lands being admirably adapted to the coco i industry, which liad come to be one of the most important on the island. It requires three years to grow a crop of cocoa, but once the grove is started in a good damp soil it becomes a very profitable investment. These cocoa trees are all destroyed as the valleys were the natural c(,urse of the fiery flood in finding its way down toward the shore. Eight miles back from St. Pierre on the yery slope of Mont Pelee. and not more than one thousand five hun- dred yards from the crater of the volcano, which destroyed the eity, lies the fashionable summer resort colony of Morne "Rouge Here were the favorite villas of the rich men of Martinique" ^id very beautiful many of them were. The charming little suburb had a summer populati.m of about four or five thousand Its alti tudemade it delightfully cool, and in the warmest months it was always pc.pular. In 1S91 it was ravaged by the great cyclone that devastated the island, but it had been restored and rebuilt more attractively than ever. Many of the hand.some summer homes are not generally occupied befi.re June, but others are tenanted early 111 May. Mr. Chisholm. the purser of the Onehee li,,. cf^..,,.!.;., t^_.. tabelle, saw the smoke of what must have been the'p'i-eiiu'i^^ry ii ,. . - • > \r^- II •0 GKAi in \r, < ,[:\ '■ti i;. iTiiptidii wlu'ii tin- slii|) l;i\ :il anclior al l)()niinir:i. .\i>ril 2^, and lalUd tlu' alU'Ulion of tlu- ])asscii,v;c'rs to it, l)iit il was siquxiscd to l)t-' i)ii)l)al)!\- tVnin a I'oivst fire on the mountains. R. T. Doin, of the I'rench Wi'st Indian tradinj.,^ department of the Auuri.an Tradinic Company, s^ave a roster of important eommenial eiMuernsin Martinicjue, in aiUlition to those named hy Mr. Chatenav. They were all so situated that there is little hope tliat an\- of them eseaped ruin. They are : — Pilsarmcr &, Co., aiL^ents for the Quehec Steamship Company; De fiara(L,M)rri &. J. Sa\()n, eooperaife firm; Hard Fessila, St. Lever, LalnuiSiCo. ; Riaisemen\l vV Co., (iaston. Clarris ^v: Co.; T. Knii,dit iS: Fils, Aine .S: Co., Lassarres I'reres, I)e Maissias iK: I'reres. ACCOUNT OF VOLCANIC EXPLOSIONS. Professor Robert T. Hill, of the United States Geological vSurvcv, and (ieoh)gist of the .\).,'assi/. West Indian Expedition, furnishes the followint^ aceount of tlie West India Islands and the volcanic ex])losions which frequently occur: .\eross the throat of the Caribbean extends a chain of islands (the Caribbecs), which are really smouldering furnaces, with fires banked up, ever ready to break forth at some unexpected and inopportune moment. This group, commencing with Saba, on the north, near our own Puerto Rica, and ending with Grenada, on the south, near Trinidad, consists of ancient ash heaps, piled up in times jiast bv volcanic action. These old ash heaps have weathered iiit<' fertile soil, which, bathed by an undue share of moisture, lias become covered with ripe growths of damp and mouldering vegetation. This same soil also produces all the richest vegetable products of the tropics. These volcanic islands ha\e been slowly piling up since the beginning of the Tertiarv Period, and their bases extend beneath the waters tor a depth as great as their summits project above it, making iheir total height nearly ten thousand feet above the submerged bases. The uiirlluru islands of the necklace, like vSaa and vSt. SwUp;; 1 .1' Ai'llic A('('(>r\is ()i ii; , AT IMS ..si IK. •1 si.ts (if tour l;ir,iL,'cr islands (iuacU'loiipf, I )i)iuiiiic;,, ,S;ni Lucia :iii(l Si. \ nuxnt cull (if which is :i •oniplicatfd mass of old \okanii' vfiits, who've praks attain their i^reatest liei'^ht in Mount Diohhiiini, in Doniiuica, 4,717 fi't't above the sea. These \oleanoes do not eonfoiin to the tyj)e wliich most ])eoj)Ie have in mind, for from them there flow no fiery streams of la\a, uor do they al,vays give days of warning before their outbreaks. ( )n the other hand, tlieir eruptions consist of hot water, cinders and mud. Their explosions ccjine with terrific sud- denness and when least expected. In volcanoes which eject lava, the ascending column of molten liquid vibrates the earth fordavs or months bifoie it reaches the surface, and the people o{ the \icinity can always foretell the eruptions. This is not so with the cinder type, for they explode suddenly and do tlieir damage without much wariiig. ERUPTIONS AT LONG INTERVALS. \\ hile the explosions by which the mud and cinder were ejected have been sudden, they have taken place only at long intcrxals of time, each one adding its i)ile to the surface del)ris and obliterating the i)revious landscape. It had been so long since any explosions occurred that most geographers, as well as the inhabitants of the island, liad con- sidered that the forces which produced them were spent, and classified them as extinct volcanoes. It is true that the Soufriere of Gaudeloupc, h;is sent up from its summit from time immem- orial faint puffs of steam, and that ni)on Dominica and other of the islands there were a few hot springs, but for nearly a hundred years there had not been the least sign oC explosion. There is also an old crater or soufriere on the Island of St. Lucia which contains some boiling springs. Within hnman history there has been but one serious erup- tion in the Caribbee Islands, but this, like the present catastrophe, was one of the most destructive the world had e\«.r seen. In 1S12 the mountain of Monie Garon, on the island of St. \'incent which IS .soutli ot Martinique, exploded. The explosiou was a most 1 I In 92 CRArillC ACCOfN'TS OF Till: r.REAT DISASTm. .1 ss of life large. In Ocos itself there was more than enough evidence of the frightful convulsion that had swept the land and left death and destruction in its ])ath. The land upon which Ocos stands was converted bv the subterranean (listurl)ance into a chaotic condition. The earth rolled up in three distinct waves, which still rear their crests where th.ey stood when tlie convulsion ceased. Between each wave is a wide and deep abyss. There is not a house in Ocos left standing The river banks are sepieezed tcjgether and the street is now twenty feet narrower than before. The bed of the river gave up the remains of a wreck that disappeared in the mud fi\e years before. RIVER BANKS CONTRACTED. When the eartlujuake came and squeezed the river bauk.s together it forced the wreck from the mud and retnrned it high and dry. The railroad bridge across the river was telescoped bj^ the contraction of the banks, and the wharf which was Ocos' pride now stands as a monument to tlie earthquake's ruthless strength, a misshapen miss of badly tangled angles. Further news of the eartluinake has just reached Victoria, B. C, by the British war ship Grafton, which was at San Jose at the time. The officers of the ship say that the city of Kscuintla, capital of the (ruatenialan province of the same name, was almost completely destroyed. The shock was only felt for forty seconds at (lUatemala City. At Escuintla the shock was felt for about two minntes and houses were cracked and destroyed. Hundreds of persons we'.e buried in the ruins and struck by the falling timbers and stones. The loss of life was variously estimated at from three thousand tu five thousand in the city of Escnintla, according to some reports ])ul)lished in .San Jose, but some of the merchants engaged in business there said that the had advices from the wrecked dis- !l! ;.■ ! i t A PREVIOUS ERUPTION OF MOUNT SOUFRIERE ON THAT OCCASION ASHES_ WERE CARRIED A DISTANCE OF -v.- ■■*,- .> l! THE DESOLATION OF ST. PIERRE IN THE DISTANCF CAN BE SEEN THE MILITARY HOSPITAL, ipp^j'^* ^E*y" —> V ' > ^. ' '^ aasBE eO»YRI0HT, HW, IV J. »iOTIK Mil in SCENE IN ST. PIERRE AFTER THE ERUPTION ON MAY 8th rn^rntGHT, '9n? by ; fi.etrm MitlPH SEARCHING FOR DEAD BODIES AMONG THE WRECKAGE AT ST. PIERRE '>^ . - ^'T'l'. '^t'Tl.\ • ♦. .. ■Jc'-rj' s.*' -■ ' ' . '^f.:f<: %^A - t A WOMAN OF MARTINIQUE IN THE HEAD-DRESS PECULIAR TO THE FRENCH WEST INDIES UJ UJ DC t- UJ o UJ o en UJ UJ Ui O IS, IS' lil i,m|j i i I 1 1^ SCENE OF THE TERRIBLE CALAMITY I n'm ARTl N lUU E WHICH CAUbED THE DEblRUCTION OF bT. PIERRE T = ^ -r MOU^T SOUFPIFRE. ST. VINCENT, THE ERUPTION OF WHICH DEVASTATED MUCH OF THAT ISLANL. (.KAl'IlK AiMilM^ol nil. (-K1 A!' |)1^\-.II.K. !)7 trict \vliii.li placed tlit- (Uatli list at tVuin oiU' thousand t.> tiflci-ii liinulrt-'d. TIk- city of Kscuinila had a popi'lalioii of about ten thousand lK-ri)if the shock whicli cut raviuo in llir fichls and shook many of the lu)nseN to wreck. Accordinj^ to stories in San Jose after the eartluiuake, the scenes in Kscuinthi and some of tlie other cities of thai province. which suffered the most, were terrible. In San Jose, the capital of the central province of Cnatemala, a thousand buildinj^s were destroyed by the eartluinake and three l)ersons were killed. Travellers couiin- into the city rep .n.d that the railway had l)een much damaged and pro.L,M-ess was ditfi eult, f.r tlie embankment had been badly cracked and the rails spread in many places. TRAGIC STORIES OF DEATH. The .stories of death and destitution were coming into San Jose from all sides liefore the (irafton sailed from there, two days after the earthquake, the worst stories beiuj^- received from Hs- cuir.tla, which province suffered the most. The following comments by a well-known journal express the lu)rror shared by the general pul)lic and their sympathy fur the survivors of the terrible calamity : " In the Western Hemisphere, during the historic period, no convulsion of nature comparable to the current West Indian catyclysni has occurred since the protracted series of volcanic and seismic disturbances which culminated, in 1S12, in the destrucliiMi of Caracas, the \'enezuelan capital, when I2,(xx) lives were lost. The entire Caribbean chain of islands is of volcanic origin, and ou nearly every one of them are -o be found the craters of volcanoes \vhich have never ceased entirely to give indications of unrest. For fully half a century, however, there has been no violent commotion in this quarter of the globe, and the present disastrous disturbances are all the more appalling because of llieir sud- denness. " Indeed the awful suddeunes of the overwhelming disaster in i 98 t,R.\HlH, ACCOLNIS Ul- THK CKKAT UlSASTl.R. Martinique gives it pre-eiuineuce among the great catastrophes of which we liave record. It impresses upt)ii us the trausiloriuess of man and the works of man. The trem.-ndous convulsion of nature that produced the ruin with sucli marvelous swiftness vi\ idly recalls Shakeseare's lines, ' The great globe itself. Yea, all which it inherits, shall yet dissolve.' The destruction of St. Pierre came without premonition, or with such brief warning as to make MOrXT LA SOUFRIF.RK, ST. VINCENT, IN KRI'I'TION, escape impossible for thousands of the inhabitants of St. Pierre and other towns and villages on the island. The earliest report,-: of great calamities are often exaggerated, but in the present instance it does not appear as \et that the tirst estimate of the loss of life was overdra.wn. It is certain that nothing that appeals to human pilv was lacking in the appalling crisis. The eohjssal tragedy will arouse the sympathy of the world and efface national boundaries, for nothing that afflict hum inity thus grievously and lamentably can be foreign to us. GRAPHIC AC'Ol.'NTS OF THE GREAT DISASTER. i>-J % '■ Danger liovers over the cities that lie in the path of the earthquakes or in the shadcnv of" the volcano. Those uho live in these cities must face the perils of an environment which is not easily changed. Local attachment is so strong with most men that they will l)rave great perils of climate or of situation rather than make a new home in a safer location. The people of Pompeii were restoring the city and were living in it after the ravages of ..u earthquake which visited it a few years before it was finallv overwhelmed by the eruption of \'esuv us. It would be a cynical observation to say that the people who live in volcanic regions should seek safer liabitations. " No comment can color in more sombre hues the graphic recital of the news dispatches portraying the scenes and incidents that accompanied the destruction of St. Pierre and that laid waste a large portion of the fair island of Martinique. The eruption of vSoutViere, in St. \'incent, was also a serious event. We are told that in Martinique large areas of vegetation have been destroyed, that mau\- are perishing from want of \vater and food, that famine exists or is impending. Towns and villages were completely engulfed in flames and ashes. The destruction, accordinsr to the ;,r1,-ices received, was of amazing completeness over a large portion of the island, (ireat suffering must ensue. Unless despatches are at fault, hundreds are likely tcj perish before the timeliest succor can relieve them. "It may be necessary to supply the survivors on the island with food for scmie time, and to assist them in rehabilitating their affairs to some extent. The French Government has taken steps to aid the islanders at once. " In the face of such an unusually urgent call we should give vings to our benevolence. The money ct)ntributed b\- the United •^ Lates, we doubt not, will be judiciously expended, or returned if ihere should be no demand for its expenditure. It should be immediately available. We have helped the starving people of Russia and other foreign countries ; the objectors to the Martin- ique appropriation do not respect the benevolent impulses of the American people." CHAPTER ni. M^RTIXIOrKClTV V HKAr.>KSMOKINc;RriX^.-STKKKTSlMr.LKP WITH Chakkku P,onn-:s.-LARc;H PoKnnwx. of t,,,., Im.am> ENV.ri.i.Hr) wn-n Lava.-St. Vincent also Dkvastatku Rklihf for thf. Sufferers. T-HK outbreak of volcanic activity in the West Indies was 1 preceded bv earthquakes and subterranean noises, particu- kxrlv ni Martinique and St. \-inccnt. i^>r a peruul oi two weeks >.r ,, -e. On Saturday, Mav 3rd. Mont Pelee, hve n les Ir-.m St Pierre, be<,an to thn.w .,ut dense clouds ot snu.k. followed tl a night bv flames which lighted the sky. This again was succeeded the' following dav, May 4th, with a ram of ashes, whah on covered St. Pierre an "inch thick and shut out the volcano from '"''''on Monday, Mav 5, a stream of lava shot down the mountain side with incredible "rapidity, reaching the sea, according to one report, a distance of five miles, in three minutes. This swept aJav plantations, cattle and residents, and coverc-d the (.uerin sugar factorv, one of tlie finest in the island. Fue sea receded and returned in a great wave, but the latter is said to have done no damage. The eruption from Mont Pclee continued, and on the fit-th and sixth there was a panic among the inhabitants, inanv fleeing to the lulls, and a few escaping by the sea. he chiiiax was reached on the morning of the ciglith, when ^ a whirlwind ..f fire," mud and steam swept over St. Pierre and the roadstead, destroving everything in its path. .\ loud explosion troiii the Soutriere volcano, in the uortlieru part ot tlie British island of -St. \-incent. occurred on Monday, May ,sth, and the water in the crater rose in a dense mass of steam. The disturbance increased until Wednesday, when the volcano began belching forth smoke uid stones. Th'i^^ Nvas fidlowed later in the day by an overflow o lava and a dense rain of ashes and dust, which covered the island •1 .1,.. c*.., On Fi'idn\- there was and was cai 1 led iuau \ hi>.^.j "• lut) ST. I'lEKRE A HEAP OF SMOKlNc; RIIXS. 101 m a fresh outbreak and ejecticnis of fiery matter, more dust covered tlie island, in some places to a depth of two feet. Several districts were destroyed liy the lava, and ^^reat loss of life resulted. A despatch from vSt. Lucia, one of the British West Indies, dated May nth. furnished the followinjj^ particulars: ••The vSl. Pierre fire is abating?, and the searching,- parties find bodies in the attitude of life. There is an immense pile of corpses around the site of the Cathedral. Not a livin.t,r soul has been discovered. There is not a buildiuij: that has not been destroyed. Heart-rending scenes followed the announcements of the bodies recotTuized. Most of the city is still burning. P'ort-de-France is full of refugees from all over the country. Food is required at once. The most urgent appeals have been sent to ueighboring islands, but their stocks are limited. LOUD THUNDERS AND FIERCE FLAMES. "St. \'iuceut"s volcano is '^till in full eruption. Terrific deto- nations are followed by columns of dense clouds, shooting miles liigh, witli ininu-use tongues of flame. Large stones are falling in the neighborhood of the crater, and pebbles, showers of cinders and ashes rain dowr. thick. Kingston was reported safe by the steamer that arrived this morning, which also reports a large area north of the island as still in flames. It is impossible to estimate the amount of destruction or the loss of life. •'Certainly a great area has been desolated by the lava. There has been a waterspout of the west coast of St. Lucia, about .seven miles on the line between St. Vincent and St. Lucia. The volc:;noes of St. Lucia and Solfaterra are boiling normally. The sky is now clear and the day full of bright sunshine." Another despatch from vSt. Thomas, dated also May nth, affords additional details : "Famine now threatens to add its horrors to the situation in Martinique. From the country districts the inhabitants are flocking into Fort-de-France, and all are panic stricken. Food has alreadv Ijccome scarce, and the supply depots are under mili- 1-arv triuird. Terrible sufl"erintr can be averted only bv the early in U i !' 'i lot; ST. iMKRRF \ UFA!' <>F SM(^KI\r, RTINS. arrival of provision ships. St. Pierre had ever served as the storehouse of the entire island. Reserve supplies were kept there, and with the complete destruction of that city starvation became an inimediate menace. "Fort-dc-France has been little more than a i,n-eat military post, so that it is now unable to ^i\v more than shelter to the refugees. Showers of hot mud and cinders have served to keep tho.se in Fort-de-France in constant terror, though no actual damage is known to have been done there. Mont Pelee continues in active eruption, though with weakening iovcc. "The steamer Korona, of the (Jucbec Liric, a sister ship of the Roraima, has carried Mr. Scott, first officer of the Roraima, and eighteen others, saved from the same \esscl, to Dominica. The captain reports that on Friday he attenv^ted to force his way with the Korona into the harbor of St. Pi but was compelled to give up the atteni})t owing to the inlcns^ iiea. and snu)ke which hangs in a dense cloud over the island. He did get close enough to see that Mont Pelee was still active. Numerous half-burned bodies were observed, but none were picked up. ALL VESSELS DESTROYED. " Nothing new concerning the original disaster has yet been learned. It is known that eighteen vessels were in the harbor on the morning of May S, ^vhen destruction fell upon St. Pierre- These included four American h ailing vessels. All were destroyed, save the Roddam. They were simultaneou.sly swept by tlie great cloud of flame and sank at anchor. The Roraima would have escaped had the explosion been delayed a few minutes. The ship's anchor was lifted and the engine was ready to .start when the vessel was overwhelmed. The sea was transformed into a steaming c.iuldron, into which the sailors sprang, cra/ed by their sufferings. Twenty-one cbin passengers lost their lives. "From St. \'incent h.ave been received meagre re]x>rts of the disaster in that island. Warning of the activity of the S(nifricre was had on May 7- All tli-^t day disaster seemed to fill liie au". i i"iv SKics 1. ;i. iie;i\ i; ■ •'■-■-i^ : II ll'.f ST. I'lLRRi: A HKAP OK SM()K1N(. KLINS. MM almost incessant, while lightning of the most vivid nature never ceased to plav. From the mountain came the mutteinngs that sent panic to\he hearts of all dwellers on the island. The smoke rose in huge columns and volcanic dust filled the air. At 4 o dock i„ the afLcrnoon it was dark as midnight. Richmond Park and the estate of Waliboo were destroyed. Chateau Relair district was covered two feet deep with aslies. Earthquakes were continuous. Kingston seemed to be threatened and fear was upon all. ■"TheSii received here from the Island of Martinique (meaning doubtless the official despatches) that th- disaster surpasses all that imagination can conceive. The who. northeastern portion of the island is laid waste. Three larg • communities, exclusive of St. Pierre, have been destroyed. The victims comprise two .lUididates for to-day's ballotage for members of the Chainbc r of Deputies." Tlie Minister of Marine, M. de Lanessan, received a cable 101 ST. ni;KKE A IlKAI' oT SM(JKI.\r, RUINS. m Si I -» i I si despatcli frnin tlic conniuiiuk-r of the FilmicIi cruiser Suchct, dated Fort-de-Francc. M.utinique. sayin,^- thai he conducted a search at St. Pierre. The captain reported tliat tlie town was now a mere heap of sniokint,- ruins, nuder which tlie victims of the catastrophe were buried. Tlie Sucliet was able to convey some of the inhab- tants of Le Peclieur lo Fort-de-I'rance, but could not reach the nionhernmost i)art of the island on account of tlie dense rain of aslies. The captain of the Suchct further reported that the Mont Pelee volcano still liad a threateninj^r aspect. Subterranean rum- blings were still heard, flashes of flame frequently belched from the volcano and stones were thrown out with immense force. LOSS OF PROMINENT MEN. \ despatch received .at the Colonial OfficL in Paris from Fort- de-France said there was no doubt that Governor Mouttet and the commander of the troops al Si. Pierre, Colonel Dain, were dead. The candidates for election to the French Chamber of Deputies who perished at Si. Pierre were MM. Perciu and Lc Cleic. Other despatches confirmed the reports that the American and British Consuls, with their families, perished. M. Bloch, Inspector of P'inance, and M. Labarthe, the Col- onial Ministei-'s Secretary, who were despatched by the Govern- ment to Martinique, sailed fi'onr Brest on board the French crui.ser DWssas, which carried money, provisions, and other stores for the relief o*" the Martirrique suffer-ers. A French cable official who weirt to St. Pierie rx'ported that the company's office hadbcerr burned to ashes, and that there was no trace of the staff. This official added that the cremation of the bodies of the victinrs had begun, and that the cable steamer Pouyer Quertier was proceeding t.. repair the northern cable. The waves of lava were still i-epoited to be flowing northward. They extended even to Le Carbtt. The Colonial Minister organized a relief distribution com- mittee, consisting of himself and M. Decrai.s, former Colonial Minister ; the Colonial members of the Chamber of Deputies, the ST MI'KKi: A IIKAI- Ol- SMC)K1N(, KlINS. inr> Colonial Senators and a nunil)Lr of cnnmuTcial men. President L()ul)et of Franec has eonlribntcd 540 » and the Cabinet donated 51200 to the fnnd beinj^ raided for tlie sufferers b\' the St. Pierre disaster. Thu British Ambassador, ."-^ir Pklniund J. Monson, ealled at the P^lysee Pahice and communicated to President Loubet, per- )nallv, the s\nipatliv of King Kduard. A despatch received in London irom the island of l)ominica, British West Indies, said that a man who had ju.st returned from the Boiling Lake District of that island went within a hundre.'. yards of the lake, and found that the water had disappeared, and that from a vent ten feet in diameter in the centre was arising a column of steam to a height of thirt\- feet before spreading into the atmosphere. That district otherwise was apparently unchanged, but the sulphur gases were very strong. ESCAPING IN BOATS. Four small boats loaded with refugees from Grand Riviere, ALartinique, arrived at Dominica in a ])itiablc condition. They reported that six otlier l)oats left that village at the same time. It was not known what became of them. Advices received at St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, from the Island of Dominica, said that boats arriving there reported that many persons were drowned while crossing to Dominica from the island of Martin-cpie, where some of the out parishes were inun- dated. The eruption of Mont Pelee continued. The lava was progressing northward. The whole northern region was now a rock waste, derrnded of vegetation. Reports from the Island of vSt. \'inccnt said that up to the afternoon of I*rici;.y. May qth, over two hundred deaths had occurred there owing to the volcanic outbreak in that island. Definite news, however, was lacking. Many estates were destroyed and steam and ashes were belched forth from seven in the morning until 9.50 at night. The eruption was now invisible at Kingston. Huge dust clouds were blown eastward. Great distress prevailed at vSt. \'incent, where there were nianj' injured persons. It Avas believed that about five hundred persons had lost their li\-pc ot- Cf 1I>H Sr. liKKiU-: A tiK,\i' OF SM()K1N(; KlIN Vincent. This number was «,M-catly increased afterwards. Tlie inajoritv of the corpses were still nnburicd. The British Royal Mail steamer Solent went from Haroadocs to .Martinicjue with supplies and doctors. From the Island of Trinidad, the British Royal Mail steamer Rennet went to Fort-de- FVance. The British second class cruiser Indefatij;able was on her wav from Trinidad to vSt. \'incent with stores fcu" the relief ol ; the sntTerer.-. there. It was reported here that I'ort-di'-Franee ( Martinique I, was threatened, (jreat tension prevailed everywhere throughout the West Indies. WARNING OF THE ERUPTION. The crater of Mount Pelee had been wearing its "smoke cap" since the 3d of May. but there was nothing until Monday, the 5th, to iudicate that there was the 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 overwhelming the (rueriu vSugar \Vork>, and killing twenty-three work people and the son of the i)roprictor. A couimission was appoiutcd b\- the Governor to iuvestigite the outbreak, and it returned a reas- suring report on Wednesday evening. But about S o'clock on Thursday morning a shower of fire rushed down on St. Pierre and the coast from L? Carbet. which had a population of 6,ot». to Le Pecheur, which had a population of aooo, burning everything in its path. Throughout Thursday the heat in the vicinitv of v^t. Pierre was so intense and the stream of flowing lava was so unremittingi that it was impossible to approach the town during the early part of the day. As evening approached, the p'rench cruiser Suchet, after a heroic battle with the heat, suffcx'ation and sulphur fumes, succeeded in making a dasb toward the shore, nearing the land close enough to enable her to take off thirty survivors of the disaster, all of whom were horribly burned or mutilated. St. Pierre at that time was an absolute, smoking waste, concealing 2 S.ooo corpses, whose decomposition necessitated, in some cases, instantly coinpieLiug tiieii Lieiiiainni. wiiieii \vas oiiiy partiaiiy ST. PIF.KRI. A IIKAT (M" SMOKING RllNS. 107 accomplished by iVc lava. The inhabitants of Fort-de-Francc were panic .stricken, the morning of the disaster, when Uie sky snddenly blackened and it was as dark as at midni^^ht. The sea shrank back thirty yards, and hot rain bc;^^an to fall, while gravel, the size of walnuts, poured down on the town. This lasted about fifteen minutes. The 450 survivors who were brou.i^ht to p'ort-de-Francc from St. Pierre bv the French c ilde repair ship Pouyer guertier came from the town of Le Pcchcur. where, snrroinided on all sides b- flowing lava, they were nearly roasted to death, and expectea momentarily to be engulfed. RIVERS OF BURNING LAVA. The latest reports received showed that lava continued to pour down the slopes of the mountain, slowly engulfing the whole north side of the island, while fresh crevasses were continually opening. Secretary of the Navy Moody at Washington cabled the com- mander of the cruiser Cincinnati, at San Domingo City, to proceed to Martinique and give such aid as was possible The Secretary of the Naw found, after consultation with Assistant Secretary Hill, that it would be safe to take the Cincinnati away from San Domingo. The reason tor this belief was the cablegram received from the United States Consul, Maxwell, at San Domingo City • "The situation in San Domingo is improving. The pro- visional government has been announced at the seaports, and for the most p..rt in the interior. All executive affairs are under the provis! Mial government, and Vasque/ is the provisional President." It was considered possible that the Potomac already had left San Juan for Martinique, but there was no doubt on this point, because the Navy Department had not yet been able to secure response to an inquiry cm this point sent by cable to tht commandant of the naval station at San Juan. As a further precautionary measure Secretary Moody sent a telegram to the ■'_''■' — " ' ^ cumiiiaucirtiii. v-ii T) 1.1-.., ,^A lii 108 ST, I'll.KKI. A lli;.\I' ()!• SMMKINC KM-INS. !§■ t "<)ratM- Dixie to prrparo for scm us soon as piacticable. Report when she can !)t.- nKuk- rcad\-." 1 Ik- Dixie is a ship of eonsalerahlc canyi'ii,^ capacity, and wonld he better titled than any of the regiihir naval ships to hasten to Martinifine willi relief supplies, which conld he obtained more readily at New York than at any of the \\\ si Indian islands. Fhe Secretary was informed that the Dixie could be ready by Tuesday, the I4tli. In anticipation of the passas^e by the House of the Senate bill making an ai)propriati()n for the relief of the sufferers from the eruption which devastated Martiui-iue, the War Depart menl took immediate action for the purchase and transportation of supplies to the distressed islanders. P.ri^radier-CkMieral Weston, Commissary Ck'neial, was directed to collect stores at New York. They were to l)e immediately loaded on an arniv transport, or on the Dixie, a naval trainin>( ship, which Secretary Moody was informed would be ready to sail on Tuesday, the 14th. As food was the first need of the people, the Dixie was to be hurried to Martinique. The transport Sedgwick, which was at Xew York, was t . convey clothes, luml)er and such other supplies a.s the information by the State Department showed to be uecessarv. QUICKEST METHOD OF RELIEF. "(>( course, the action," it was stated, "is contingent upon the assent of France, but that government will undoulitediy grate- tuily accept the charity of the United States. M. Cambon. the French .Vmbassador, states that, as supplies from this country could reach the island more quickly than from France, undoubt- edly the people of the French Republic ould appreciate any relief this country would afford. At the same time. Secretary Hay will recognize the .sovereignty of France by notifying the I'aris authorities through Ambassador Porter of the readiness of this (jovernnicnt to extend relief to Martinique. " Fratice's acceptance being merely a matter of form, the work of shipping supplies will not for a moment be interrupted. Officers of the armv aud Kr LliC M'. !'!!-.KKK A U! \l' i >1 SMOK'IN'C, Rl'INS. 109 (liNtril)Uliuii tii' rt-lief, and llnir iiislniclioiis will Ik- striiiKfi't to 0)-u[K!ali- in i-vrrv way with tlu' ImimkIi antlioi ilics. It ci.nsid- i-Rcl (K^si^al^lL•, tlu- supplies will hv turned ovurto tlic acting C.i>\- trnor (.cmnil (.1 Martiniqui'. Tlu-iv is not to be llic slij^litest rriction liftwecn the- Anicrican and iMx-ncli authorities if it can be avoided under the instructions which will be issued by the War and Xa\y 1 )ei),irtnients. "it was si;-i^ested that the transportation of relief might be more expeditiously effected by using San jnan as the base. Cov- ernor Hunt could send such snpi)lies from Porto Rici' as cuuld })e gathered there, and then supplies i)urchased in this country cuulJ tollow. COMMUNICATION INTERRUPTED. "Xo word reached the State Uepartm.nt regarding conditions in Martinicpie or in the island of St. N'incent. Cable communi- cation with St. X'incent, asVvell as with Martiniciue. has been in- terru])te(i, acconling to information in possession of the State I)epartineiit, andthis probably accounts for the fact that the United States has not heard from Karnest A. Richards, its Consular agent at that point. Mr. Richards is not a citi/.en of the United States, but a Hritish subject. He was born at St. X'incent and ha.s always resided in the island. He was appointed Ccjusular agent upon the recommendation of the American Cousul in the Barbadoes. "In \iew of the distress which e.xists in St. \'incent, au effort may be made by the State Department to have the bill for th • relief of Martinique so amended that it will enable the dispatch of supplies to the British island as well. This will be done in order to prevent any legal technicalities being raised by account- ing officers. The Administration is hopeful, in view of the extent of the disaster, and the fact that Fran<-e a:id Great Britain cannot promptly send relief from Europe, that the House will act at once upon the relief bill. As soon as passed it will be conveyed to the White House, where it will receive the immediate approval of the President. If it is determined to send supplies to vSt. Vincent, the Dixie or some other vessel will be ordered to proceed to that no SI-. MIKKi; A IllAI' ..t sMuKIN.. ,<, ,vs. I/!. I "'.It^.u nrc-nmfc.ruicv, and tlu- n.u- crater Uun,] 1 '•nipti.,n. lH-l(I,rd smoke n,.! , , r -^ ^^"" ''^"^ COLUMNS OF STEAMY VAPOR. .\L midday iIk- crat.rs .jm.d nu.rnn.u. c, '.,n,s of .t. vapor. nsniK inajt-siicalh ciLrht mil T i , ""-^ "^ steamy u-uiul.-rful shaJs r. ,1 ^^ ' "'"' ^•^i'^^'-^'i-K into cross.is. .it,, vivid flas,u.s of li.lunin" ^ ^ h^b I^^P " ^'"1 •niprcssing tlic mind uk'- - Ti '''"'>^.'>^ lx-I,ol,;cr and stm,„„ d.rai. llK- silk. „f ,1,.. V "' "™"'-iv -vin, .«i „, o,,t,: ■;,;:■;;;': ""■ «'-';- ■■•-" '-'■ anxious suspensf. '<-<-im(r oi j^.^^ ,j„^j riiL- next mornine thrrt- u-i< -, r,- i and ,^..c.:,t U,» f ,;,, „,,, „,,.^^^^., ,_, „,^^.^ l::;^^ ''"' '"" p.opL'ia ihet::^;:!.::::;" ;""''"^ -"" •"^'■- "- «-'^- mnuK... „f ,„ff„„, f,„,„ ,;,:"; „JJ^ Govcr„,„e,„ „-a. feeding 1 •''' '■" K'^l A III AT oi SMi.KIN,; KflNs ,,, Crv.t nhvs,c.u duu.Kcsl.av-laku, pL.cc in tlu- .K-.^hborluuHl l^-u..Usa.Kh.n..s. 'Hu. nurses an,/ • • r ''^^'-'^'^' "'i}-^- I^roni the cou,e .u„„«t i,ew A - :;;r '"'"r' '"■" """-^- "■"^' -"■ Akuiy of the bodies are so bnnu-rl -c t "i ■, i,M.,.^,,,..;i-.u. 1... • -. '^"- •^'J """K-'U as to make idenfiflr-ati.-.-r, cases the opposite ,s the case. Some I I IJ S'l. 11KKKI. A lil \l' (i| .sMol^INi; Kr|\s. I \ ^';i\o bccMi iduiitifivd l)y the- sc;irc-liiiiu- parties, wliidi are all under ...ilitary coiurnl and are eondiu-ted under orders. St'eues in vSt. Pierre aie heartrendin--. Steps lia\ e been lakeii to ])re\ent dis- ease troni resultiui^- from the disaster. liurial ])arties are workinj^ niyht and day. hut it is impossible that the dead can be eared tur as their friend.^ would wish. Military rule is established iu the town to ])re\-ent vandals from workins^-. Such ])rupeny as has not been destroyed will la- protected. One .if the ^reat misfortunes ari.ses from the fact that the storehou^e^ of provisions ha\e been swe^t out of existence. Martinique must depend upon the charity of the world to i)re\ent a food •amine. .Mready fiod is exhausletl at I''ort-de-France, whicdi has been o\errun by reii;L;ees from the country. .\l)peals ha\e l.ieen sent to the uei.^-liboriu!^- islands for assist- ance ; meantime the tew prox'ision storc^ are under close guard by the soldiers. In the country there is no food, and it is believed that thousands are starvin,y\ As soon as food can Ijc obtained rcliet parties will be sent out from Forl-de-France. OPINION OF AN EXPERT. Lookiui;- ( n the St. Pierre disaster as a proof of theories whicli geologists ha\e long hekl regarding the chain of islands of which Martinique is a link, Dr. J. Paul Cood editor of the •'Journal of Geography," and an instructor in the I niversitv ul Pennsylvania, said : "It is incompieiien.^'ble to nie that i)eople will jjersist for generations in taking their lives in their hands ]>\ making homes oil such an island as Mavtiniciue. For decades geologists have held that there is a line of weakness in the earth's crust extend- ing from near Trinidad, and thi- Higlilands of (Guiana, around in tjuarter circle to Porto Rico, then through Cuba, and rtn.ally con- nect. ng with the \()lcanoi'S in Mexico, which have been active within a month p.ist. In Ctib.a, the line branches oft", also, up through b"b; ^a, and runs uj) towards Lake Michis^an, through the Ivistern Ml^sissip])i \'alle\ . It ha- been shown conclusively il.'.t -,11 tl,i. n ^- 1 1 1 * r ♦ 1, >J^ tt Ak,i.i.i.i^ ti-iC ST. I'llKKi; A iii;.\I' OF SMt)K! iC. RUINS. ii;* 'lilted MaUs IS so slow in its nioxciiiLiit as to b e lui puree ptibh a\<.' w lu-u wc cons Kk loujx ;i;-^<-'' )i time. 'I'lie Lesser Aniil , of wliieh Martinique is one, are simply ilie peaks of volcanoes, al)out hall ot which are snbmeri^red. They differ tV.nn the xolcano (jf the .4vtna or Kihuiea t\-pe, in that their !iNeiiars.',e consists chieti}- ,f hot ciiulers. There i.^ nsnalK' little or no la\a. Th IS means, too, that no uarnmi;- u i .•ruptioii. cannot nnderstaiul why people will want to h\e lu II b 11 'iven u f an sucli a ice. Protessor Milne's instnini'.-nts and records on the Isle of W lit liave [■ec< :)rded no u'eneral -tnrljance o f th e re>'ion, so it hardly probable that ontbreak.- wii Ue 'enerai in tlie ree th 'ion I ;Ki\-e described. The ernjjtion shows, however, the weakness of ,J the crust at this point. As with a boiler, the explosion occurred l| alon.LT the line of least resistance, and the crater of Mont Pelee offeied the outlet. "The scientists' imai'-ination would like t" foretell for the future a solid mass of land from Trinida,. to Cuba, but we camujt tc! when a cessatU)n wil come o f tl lose lorces now tend raise this part of the bottom of the sea. nig to TWO LINES OF CABLES. In New York tlie Fr encli Cable Com])any announced at noon ipeii with Fort-de-Fraiice mmunication was m May 12th, that c( • \er two lines, one by the way of Teiieriffe and Xi other from the B raz date the French government >rouha, tht ilian coast, through Madeira. Until the above uiono')oli/cd both these lin es ne ark all of the time, but ordi them soon atterward. K. A. Outerbridge, owned the ill-fated I< .)raim nary business was transmittetl over both of f the Quebec vSteamship Company, which come through from the company's agents, and he believed had that nothing more wa^ known pany's friends and co said that no addifoual cablegr am.'- at I)( iininica of tlie tate of the e com- ^trong, of No. [06 Wall street, rec. nsignees in St. Pierre. L. W. and P. Ar m- ived no answers to their I »^ . t W ^J C V igcuii) ui LrUauciuUpe ior news. ^tAK if it M 114 Sr. I'lKKi;.-, A 111 AT Oi- SMOKIX.; Kl'i: Inquiry anion:; local fire insurance a.i,aMils indi ned tlial American companies sustained no losses. A. M. Tli(>rl)urn, sec- retary and assistant nuinaj^er of the American brancli i){ the Sun Insurance Coni])any. of London, whicli carried some ot" tlie Mar- tinique risks, said that the l)usiness at St. Pierre was placed direct Ironi tile British office. He did not think any American conipam- iid business tliere. Mo.-t of tlie 'property, particularly that owned by foreis^ners and merchants doiui,'- a forei,!^n l)usiuess, is insured in the Hn;^-lish and Continental comp.inies, and nudoubtecily thev v.'onld lose lieavil\-. Mr. Thorl)urn said that he had not seen the Martinique policies, but that hethous^ht they were modelled after the American policies written for volcanic countries. Thev make tlie insurer,' liable f )r damas.,^e from volcanic eruptions, unless otherwise pro- vided. Tornadoes, lit^ditniu!^-, insurrections and ci\-il disorders are causes of loss which are usually not insured ai^ainst, !)ut tlie companies are generally liable in case of eartliquakes and volcanic eruptions. LOSSES AT ST. PIERRE. Tliomas .\. Buckner, vice-president o*" the New York Life lus'irance Company, said: " We had manv policies in eftect in St. Pierre, Init we cannot estimate (mr lo>s until we i;et a list ot the dead. Our ])usiness was mostly with foreii^ners on the island. A'e had no cjifice there, but obtained business in \arious waws. Perhaps we shall escape with a loss of Sio(),(;oo. but that is oulv mere guesswork now." William A. Alexander, secretary of the ICquitalile Life In- surance Ccunp.iny, said : " Without my office recoixls I cannot tell what our St. Pierre h)sses will oe, but I am iiudined to think ihey are not large. We Imd no agency there, though we may have had agents." Foulke cH: Co., of No. 25 Beaver street, had about given up ihe barkenline L. W. Norton. Xotliing hid yet been heard from her. Xone .'f tile officers or crew lived in Xew York, Captain Alexander Parks lived at Port George, X. .S, where lie left a ,1.. Ml r, 1 i- v-l ;ii IN I, v\' ■« fjV'f. ^\ pui ST. J'lr.KRi; A HKAI' OF SMoKINC', KflXS. 115 12, and arrived at St. Pkirv .\pril 30. Tlu- vt-s.sel wa.s worth ?i5,(XKj and liL-r carj^o tVoiii S^u.ooo to 5^(^,000. Tlie variou.s accounts of tlie volcanic outbreak in the West Indies whicli reached London, left only a shadow of liope that the later details would -really niininii/e the extent of the catastrophe, and the fear was bei^innin.u to seize the Britisli papers that, even worse news would come. For instance, the "St:indard." in an editorial, said : " It IS only too clear that tlie area affected is lar.^-er than known at first. If Dominica au'^ .St. Lucia have not suffered greatly there is reason to fear that their turn may come, nor is it by any me.ins ceri;iin that corresponding convulsions have not occurred or may n-a soon follow on the mainland of Central and .South Americi. In the presence of such forces man is helpless, and we can only i)repare to relieve the survivors as speedily as possible. The Tnited States has set us an honorable example." PLANS FOR A MASS MEETING. A New York journal contained the following: " Plans are now being matured for a meeting ir. this city of all the members ,., Jie colony formed by former residents of Mar- tniu|ue. It is probable that the meeting will be held Tuesday evening, though final arrangements are yet to be made. Henry C. dv Medenil, superintendent of West Indian trade for Flint, Kddy & Co.. has been requested by other members of the colon-' to issue the call for the meeting, and to take preliminary charge It is believed that men of Martinique will c.mieto New York from all cities within a radius of 5CH) miles. •' It is intended to take such steps as mav be possible looking to relief of the survivors of the disaster caused bv the explosion of Mt. Pelee, and representatives will probably be .sent to Martinique for the purpo.se of gathering exact information regarding the fate of relatives of tho.se living in the United States. '•Unspeakable anguish has resulted from the inability to obtain news from St. Pierre. Without hope that the numbe.- of vieliii.^ has been overestimated, there is ever the feeling that the 116 ST. 1'1i;kki: a lii.Ai' of pmokinc; klins. ^1 U ap]);irfntlv inipossiblc lias liappeiic- The suspense has resulted in llie prostration ^f srveral wonR-n wIiom.' rclatucs arc ix-lieved to have fallen uiuler the rain of fire." \'ictor de Me.ssinn-, Casliier of ihr United A'.;encv Company, of this city, and his cousin, Henry de Massias, who is connected with the American Surety Company, \\ere active in arranging for tlie meeting. Tlie\- were unceasing in their efforts to obtain from the South news of their f- iends, but were unsuccessful. They are convinced that it was inijiossible for an\- to have esca])ed from St. Pierre to Morne Rouge. Neither do they understand how St. Pierre could be lotalh' destroyed while Morne Rouge escaped. Made pessimistic by their knowledge of the lay of the land about St. Pierre, they believe that Monie R')nge was overcome by the fate that befell the greater city lying below. NO HOPE REMAINING. " All our relatives and friends are (T were in St. Pierre,'' said Mr. de Messiniv, "and it is hard to rol) ourselves of the only hope that is left to us. Still it is useless to take to ourselves what reason teaches is a delusion. If St. Pierre has been destroyed, as has been described bv the despatches, then there renuiin-S nt)thing to hope." " Morne Rouge must have been o\ercome by the same blast of flame that shrivelled the uuiin city, lying five miles further away from Mont Pelee. M.sfu the effects uf the blow. A nieetiuj.;- will be held here in a few da\ '^. The call will be issued bv Mr. Medenil, who is rei.;arded as the k-ader of tlu colour here. " Thi-re are about Iwcnty-five families now in New York who cauic here from Martini(jue. All are fairly well to do. Steps will be taken to i^ive such aid to tlie sufferers in Martinique as we can. We will, too, thank ihe ])eo]')le of the United States, as w^ll as llie (roveruuieut, tor the prompt st.e])s taken to render aid and tor the expressions of svn!path\' \\hich seem to have come from all. NO MENTION OF DANGER. ''I want to correct the impression that prevails liere that warning was given by Mont Pelce of the destruction the volcano was about to work U]) m St. Pierre. We had letters from our trieiuls, now all dead, whici; were written as late as April 25. In none of the letters is mention made of the threatened activity of Pelee. The \()lcauo has always been regarded as extinct and harmless. I am sure that our friends would have recognized their danger had Pelee given stich warning as I have seen asserted in .some of the papers."' Yet all accounts agree that clouds of smoke from Mont Pelee filled the air five days before the catastrophe. Sir Robert Stawell Ball, LL. D., F. R. S., in ''The Earth's Hegiuning," gives some very interesting facts al)Out volcanic disturbances. "The internal Vicat of the earth," he says, "derived from the primaeval nebula, is in no way more strikingly illustrated than by the phenomena of volcanoes. We have no reason to believe that IIS VI. I'IKKKL A IIEAl' OF .iMOKlNG KLINS. iii i' . ih h' ■ h > hf * the earth is fluid ii. its interi,,r. Tlu- evidence has proved that, under the extraordinary ])ressure winch prevails in the earth, the materials in the central portions >,f our globe behave with the characteristics of solids rather than of liquids. But though this applies to the deep seated regions, it need not universally'^ apply at the surface or within a moderate depth from the surface. When the circumstances are such that the pressure is relaxed, then the heat is permitted to exercise its property of transforming the solids into liquids. Masses of matter near the earth's crust are thu-, in certain circumstances, and in certain localities, trans- formed into the fluid or viscid form. In that state thev may issue from a volcano and flow in sluggish currents as lava." CAUSE OF VOLCANIC ACTION. "There has been much difl"erence of opinion as to the imme- diate cause of volcanic action, but there can be little doubt that the energy which is manifested in a volcanic eruption has been ongmally derived m some way liom the contraction of prinu-eval nebula." The author then devotes much space to Krakatoa, in the Straits of Sunda, a volcanic island almost unknown nntil i8S^ when it suddenly sprang into notice. ' ' "Insignificant though it had hitherto seemed." says the author, "the little island was sii:kki — W'noi.i, Mo, v|-a[x Aim-k akmd rr> h].<>\v I'l'.— Siiii's S\v.\i.i,()\vi;n nv .\x Ivnormots Wwh.— Harrov.int, Talks !;\ I-Ivk-Witnkssks of tiik IUrxki> City. P\HTAILHI) descriptions of the terrible scene nt St. Pierre *-^ reaclu-d I<(,rt-de-I-rance ..n M.niday. Mav i_nli, when the (•uvernnicu relief expedition that was the hrsi to penetrate the ruins of the citv sent hack niessen-ers askin^^ for more men and snpphes. The exprditiun, v.hicli left Kort-de-1- ranee <.n the f;')v- ernment .steamer Rnbis, made a 'landin- near St. Pierre. After a terrible experience in erossin,tr f,elds of hot ashes knee deep the more darin.^r ones in the party succeeded in reachin,t,r what 'had been ti'i- streets of the eit\-. In the party were detachments of French infantry and .jrend- arnies and several priests. The feu snrviNor.s rescued were at I e Carbct and Case Pilot, snbnrban villages, to wliich they had fled More than a thonsan^l of them had died of starvation and ex- posnre .nice the destruction of St. Pierre. The heat from tli. Miioknig, lava-covered ruins at St. Pierre was sufifocatin.ir .^nc' the .-^tench from the charred Ix.dies which filK-d the streets was awfr' Only a tew walls „f buildings were standin.cr. The hospital clock was t.)nnd m tact, with its hands stopped at 7.50 A. M 'the exact hour of the volcano's eruption. The offices of the cable company had disappeared. On all sides were found portions of bodied I hey were gathered up by the soldiers and gendarmes and burned .u the pnbhc squares. Not a drop of water was procurable ashore The darkness caused by the clouds of volcanic dust shroud- " the town. Continuous subterranean rumblings added to the horror of the scene. Tlie fort and central quarters of the tow^^ were razed. The rums were buried in hot cinders. The iron trrill-work cmin nf fV,^ o.,..__ „. ^ 1 ^. r 1 ' ^ ■--■--.».. iCiiL uiiice was the only portion of that once niagnificeut building staudir.g. Streets 121 ! I 122 WVH 1 .SLi.M. IN M riLKRi:. ' tma i fi conld not l)r triKcd. Iliiut' heaps of sniokiiii; aslius were to be seen on all sides. At the landinv^r pl.-K^ ^onic burned and ruined walls indieated tlie spot where the Cirstoni House fornierlv stood. Traees of tlie lai-er shoi)s e.add l,e seen. H undreds of bodies were found lyino- in .all attitudes, showing that the \ietinis had met deatli as if by a li;;htnin,L; stroke, b'.verv Nesti^e (d'elolliing had been l)urned away from them, virim piles of bodies were stacked everywhere, showing that death liad slriekeu them while tlie crowds were vainly seekin- escape from the fier\- delude. ( )n one spot a ^Toiip of nine children were fouiul. They were locked in one another's arms. 'Jdie vaults of the r.aiik of Marti- iii(iue, at the head ol wlir.t li.ul been the Rue de 1 Hopital -n- found intact. They contained two million francs, oi- 5.px),(XH\ in specie and other securities, which \\as scut there for safekeepin<<. I he \aults ot the (;o\-ernmeiit treasury were searched iu the hope that a lai-.L^e amount of money and other va]iia!)les deposited i)y the principal merchants of the citv might be sa\ed. THE DEVASTATION COMPLETE. Many of the ])artics were overcome by the terrible heat and stench of burned bodies, and the surtjeons acconipauyintr them were kept busy. It was reported that there is left no trace what- iwer of the Fnited States Consulate, which was on the Rue de Torraile. The sea for miles around was covered with the wreck- age of vessels, and ashore only a few trees, ali bent seaward bv the force ot the volcanic shcnver, were left standin<'-. The Ministry of Marine, at Paris, received a cable from the commander of the warship Sncliet, dated Fort-de-France, which said he explored St. Pierre with a squad of marines. The town was a mass of smoking ruins, under which the victims were buried. The commander reported that it was impossible to advance to the north of the island owing to the rain of ashes, which was most intense. The volcano still presented a menacing appearance, and rumblings, accompanied by flashes and the pro- jection of ashes and stones occurred. The French CabiC Company received on Mav i2th the ■J 3 AWHI. SCF.Ni: IN ST, I'lKKKf:. 128 i>\\\uv. iiniiortaiU (Usi);acli from its manager at Korl-df-I-r M.irliiiii|iic " I have si-iit an ai^ent to St. Pierre. II nice .■as consumed. This was a couta^riou The thrilling story related by Captain F British steamshio P-odd with painful interest. reeman, of the viiui's, win De read r w IM AW Ml Si i;\i: IN M'. I'll.KKK. If I II > r. ( "'riu- straiiuT l\M,l,l;iiii, (.f which I ;ini lapt.iin, \r{\ St. T! II KKF. 125 w "As \vc hacked i>\\[ uc pjisscd close to ilic Roraiina, which a-, oiii- iii.is-> of flames. 'IMic steam was rushinjr from the ciifj^inc room, ami the screams of tli( oil hoard were terrible to liear. The ciies for help were all in \aiii, for we could do iiothiiij^j but sa\e nu' own slii|). tlown h\' th ■ stei'u. w hell I last saw the Roraiiua >lie was settliui^ hit wa-i ihoiu lo o'clock in tlu- muriiitij^. When the Rold.iin was safeK' out of I he harbor ot" St. 1 lerre and Us de> iiiiu; here, and wlu olatioii and horror I made tor .St. Lucia. ,rru- ntl le sill]) w.is saU innstered the survivors as well as I was .able and searched for the de.id and injured. Some I futind in llr- saloon, where the\- had \;iinlv ^on^hl for safetv, Init cabins were tnllot Imrniiiu; ember-^ that hatl been blown in through the port holes, 'riiroii^rh these the tire swept as throu^-h funnels and burned the \ictinis where tliev lav or stood, leaving a circular imprint of scorched and were thus burned. Two oi mem were )unu'(l tlesli. I bronsjlit ten on deck wlu Two of them dead, the other s survivec Tl leir althon-h in a dreadful stale of torture from their bums, screams of agony were heai trending. TONS OF POWDERED LAVA. "Out of a total of twenty-three on board the Roddam, which includes the captain and the crew, ten are dead and several are in the hospital. My first and sec(/nd mates, m\- chief engineer aud m\- supercargo, Campbell by name, were killed. The ship wa^ covered troni stem to stern uitli tons of povvdered lava which retained its lieat tor hours at^ter it had fall en. In iiian^ cases it was practically incandescent, ami to move about the deck in this burning mass was not only dithcult but absolutelv perilous. " I am only now able to begin thoroughlv to clear and search the ship for any damage done by this volcanic rain, and to see if there are any corpses in out-of-the-way places. For instance, this mo ruing, I finiiid one body in the peak of the forecasth Tl le liody was horribly burned and the sailor had evidentl th Lucia the ship presented an apDallinir anne: y crept in ere in his agony to die. On the arrival of the Roddam at St. Dpnrl ciucd bodies lav about the deck, whicl 1 was also crowded with 12ii ii AWH'L SCENK 1\ s 1'. I'llCRRE. I fH injured helpless and sufferin,,, people. Prompt assistance w.s rendered to the ,„jured l>v the authorities here, and „n- " or, Z ^uiLd men were taken to the hospital. " '-The dead were buried, and I had omitted to mention that ou of t.ent,-n:ne black laborers that I brought funu GrZ^t dp tn .stevedonn.,.. si.x only survived. Most of the others threw them.selve.s^overboard to escape a dreadful fate, but thev et worse one^r ,t . the actual fut that the water around the "up us hteral^. at bcnhu, heat The escape of u.v vessel was nurZ OU.S. The woodwork of the cab.us and bruise and evervthin. mfla m,naole on deck were constantly iKuitin,, and it w.^ wi^h jrea dtfc.nty that we A-w survivors managed to keep uJ^:!!^ RAPID RUSH OF FLAMES. " I witnessed the entire destruction of St. Pierre. The flames enveloped the town in everv quarter with such rapiditv that it a impossible that any person eould be saved. As I have sa 1 he da^wa. turned suddenly to night, but I could distin,;-:!:^ h^^ beac 'I^",""'^ -"'"r r^^^ distractedly running about on darkne lik ] ^T7 i"''"'" ^'"^^ ""^ ^"'"^ '''' surroundittg darknes.s 1 ke black shadows. All this time the n.ountain was loanng and .shakn.,-, and tn the intervals between these terriiv " sounds I could hear the cries of despair and agonv from tht thou.sands who were perisliintr. ^ " ^ "These cries added to "^he terror of the scene but it is S : " 'rr'" '" '^^-^ •-" ''- ^^-^^'■^•' sensati;^ !t pr^ that afteth- fit' rT''"' ''"" '''' "' '''' ''■"''^'' ^^^ "- ^'^^d that after the first shock was over, the survivors of the crew ren leredwtlmghelptonavigatetheshiptothisport Mr. PI s^on • -ragen at Martnnque. happening to be on board was s' ■nd really behevethat he is the only survivor of St. -i^rre As • ■■ IS he IS seriously burned on the hands and face '" " rhe loregoiug graphic account was confirmed by Ellerv S Scott, first officer of the Roraima : ' -It was about daylight on the morning of May 6th when we AWFUL SCF.NE IN' ST. riKRRK. 127 siglucd tlic island. We had run tliron^i;^h .: tluinder.storm ahead lor v*^l. I'iL-rre, and at 6 o'clock were at our anclioraj^e off the Phice P.ertin Landing. When the agent, with lighters and stevedores. came alon-^side they tokl us that Pelee had been acting ugly ever since Saturday, and that there had been quite a heavy fall of hot -and or dust over St. Pierre itself However, the volcano .seemed t.i have ([uieted diwu, and we got the stevedores to work smartly. "There were about eighteen other steamers and coasting craft anchored as we were in the open harbor, one of them being the Taniaya, a bark from the French port Nantes, her captain heing called Aloritz or Mauri -. Then there were f(jur other large sailing vessels. The P.ritish steamer Roddam put into the berth next to ours and let dro]) her anchor. "Tlien something happened. There was a shaking in the air, so that I felt \s though some one had jostled me. I was looking at Pelee, :ind every soul on board looked, too. I can't describe w liat I saw, of course, but my first thought was that the end of the world would look just liko that. It was just as though the iii.'Untaiu had been blown up by all the dynamite in the world. ROA.RING DOWN FROM THE SKY. " First of all a great pillar of flame rushed .straight up in the an-, then it opened out wider than the mountain itself and came roaring down out of the sky upon us. Some of us, with Morley (M'cond officer) rushed to the forecastle head to heave the anchor. I saw the captain slioutiug orde"s, and I saw McTear, the engi- neer, drop below. A- we reached the ship's head the fiery cloud was upcm us. Red-hot stones, scalding mud and real splashes of ilame dropped and clattered all over the ship. " There was another roar, and with it all the water in the larbor seenu d to gather up and rush among the .shipping. Every iratt heeled over to the great tidal wave and .seemed to careen and snik. W1ien Hie wave struck us it flooded us fore and aft, sweep- ing away the masts, funnel, all the boats save one and all the niille of the deck. There was a ventilator at hand, and to .save ■. ::e;iiiy KUica tncrcu_\ , ijciug driven into ...ir T .. .. ,1 128 AWFL'L SCKNK IN ST. ;rri:. •4 u it by tlie force of the n-;ive. A couple of stevedores pulled nie out oi tlu- ventilator aud drat^yed uie into the sti e'-:ige. There I remained, half dead, for cjuite a time, during which the ship rolled and the fire and n)cks ))attered ilie decks. " Now and then a charred and shrieking sailor rolled down the hatchway and died as he came, so that quite a jnle of corpses lay over nie. Some one pulled me from under these and I clam- bered to the deck, and began turning a hand toward saving the injured who were lying all about, though even then small, red- hot stones and mud were falling. ■ As I was about this work Captain Muggah came along. I knew him by his clothes, though these were snuildering. but his face was scorched beyond recognition. " ' Lower the boat," he said. BOAT BURNED FULL OF HOLES. " I could not ol)ey his orders, however, for the boat that was left by the tidal wa\e was burned full 01 holes bv the flaming rain. I saw no more of the captain after that, but I was told bv a stevedore of Si. Kitts that he jumped overboard and got on a raft that had been hurriedly put together and that he died there. All this time the sea was rolling like the heaviest kind of ground swell, Pelee was roaring, and the air was full of strange shocks. " When I looked at St. Pierre the sight was terrifying. The town was gone and in its ]jlace was a long stretch of gray, smok- ing, flaming dust. All about us the ships were sunk or aflame and between us and them and the shore dead bodies floated singlv and in groups. Some hours after, I didn't know how long it was then, but I've since been iv]d it was at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the French cruiser Suchet steamed in and rescued se\-enteen of us more dead than alive. We were carried to Fort-dc-France and put in the hospital.'' Further particulars of the dreadful catastrophe came on May 1 2th from Fort-de-France : " A landing has at last been made in the city of St. Pierre, .1 1. f 1 ..;.. ..1. . ! .- . 1 •, , , •.;;-^ ■.•.;;;;» .;: -^ .\|j;;;i ; ;;l; LiK' Illir.s r.I inc rtinilil i i.ltOii io\\ li iia.S 1 ^i} H COFFEE TREE, SCENE IN MARTINIQUE 11 1 ) UJ 3 g z I- QC < 2 UJ z Ui o (0 I Ul z < o cc < o 3 (0 o z 3 o u (0 (0 UJ 8 ! I , •- 1 K '' W '! m ) w '■ Bjl j M|! 1' t M t li \i\ CUPVRIOHT, BY J. M. JORDAN, ISw* STATUE OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE Ill til '(•. |! ( : i I I I • i tl Mi I ST. LUCIA BEING IN THE CENTRE-THIS DIAGRAM SHOWS THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE ISLANDS. THE VOLCANO IN MARTINIQUE IS 100 MILES FROM ST. VINCENT AWKTL S( I.Ni: IN SI'. I'lKKKK. 129 be,mui. Kiiimv^rli has already bcvn revealed to indicate that the very worst anticipations as to the result of the eruption of Mont Pelee arc realized. Those who have conie hack lien from St. Pierre rei)ort that the streets, and all the nei.-^hhorhood an.nnd, what a few days ■Ay;n was the larL,'est and most prosperons eity in Martinicine. are now covered with heaps npoii heaps of dead bodies in all d-'vctions. "All the de.ui thns far seen were stark naked, their clothing apparently havin- bnrned from their bodies like so nincli tinder, while they themselves were bnrned to death. In the vast majority ot instances tire seems to have bet-n the sole canse of death. C.reat nnmbrrs of the bodies have been burst asnnder by the terrific heal and lie disembowelled. FACES OF THE VICTIMS. " In many instances the faces of the victims are qnite calm, :is thon.^h they were stricken down instantly where they stood withonl a moment's warninjr or with hardly time to appreciate the deadly peril they were in. Others have stamped on their faces an expression of indescribable terror. The entire city and the neighborhood all abonl it reek willi a horrible odor of bnrued flesh " Almost the first thing done was to make preparations for the erematicm of the dead. Fatigne parties of soldiers bnilt enor- mons pyres of wood and brandies of trees, njjon which they heaped the dead bodies by scores and bnrned them as rapidly as possible. To faciliate the combnstion and to destroy as far as possible the awfnl odor of bnrning flesh wlp"ch cane from them theimpromptn crematories were liea\ily soaked with coal tar and j)etroleuni. "The total nnmber of dead is now estimated al fully 30,^)00. The disaster itself took place within thirty seconds, and in thai half minute the vast majority of all the.se people were killed. It is supposed— for there is nobody living apparently to tell thee.xact facts— that there was suddenly shot down from the mouutain a great sheet of flame, accompanied by a terrible gaseons whirlwind and flashes of lightning, precisely such as are now reported as llffSSl m\ 11 i [] ii h I! 1 1 J r 180 AWFI L SCKNI. IN ST. I'lLRKF.. plaviiiK ah(,ut tin- Miuiiiiii ,,{ I,a Soiifrierc on tlu- island of St \ intfiit. "Tlu- lalfst intoimation m.-ivcd liert- is il.at tlu-miiu. (gar- ters of tlu- Von an.l ..f Carhc-t l.listrirts of the citvl a,v co„,pIc-ul v urt-c-kfc. lonuu.K^ iK-ap npuu 1,.;.,, of ruins, covea-.l t hick ly over with ashes cuKlcrs and masses ,.f nu.d and lava conuninulcl What h.nrd.le re^elations of tlu- havue urou^^ht to hnn.an life Uh.eh thesr .^nni mounds are vet U, reveal ean hardlv he unaKiued In these tw,. quarters of ,he eity n<.. a traee of the s. reets thai cx.sted there ean he seen. Tlu,v .re huried as e.unplelelv out of sight as were those of Pompeii. _ " Ah.UK the water front there are a feu walls standing and the rum.s .the Cust.nu House ean he seen. Curionslv enough th face and hands of the cloek on the hospital were n„t destroyed and they furnish an important reeord in tlu- history ..f this "terrible catastrophe. The hands of the eloek had stoppe.l at preeisely ten minutes to ei^^lit, showin,,. that it was at that moment that the city was overwhelmed ami all those thousands of persons within IS environs were destroye.l. .At the last aeeounts from St Pierre heworkofexplorinjrthe ruins tor the treasure buried beneath Uiem was going on at the same time with the iiieineratiou of the PRESIDENT ROOSLVELTS SPECIAL MESSAGE. President Roosevelt on May ,3th .sent a speeial mes.suge to Coiigress rehearsing ,1,. f.ets of the calamity at Martinique, and " ,^ing the neeessit- „f prcmipt relie, measures by the United Mutes H,. reeomnunded an appropriation of 5sc)0.ooo. 1 he House pass.cl by an overwhelminu vote a bill granting $200,00. for the relief of the sufferers in the West Indiet ThS l>il was a sub.stitute for the relief measure passed by the Senate ^UKl followed the reeeipt of the message from the President Mr' Hemenway the acting Chairman of the Appropriation Committee' xplanied that the amount was limited to .aoo.ooo owing to the tact that large private contributions were being made The dis cussion was brief, Mr. Underwood, of Alabama, being the only one" to speak in opposition. The bill was passed by 196 votes to^ AWKiri. sci:m in ST. m KKi; I'll The Sciuitf Mil iiid the hill )Sr(|U.iitIy (Miuuncd ill thi- .utioii .,(" ilir II oust'. \v;is sfiit to l!u- I ii ^Kknl. '1 lu- W;ir l)i'p;irtiiifiit t()(.i< i)r<.iii])t iiit.';isiir(.-.s '() >jij<.),i »i I ) re lu'f t xnclK tl le ill) gew York. It is I jilii-s ]>\ Wediu-schiy, llu- i.ith. C i:ihlcd tVuiii F()rt-(k--I" j)r()[)i-iati(.ii lhr(.tl,^ll the Coiumissan- Depot in 'lope-l to have the Dixie loaih-d with tl Use MiD- iiisiil .\\ iiic, of I'ointe-a-Pitre, that Vi.lKX) had raiue (|Uotiii^; the (Iom riior as estiiuatiii perished and Si >,< >' X I were lioiii ill Martini• ass eniMed at Le Carbel and Case I'iloti tile Sth inst. It was also said that jo >, aii()o fathoms of water, wl below the surface. Jle s unk m lere tormerly it was only i S(J fall llOULS A public official at Fort-de-Frauce wh o was fully informed of (1 * I Ml M r i ■\ If! Ill ' V.Vl AWl UL SCENT. IX ST. I'lERRE. tlie horrible situation in Martinique made tlie following lioTri.y- ing slalenient : " It now seeni.s to be generally admitted that about 3(.),ooo person.^ lost their lives as a result of the outbreak of the Mont Pelee volcano, at St. Pierre, on Thursday last. Careful investi galion by competent Governniv.nt ofiicials shows that the earlier reports of the Associated Press were accurate. " Brie<^y put, last Thursday morning the city of St. Pierre disappeared within ten minutes in a whirling fire vomited from Mont Pelee, 3(^000 persons were instantly a.nd horribly killed rud the volcano, wliose ancient crater for more than fifty years had been occupied h}- a quiet lake in which ])icnic ])arties bathed sud- denly discharged a torrent of fiery mud, which rolled towards the sea, enguliing evervtliing before it. Then the last of cable commu- nication was broken, and the doomed city was isolated from the world. ACCOUNT BY THT AMERICAN CONSUL. " The Aiuerican Consul at C ladelonpe, Louis H. Aynie, has reached the desolate spot where St. Pierre stood and confirms the awful storv in all its essential details. From an interview with Consul Avme, who is a trained .-X-nierican newspaper ihan, a corre- spondent of the Associated Press learned the following facts : "Thursday morniiig the inhabitants of tlie city awoke to find heavy clouds shrouding the Mont Pelee crater. x\ll day Wed- nesday hon-id detonations had be'ju heard. These were ech-'ed from St. Thomas on the north lo Barbados on the south. The cannonailing ceased on Wednesday night, and fine ashes fell like rain on St. Pierre. The inhabitanis were alarmed, but Ooverno Mouttet. who had arrived at St. Pierre the evening befi)re, dii: evervtliing possible to allay the panic. "The Britisli steamer Rorainia reached St. Pierre on Thurs- dav w' h ten passengers, among whom were Mrs. vStokes and her three children, and Mrs. H. J. Ince, They were watching the rain of aslies, when, with a frightful roar and terrific electric dis- charges, a c. clone of fire, mud anu steam swept down from the V) cAXlU U«.dl I! AWFl L SCF:NE in ST. I'lKRRE. 188 ing the fleet of vessels at anclior off the shore. There the accomits of the catastrophe so far obtainable cease. Thirty thor ad corpses are strewn about, buried in the ruins of St. Pierre, or else floating, gnawed by sharks, in the surrounding seas. Twenty- eight charred, half-dead human beings were brought here. Six- tcrn of them are already dead, and only four of the whole number are expected to recover. "The Associated Press steamer, chartered in Guadeloupe, ncared Martini([ue at 6.30 Sunday morning. The island, with its lofty hills, was hidden behind a huge veil of violet or leaden colored haze. Knormous (piantities (jf the wreckage of large and small ships and houses strewed the surface o^ the sea. Huge trees and too often bodies, with flocks of sea-gulls soaring above and hideous sharks figliting about them, were floating here and there. From behind the volcanic veil came blasts of hot wind, m iigled witli .--thers ic :old. MEN AND WOMEN FRANTIC TO ESCAPE. "At Le Precheur. iive miles north of St. Pierre, canoes, with men and women frantic to get away, begged for a passage on the steamer. The whole north end of the island was covered with a silver gray coating of ashes resembling dirty snow. Furious blasts of fire, ashes and mud swept over the steamer, but, finally, St. Pierre was reached. "The city of St. Pierre stretched nearly two miles along the water front and half a mile back to a cliff at the base of the volcano. The houses of the richer French families were built of stone. The still smoking volcano towered above the ash-covered hills. The ruins we: tmrning in many places, and frightful odors of burned flesh i.iled the air. " With great difficulty a landing was effected. Not one house was left intact. Viscid heaps of mud, of brighter ashes or piles of volcanic stones were seen on every side. The streets c, .lid hardly be traced. Here and there amid the ruins were heaps of corpses. Almost all the faces were downward. In one corner twenty-two bodies of men, women and children were ^^^^^^^K S 1 1 i ■ a-"-- l' 1] m\'- 1 ?i< ■ i ii: ■. 1 • f 1 u f:;^r 1 ; \ •■ i i i M Mill J 134 AWIUL SCENE IN ST. I'lEkRE. inin.Lrlcd in one awful mass, arms and Icj^s protruding as the hap- less beings fell in the last struggles of death's agony. "Through the middle of the old Place Bertin ran a tiny stream, the remains of the Ri\er (iavave. (ireat trees, with roots upward and scorched by fire, were strewn in every direction. Huge blocks and still hot stones were scattered about. From under one lir-e sl-nie tlie armof awhite woman protruded. IMo.-t notable was the utter silence and the awful, overpowering .stench from the thousriuds of dead. "Caieful inspeitiou showed that the fiery stream which so completely destroyed St. Pierre must have been compo.sed of ])oisonous gases, which instantly suffocated every one who inhaled them, and of other gases burning furiously, for nearly all the victims had their h.uids co\ering their mouths or were in some other attitude showing that they had sought relief from sufToca- tion. All the bodies were carl)onized or roasted. A GHASTLY SCENE OF DEATH. "A. O. Austen, the manager of the Colonial Bank of Bar- b.ados. landed at St. Pierre with a party from the British royal mail steamer vSolent. A horse and buggy and a policeman were m a dead grou]) at the door of the bank. At the request of S. A. McAllister, the United States Consul at Barbado.s, Captain Davis and the Solent were placed at hisdispositi(m by the Barbados (iovernmenl. The Solent arrived at about the same time as the As.sociated Press steamers and brought to St. Pierre the Colonial Secretary, two civil doctors, two military officers, and Dr. W. K. Aughinbaugh, of Washington, as well as a corporal and four hospital orderlies, three trained nures and a full field h«)spital outfit. The Barbados Government also .sent joo barrels of pro- visicms, one ton of ice and a full supply of medicine. These were u.seful. but the dead only needed cpiick burial. " The .Soufri.'fe volcano on the i.slandof St. \'incent has been ill ftiU erupti(.n since Wednesday last. Several plantations have been dt'stmyed. lvirtlu|uakes and loud reports accompanied the AWFUL SCENE IN ST. MERkE. 136 were wounded, and the bodies of 5o.;,y:li on deck and unprotected, lie was little l)iiriied. Prudent s;iys there \va , first an awful noise of explosion, and then at once a eyelone of smoke and fire, but such was tlic awtul, poisonous, ehokins^'- nature of the smoke tliat it ])urned worse than fire. When it struck peojile they fell dead. Tlie cyclone of -as tore the masts out of the shii)s, blew others u]) and sunk some of tluiu. Soon afterward came a wave of fire bigjrci than the smoke cloud. 11^ ( " l.i i\ III! Ill CHAPTER V. PrKSIPKNT R(li)SK\Kr.T"S SrKCIAI, Ml-.SSACI'. to Conorkss. — Larch Ai'I'Roi'Riatiox hv Oir ('.o\ i-.rnmi-.nt ikr Immi-.di ATK Rki.ii'.I' oi' Tiiic SrR\i\"<)RS.— A i)i>rn()\Ai. 1)I',taii.s oi- THK Tkrriiu.k Calamity.— ScHNi'.s BAi'f'i.ixc. Dhscritti j.v. ON Monday, May I2th, the President sent the following message to Congress whieh was read in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations : To the Senate and Honse of Representatives : One of the greatest calamities in histor\- has fallen npon onr neighboring Island of Martiniqne. The Consnl of the United Slates at Gnadelonpc has telegraphed from Fort-de-France, under date of yesterda}-, that the disaster is complete, that the citv of St. Pierre has ceased to exist and that the American Consnl and his family have perished. He is informed that 30,000 people have lost their lives and 50,cxx) are homeless and hungry, that there is urgent ne.'d of all kinds of provisions and that the visit of vessels for the work of supply and rescue is imperatively required. The Government of France, while expressing theirthanks for the marks of sympathy which have reached them from America, informs us that Fort-de-F'rance and the entire Island of Martiniqne are still threatened. They therefore request that, for the })nrpose of rescuing the people who are in such deadly peril and threatened with starvation, the Government of the I'nited vStates may send, as soon as possible, the means of transporting them from the stricken island. The Island of St. \'incent, and perhaps others in that region, are also seriously menaced by the calamity which has taken so appalling a form in Martinique. I have directed the Departments of Treasury, of War and of ^-lip N^^^w to tnkt' sTV-di measures for the relief of thpKf* ^tvip^T'ti people as lies within the executive discretion, and I earnestly 139 .« -iK^ < i; II ill no nu'-siDKNT K()().si;\i:Lrs mkssac;]-: to co.\(;ri:ss. coniinciid tliis case of uncxaiiipUd disaster t(. the g-enernus con- sideration of tlie Coiiii-ress. For tliis i)urpose I reeoniiucud tliat an ajjpropriationof 55oo,(KX) be made, to he iiinncdiately available. THKODORK ROOSEVELT. A\ liite Houst.', \\'aslniij4;to!i, May 13, iciot. Tin's nr.q^ent messa.^e broni^lil the voleanic calaiilily in the \\ est Indies before the House durins,-- the afternoon, the Distriet ot Cohinibia measures beir,,y: laid aside to permit the relief bill to be eousidered. In view of ihu President's messa,i;c nrginj,- an appropriation of >5(x..(hh., the House Committee on Appropria- tions unanimously offered a substitute to the .Senate bill, making the sum S2. x),,), .. >. and jjlaeing its disposition under the Presidtn"t of the I.'nited States. CONSENT FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION, Mr. Hemenway, the acting Chainnan of the Appropriation Committee, secured unanimous consent for immediate considera- tum.^ The amount, he said, h.ad been limited to ?2ck^ooo because the Committee was informed that large contributions were being made by private parties. He specified one of $500 made by a citizen of .Maine. Mr. Hemenway urged the need of prom])t action, saying thousands might die through delay. The text of the substitut'- as jireseiUed was as follows : "To enable the President of the United States to procure and distribute among the sufkriug and destitute people of the islands of the French West Indies such provisi.ms, clothing, medicines and ether necessary articles, and to take such other steps as he shall d; cm advisable for the purpose of /cscuing and succoring ihe jieople who are in peril and threatened with starva- tion, the sum of <2i '',o(k> is hereby appropriated ■■ In the execution of this act the President is requested to ask and obiain the approval of the French Government, and he is nere])y authorized to em])loy any vessels of the Ui ted States Navy ami to charter and employ any other suitable steamships or vessels.'' Mr. Underwood, of .\labanui, said that he was opposed to the 1:1 PRESIDENT KOUSEVI.LTS MESSACil. H) CONGRESS. 141 measure and would vote aj,Minst it. Mr. McR:ic, of .\rkau.sas. made an appeal for prompt and uuauinious action, in tht- interest of humanity, and Mr. Liviui^stone, of (ieortjia, added the li()])c that the conntr\' would not turn hack upon its record for snccorini.;' those in distress, without reference to national il\- ur locality. Mr. Fit/j.(erald, of New York, souj^hl to ha\c the amount amended to 55CX"),0()0, in accordance with the I'rcsidtut's reeoui- meuditiou, hut, in view of tlie unanimous action of the committee, the amendment was not jjressed. The hill was ])assed — 196 to q. The Senate sul)se{|uenlly concurred in the House amendment, fixing the appropriation at S2tx),i)o<), and the hill was sent to the President. VIGOROUS MEASURES FOR PROMPT DESPATCH. As the action of CoUL^ress was anticipated the War ])epart- ment took vioomns measures to secure the prompt despatch of a relief ship. The profound impression made upon the people of the United States hy the terrihle calaniitv was manifested h^- the action of the Presiileut in sending; a special message to Congress, and the prompt response of that hody hy the passage of a joint resolution appropriating $20(),ck)o for the relief of the stricken people. In anticipation of affirmative action h\- Congress, the President causv.'d the Secretaries of the Treasury, War and Navv to make pre))arations for the prompt despatch of supplies and vessels to Martinicpie. Heconiing ct)nvinced that the required appropriation would he made, and that the Executive would he given authority to act in the matter of t'urnishing speed\- relief. President Rot)sevelt summoned Secretary Hay for consultation early in the morning. Mr. Hay hronght with him to the White House a desjKitch received from Consul Louis H. Aynie, of Guadeloupe, who was directed hy Mr. Hay to proceed at once to Martiniciue and report the extensive character of the disaster. The desjxitch from Consul Ayme served as official confirmation of the newspaper reports as 10 Liic exLCiic oi liie caiaiiiii.\", aiii.1 in liic ^'piiiKiii v)i tiie i'lCsmciit aud Secretary Hay fully justified emergency measures. I i» ■ Ir "^T ■ Hjijl) 142 1'hi:,si!)i;nt koo.sevi.lt-s Mi..ssA(;i: To t:()\(;Ki;ss. vSeci-ftary H; Secretary Mood ly was rcqiic-sted to acqiiaiiit Sccrcti y witli the ProsideiU' ir\- Root and s w isl H's, and ilifv were . ■■ .. .oiiv.-i, ,11111 iiiev wei clKU-Kcd to carry ont the details of the arrangement..: The I reaMny Department was also instrncted toeo-operate, and it wa. ^..pp..sed that Ihts wonld n.ean the eniployn.ent of the revenne cutters and the medical officers <,f the marine hospital service the nnportant work than any <.ther department. The War Depart- incnt con.d provide the supplies, hut had no n.eans available for tl.cir transportation to the West Iiideas, and. therefore, it was nco,^nixed that inerchant lines ninst he utilized, unless vessels could be funnshcd by the naw. ORDERS TO LOAD A VESSEL. Fortunately, it was found the navy had a vessel, the Dixie that could be used for the required service. Therefore, it was decided to use that vessel, and orders were immediately tele- graphed her commander at New York to prepare to take on army supplies and to sail immediately upon doing so for Martinique- The United States steamship Buffalo, also at New York was ordered to carry supplies if the Dixie should not be able to take all that might be .sent. The Buffalo is a converted freight •ship, and well adapted to the work contemplated. The officers of the Navigation Bureau believed the Dixie could be made ready for sea by Wednesday, the i.^Hi. There were at -New \ork large quantities <,f army st.n-es, and the.se could be drawn upon. I he scientific divisions of the navy wonld .send on the Dixie, as passengers, two experts with instructions to report on the cause, of the calamity, and to gather facts in connection liom Ila. van! University was also to go on the Dixie as .n nn...,„.er t^Huutermaster General Lndington, Commissar3- General I'KKSIDENT RoOSEVtIT'S Ml SSAGK TO CONGRESS. 143 Wostoii and Surgt'on CkMicral Sternberg wcMt- summoned to the • •IhcL- of Secretary Root, and after a short consultation were directed to take charge of arrangements for that portion of the work of relief that would come to the War Department. Follow- ing this consultation an order was issued from the Adjutant Gen- eral's office, which, after reciting the anticipated action of Congress in making an appropriation, directed that the guartcr- niaster. Commissary and Surgeon Generals provide the provisions, clothing, medicines and other necessary supplies to be taken fnmi the stores of the army, in whole or in pari. These officials were funher directed to make all necessary preparation to accomplish the work assigned to them witliout delay. PLANS FOR DISTRIBUTION. The scheme of distribution decided upon was as follows: Three medical officers, with 55tKx) in medical stores ; one subsist- ence officer, with 570,000 in stores, consisting of rice, dried fish, sugar, coffee, tea, canned soups, condensed cream, salt, pepper and ymegar; one officerof Quartermaster's Department, with $20,000 in clothing supplies for men, women and children. The above distribution was approved by Secretary Root, who directed that the purchases be made accordingly, ready for shipment. All the officers nieiuioned and the stores were to be sent ou the United Stales ship Dixie, to be distributed at such points as might be designated by the navy officer in command of the Dixie, under instructions given by tlie Secretary of the Navy. The medical officers were instructed to render such .nedical aid as might be in their power, in addition to the distribution of medical supplies. With his usual energy and dash. Commissary General Weston telegraphed immediately to Colonel Brainard, the c.mmissary officer in charge at New York, directing him to expend the allot- uient in the purchase of tea, coffee, sugar and canned soups, and to see that thej^e goods were loaded on the Dixie at once. ocueiai \VesLon's most valued 0^11. v-^il*- \.il assistants, was selected to go to New York aud proceed proceed ou the v., -.A' .>p^^^ H -"■ma iM 't a * ii II 114 I'Kl.TllJl Nl ki >()-.l,\i;LrS MiSS.\(.i; It I I (tXi.KISS. l)i\ic lo M:u linic|iic. \U- was li> lia\i' coiiipliic i-liai;4v()t tlir dis- lril)Uti')ii of llu- st«in.'>, and a tiiiul ot 55CKK) was allotitl l<> him tur oiiu-r>;inr\' ixpciists. TluTc was ail air of hustle and hurry a))()Ut the- Coh l)()ik, in llif Na\\ Vanl, Brooklyn, Ma\- i illi, due to the rusli ordei to i(<.t the trainiuj^ sliip Dixie r^adyto .l;o to Martiuiciue with relief sujij)lies for the vietiiiis of the \iileanic eruption. Ivirly in the uioruiniL; tlie 1 )ixie's luooi iiii;s w ere lodseiied and two laden eoal barges were tloated in between her and the doek. Two more wiTe moored on the ehannel side of the \issel and soon tons and tons of eoal were beinj^ ])assed al)oard in baskets and dnmi)ed into the bunker. The erew of the Dixie, made up of about two hundred nun, were early at work, and to tlieir assistance eanie about two hundred more tars from the reeeiviu); sliij) Columbia. EMINENT GEOLOGISTS SAILED ON THE DIXIE. Prof. Thomas .\. Jaj^j^er, of Harvard University ; Prof. Israel C. Russell, of the I'niversity of Miehi,^;an ; Robert T. Mill, of the r. S. ( '.eoloi^ieal Survey; K. (). Hovey, oi ili.. .\iii ri- ean Museum of Xatural History, and J. Martin Miller, the well-kuown historian. LARGE CARGO OF PROVISIONS. Carloads of provisions and iood supplies of almost all kinds were wheeled from the department of provisions and clothinj.^ ihruugli the yard to the Cob Dock, to be stored on the training shi]). Rations to last the officers and crew three nu)nths were put aboard. P.esides the rations for the crew the Commissary Depart- mei't of the army started to send a large stock of supplies aboard 'i'he army sent between 2,cmh) and ^-^Anx.) tons of supplies of al! kinds. Major von Schrader, who has charge at the Army Building in the absence of Colonel Kimball, received fi om Colonel Brainard, of the Arinv Subsistence Department, an order to purchase Syo.cxx) worth of tea, coffee, sugar, and canned soups and clothing for sbipiiieiit 1.) Martinicuie. Colonel H.J. Gallagher was to go to Fort-de-l*rance and have personal charge of the distribution of l'll oftlie stores needed for the Dixie were not in stock at the Army Buildin.i( and Major \on Sehrader and his staff were l)ii>y all day luiyinK them. They purchased cotton prints, hats, slu.cs, hlankeis. and wearini, ipparel, ,^rl■nerally for women and children. These were snppleiiieiited by larvae (luaiitities of food in bulk, such as beef, ham, pork, canned ^umU and vegetables. They also collected lar<;e quantities of medical sni)i)lies. Hverythiii^^ purchased was beint,r paid f,,,- Ji, ^..^^]^^ ^^^^^ Major von Sehrader will be reimbursed out of the appropriation of the Government. Pier 15, Brot.klyn, was leased bv Major von vScharder as a depository. APPEAL FROM THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK. Mayor Low, of New York, issued this appeal for funds for the relief of the sufferers from tlie disaster at Martinique : "The appalling calamity at Martinique and in tlie neigh- lioring islands, makes an appeal to the .i^enerosity of New York that I am sure will not ])e disregarded. It i.s evident that help will be needed on a large scale, and needed proniptl}-. I am glad to perceive that the Chamber of Commerce is to hold a special meeting on Wednesday to take steps for raising a suitable relief fund. If there are any who wish to transmit numev for this purpo.se through the Mayor, I sliall be glad to receive it and to traiLsmit it to its destination through the Chamber of Commerce. I hope that New York will maintain its old time reputation foi libera! giving." .After consnlting with several other members, Morris K. Jesup, President of the New York Chamber of Commerce, decided not to wait for the special meeting called, but to arrange at once •-•• -T-^iivi ivi:-wi Lv>- Lii^ m: ;eKcii iiiiiaDuanLS ul Mill liiiique. He con- suited with the French Consul, and, through that official, cabled 10 MAR i>*.;--. c. I j I • II? I.I !!'l 146 I'KKSIUKNT KtH)Sl.\i;i.r'S MKSSACK I'O con'(;kkss. on Ms own responsibility, an offer of 25, (xh) francs for immediate use by the jrovernnicnt of Martinique. Mr. Jesup also started an inve .ij.^atiou amonj.f the steamship agencies, which resulted in tlie discovery that two (Juebec Steam ship Companv boats loaded with ])rovisions were at the Windward Islands, consigned to points not far from St- Pierre. Mr. Jesup hoped to buv the largoes of one or both of these steamers. "Doubtless, the Chamber of Commerce will ratily ar.]' action I may take," Mr. Jesup said, "and there is no time to wait until we can assemble that bt)d\-. What the j)eo])]e ()( Martinique want, and at once, is food and clothing. There are. at least, two steam- ers loaded with f lod within one hundred nrles of St. Pierre, and I am endeavoring, with the assistance of the h^rench Consul and the F^rench ( ion crnnient, to bn\, or ha\e the French Government buy for me, all that the\- contain which is available fir use. ARRANGING TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES " We could extend relief at once ii" weco'.'.ld get hold of these vessels. I understand that in the case of one of them, at least, nearly all the consignees are dead, and there is 1:0 one to receive the cargo. If I caii make arrangements to purchase I will buy at once and depend upon the Chamber of Commerce to support my action." One of the steamers to which Mr. Jesup referred was the Madiana, Captain R. iMaser, which sailed from New Yo k with consignments to St. Thomas, St. Croix, ,Sl. Kitts, .\ntigiui, Guade loupe, St. Pierre, St. Lucia and vSl. \'incei!t. She arrived at St. Thomas at S o'clock Sunda}- night, the iiih. Of her caigo of i'r-- •rri^ ■vy -I'Sta I'RF.SIUENT ROOSEVELT'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. 147 said he thought it possible Mr. Jesup might obtain that por- tion of the cargo of the Madiaiia consigned to Martinique, but he did not see how he couhl obtain possession of the foodstuffs on the Caribee. There was no doubt, he said, that nian\ of the con- signees of tlie Madiana cargo were dead. He had been busy all day obtaining from consignors in and about New York the names ot persons to whom the goods might be delivered and he thought !t possibh Mr. Jesup might be able to purchase the entire 1500 barrels. The Caribee's cargo, however, was wholly for Barbados and Demerara, and in both places the inhabitants are in need of food. In Barbados, particularly, owing to the loss of the Ror- aima, food was wanted. "We have been coi pelled," Mr Outerbridge said, "to send the Navigator to P.arbados, and will load her so that she can start on May 24th. This is an extra steamer made necessary by the lack of breadstufifs on that island. SUPPLIES FOR TWO WEEKS. "In my judgment, the supplies on the Madiana would be sufficient to maintain the survivors of the disaster for two weeks, unless there are a great many more than has been announced. Ordinarily the Madiana would reach Fort-de-France on May lOth, but perhaps an arrangement could be made by which she would go there direct, without stopping at St. Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua and Guadeloupe." Mr Outerbridge said that on Saturday the Fontabella, of the Quebec line, would sail for the West Indies, and he had beeu asked by the I'nited States Government to charter the unused s))ace in tliatves.sei. This privilege had been extended to the officials. .'\ letter, signed by members of the Chamber of Com- merce, urging him to call a meeting of that body, was presented to President Jesup. Those who signed the call were Messrs. j. P>lward vSimmons, Alexander P). Orr, James G- Cannon, Jacob Schiff, Robert M. Galloway, William C. Le Gendre, luigene De Lane, Lyman J. Gage. Gates W. McGarrah, A. Bar- ton Hepburn, Jo.seph C. Hendrix and Henry Hentz. Mr. mjM:' ff 1! I* i « 148 i'Ki.s[Di:.\ I' KO()si:\i;i;rs mkssac.i-: to concikkss. Jesup had already called the meetiiig when this request was reeei\ed. The Merchants' Association sent this dispatch to President Roosevelt yesterda\ : "If there is any wa}' in wliich we can co- operate with the fiovernment, or separately, in aidiiiji^ in the relief work in Martinique and St. X'incent, you have but to couiuiaiid us." HOW TO GET TRANSPORTATION. A similar telej^rani was sent to the Secretary of War. The Association and the Chamber of Couimerci; co-operated in the relief of Jacksonville, Fla., and had 5i left, which would prob- ai)lv be tarned o\ er for relief work in Martinique. Association representatives said the principal ([uestioii in sendini-- supplies to Martinique was one of transportation. \'essels were scarce. William R. Corwine, of the Association tried to ,i;et a vessel. Agents of the Red 1) line ex'pect the Znlia in on May 2otli, and say she could be ready to sail on May 22d. Washington, D. C, Monday. — I^\)llowing is the text of the cablej^ram between Presidents Roosevelt and Lonbet on the M: r- tinicjue disaster : " Wasiiinc.tox, May to, 1902. " His Kxellency M. Rmile Lonbet, President of the P'rencli Re- public, Paris : " I ])ray Your Excellenc}' to accept the ])rotound svnipatln- of the American i)vople in the appallin;^ calamitv which has come upon the people of Martinique. (Signed) "THICODORE ROOSEVELT." " Paris, ^Liy 1 1, 1902. "President Roosevelt : "I thank Vour P^xcellency for tlie expression of profound sympathy you have sent me in the name of the American j)eople m the occasion of the awful catastrophe in Martinique. The French people will certainly join me in thanks to the Ameiican people. " "EMILE L0UBP:T," The Swedish Minister at Paris, H. Akerman, handed to M. I'KKSIDLNT MOOSEVKLTS MlbSAGL TO CONC.KKSS. 11!) Decrais, Minister of llic Colonics, 5000 fraucs ($icxx)) for the relief r.iiul, in behalf of King Oscar. The C/ar has tele<(raphed to President Loubet exprcssinj; the sincere sympathy of himself and the C/arina, \vho shared with I'Vance the sorrow cansed by the terrible West Indian catastrophe. Pope Leo snnimoned the French Ambassador at Rome to the \'atican and expressed to him his keen sorrow on hearing of the >•'. Pierre disaster. The Pontiff requested tliat he be kept '..lornied regarding the details of the ^•olcallic outbreak. King Edward commanded Mr. Chamberlain to telegraph to the (iovernor of the Windward Islands His Majesty's deep regret at the calamity which had visited the Island of St. Vincent, and his sympathy with the sufferers and the bereaved. The governor was also inst;ructed to spend all the money necessary for tlieii reliel. He sent to the French authorities in Paris 25,000 francs (55.oo<")), as his contribution to the fund being raised for the relief of the sufferers from the Martinique disaster. FLAGS AT HALF-MAST. Flags on the French Legation and over the Consulates in Lima and Callao, as well as on numerous private residences, were flying at half mast because of the disaster ni Martinique. Members of only two families in New Orleans were lost in the Martinique disaster. Many years ago a considerable umbei of colonists came to New Orleans from Martinique, and the descendants of these families have many relatives iu the island, but the relationship is so distarl that it had been lost sight of. The American Vice Consul at St. Pierre, Aniedee Testart, was from this city, and had a sister, Mrs. Carriene, liviug in Kerlevee street. R. K. Brouilhee. luphew of the Belgian Consul, had four aunts, the Misses Drnill, living in St. Pierre, and the cable i* ' ' ncd him that there was no hope that they were saved. A'liliam R. .Scott, Professor of Geology In the universit}- at Princeton, \. J., made a statement in regard to theeruption in the West Indies, which he says was very much similar to that of Vesuvius, and was probably caused by a rush of water to the lava S', V li 160 rRKMDLNT ROOSEVELTS MESSAGE TO CONCRFSS. reservoir. Professor Scott lias spent considerable time in the stndy of volcanic regions, and is considered an anthority on the snbject. He said : " The evidence }T;leancd from the newspaper acconnts is both contradictory and inconclusive. The eruption was of the explosive type similar to Vesuvius, but different in the nature of the matter ejected. In the case of Vesuvius the explosion was great enough to powder the lava ; here, however, immcuse masses of the lava were 'blown out. ''To this white hot lava can be ascribed the destructive fire in the city and among the shipping in the harbor. The report of a rain of fire was simply this white hot lava. Gases probably did burn, but any fire from this source would have ascended, owing to the lighter weight of the gas. The sudden access of a body of water to the lava reservoir is the only explanation worthy on the present evidence. The eruption is peculiar, in that immense masses of lava were ejected along with the lava stream and that comparatively little volcanic dust was noticed. A force as great as this must have been should have powdered all the lava." STORY OF JAMES TAYLO."?. James Taylor, of St. Kitts, a cooper emploj'ed on the Roraima said: "We left Dominica for St. Pierre at midnight on Wed- nesday, the seventh, arriving at the latter place about 7 o'clock Thursday morning. The greatest difficulty was experienced in getting into port, tlie air being thick with falling ashes and the darkness intcu'^e. The ship had to grope its way to the anchorage. Appalling sounds were issuing from the mountains behind the town, which was shrouded in darkness. The ashes were falling thickly on the steamer's deck, where the passengers and others were gathered, gazing at the town, some being engaged in photo- graphing the scene. " Ileariui^ a tremendous report and seeing the ashes fallini^ thirkvr. I dived into a room, dragging with r.ie vSamuel Thonuis, a gangway man and a fellow countryman, shutting the door tightly. Shortly .after I heard a voice, which I recognized as that I'KKSIUKNT KUObLVELFb MEbbA(jE TO CUNC^RESS. 151 of the cliic filiate, Mr. vScott. Opening the door with j^reat caution, I drew him in. The nose of Thomas was burned by the intense heat. "We three and Thompson, tlie assistant pur^jer, out of sixty- eight souls on board, were the only persons who escaped practically uninjured. The licat being unbearable, I emerged in a few moments and the scene that presented itself to ni}- eves baffles descripaon. .\11 around on the deck were the dead and dyin:' covered with boiling mud. There they lay, men, women and Httle children, and the ajipeals of the latter for water were heart- rending. When water was given them they could not swallow it, owing to their throats being iilled with ashes or burnt with the heated air. THE SEA WAS HOT. "The ship was burning aft and I jumped overbor.rd, the sea being intensely hot. I was at once swept seaward by a tidal wave, but, the sea receding a considerable distance, the return wave washed me against an upturned sloop to wliich I clung. I was joined by a man sc^ flreadfuUy burned and disfigured as to be unrecognizable. Afterwards I found he was the captain of the Roraima, Captain Muggah. He was in dreadful agonj/, begging piteously to be put on board his shir. " Picking up some wreckage w aich contained bedding and a tool chest, I, with the help of five others who had joined me on tlie wreck, constructed a rude raft on which we placed the captain. Then, seeing an upiurned boat, I asked one of the i.'ve, a native of Martinique, to swim and fetch it. Instead of returning to us, he picked up two of his countrymen and went an'ay in the direction of Fort-de-France. Seeing the Roddam, which arrived in port shortly after we anchored, making for the Roraima, I said good- b3'e to the captain and swam back to the Roraima. "Slie, however, burst into flames and put to sea. I reached the Roraima at about half-past 2, and was afterwards taken off by a boat froui the F^'rench warship Suchet. " Twenty-four others with myself were taken on to Fort-de- France. Three of these died before reaching port. A number of others have since died. '^:W, 152 I'RF.SIDIN I kdUsEVI.Lrs MKSsA' .1. 1 1 > COXGRF.SS. "Till' following; lire likely to recover: Miss Stokes and nurse, who were i)assen}j:ers ; the purser, Thompson ; Third Mate Kvans, vSe-ond Ivnij^incer Morris, I'ourth I'liij^inecr \'enson, Car- penter Eddie MessHian and (]iusep])i, a sailor. After spendin- the night in Fort-dc France I was picked up h\- the Koruna and brought here." vSamuel Thomas, the gangway man whose life was saved by tlie forethought of Taylor, said that the scene on the burning ship was awful. The groans and cries of the dying, for whom nothing could be done, were horrible. He described a wt)mau as being burned to death with a living babe in her arms. He said that it seeaicd as if the whole world was afire. SHIP SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED. The inflammable material in the forepart of the ship that would have ignited that part of the vessel was thrown overboard by him and the other two uninjured men. The Grappler, tlie telegraph company's ship, was seen opposite the Usine Guerin, and disappeared ;;s if blown uj) by a sulimarine explosion. The captain's body was subsequently found by a boat from the Suchet. A. E. Outerbridge, of the Quebec Steamship Company, Xew York, whose steamer Roraima was lost in the Bav of St. Pierre, Martinique, received the following cablegram from Dominica May 1 2th : "Chief officer and assistant purser taken by Korona at Fort- de-rrauce. Ivngineer Morris and names cabled Saturday are left in hospital at Fort-de-P" ranee seriously injured. Mnggah and Braun and all others dead, \ruggah was captain of the Roraima; the others were members of the crew. The message received bv Mr. Outerbridge on Saturday was as follows : "Survivors Roraima on Korona, First Officer Scott and Assistant Purser Thomp.son ; ni hospital, Fort-dc-P'rance, Tslorlev, second officer- Thompson, third officer; Moores, Evans, second engineer; Bei.son, carpenter; Mayer, second steward ; Leady, mess man ; quartermaster ; Mrs Reid, stewardess ; three sailors." The following cablegram to Charles Van Roniondt, of N.-v PFU-.SIDKNT RnosKVELTS MKSSACK T« • < 0.\(;ki;,ss. \r,:\ York, was received from Josepli Dnvalloti, dated Fortde-Fr.ince : "St. Pierre totally destroyed. The families Devers and (iirard :ils(,. ICntire city with its iiihahitants luiried up. Provisions at I'ort-de-lM-anee reqnisitioned by the Government. Madame and Mile. I>efiirgy saved." The Colonial Office, in London, received the followin- cable .Icspatch from .Administrator Bell, of the island of Dominica lintish West Indies: " The .Martinique catastrophe appears to be even more terrible than at first reported. Refn-ees arrivin- here this morniuKr say that new craters are open in many directions, that rivers are over- flowini^. and that large areas in the north of the island arc sub- merged. Other districts are crowded with survivors. Almost total darkness continues. I do not believe Guadeloupe can adequately relieve the stupendous distress." DESTRUCTION OF COAST VILLAGES The following despatch was received from Fort-de-France : "The coast villages near St. Pierre were destroyed simul'ta- neously with that town. The entire island, uj) to within a few miles of Fort-de-France, is covered witli mud and ashes. The cattle of the island are either all dead or dying. The .streams have dried up or are polluted. Thousands of "persons are flocking to Fort-dc-France. Unless relief is promptly sent, famine is immi- nent, and there is urgent need for the services of the Red Cross Societ)-. "The Frencli cable line, via Kun.pe, is now the only means of telegraphic commuiiication witli the outside world. The demands made upon this line are extremely heavy. "The terrible explosion which occurred on board the Quebec Line Steamer Rorainia probably resulted from kerosene. ^ "The central and .southern parts of St. Pierre are still burn- ing. The country side is de.serted. F:verv n^milv on the island IS mourning the loss of relatives .n- friends. Business is at a c.miplete standstill. St. Pierre wa ; the financial and provisioning centre of the island. Mont Pelee is still in erupti .n, and evci' rKiM:>i.N!' K(H)si;\'i:i;rs MiibSAcii: to con(;kkss. iiKirc viok'iit and disaslrons eruptions may follow. X'olcanic ashes have fallen, a^^ainst ll'.e wind, uu the islands of Dominica and .St. \ineent." "All the latest re])orts from the West Indies," said one of our newspapeiM, "tend to confirm and emphasize the horrors of the terrible blow that has fallen upon Martiniciue. No such apjKiUiniL? disaster, distinguished l)y the suddenness of the blow, the number of tlie vietinis. tlie eompleteues^ of the desolation, has ever come home to the civili/ed world with so overwhelming; and harrowing; a foree. The convulsion t)f nature in Krakatoa in 1SS3 was greater, but it was in a laud remote and strani;;-e to civilized pet)ples. The West Indie^s, on the other hand, are now knit closely to .\nierica atul l-'urope by the cable, steamships and the tra.cle and intercourse that brings theui near. THANKS FROM TH^ FRENCH GOVERNMENT. "The (ioverunuut of I-'iance. in thankiui^ the United States for the marks of sympathy sho'.u here, retiuests our aid in tran.s- l)ortini; the refu;rn wallis surrendered 'to the comlMUed forces oi .\merica and h'ranie," ami now an opportunity is offered us to Sfiul lur forces in .aid oi' France's people in their liour of need. "it appears from late news that the loss of life in Martinique I'RF-SIDKN r KOOSKVM.TS MHSSACK T' ) t UNCKKSS. lo5 will be nnicli j;rc:iUT than was at first rejKirtcd. St. Pit-rrf, with its 25, H ihi Ai- i.i-^ mi.ssai.k id (onckiss. ''Loral j^iivlTii 111'. Ilia! aiitlioiitics I'vcTywluTi.' arc foUowinj; tlu- t'\aiii])li- so uc-II offiiiil ill Washington, and it is to be- iioti'd with satisfaitic'ii thai oiir owa city ( IMii'adflphia) is, as usual in siu-li (.-ascs, ainoii!^' the first to take tdTictivc action. W'c have, fortunately, an orj^Miiization ready tur work on sueli oeeasions, prepared and etjuipped to nio\e on the instant whenever a call comes like this simndiiiL; to lis fnun Martiniciue. The I'enii.iiieiit Relief Coiiiinittee has been suiiinioned hy the Mayor of the city to meet at his otTice tor the purpose of directing; and controlling; the helpful imp'.ilses always insi)irin,!4; oiir people in snch extremities. The PeruMuent Relief Coniniittee has a reserve fund at its command, which can he instantly used, and the avenues of subscription to enlarj^e its means of usefulness, always open and always conimandiui,' the confidence of the community, are already brini^iiij; in important contributions. " It is a most fortunate circuni-tance that we do not have to wait to find the ways and means tor extcndiiij; help on occasions like the j)reseut. Our people are not only willini^:, but they are ready. The machinery for collecting and distribn ini; aid can be set in niolien on the instant, and we know bv e\pciicnce how effective is the work it can be trusted to accomplish. It is abso- lutely certain that every dollar contributed will be used by the Permanent Relief Committee to do the utmost work in the best possible way. The impulse to >;ive which will stir the heart of every humane person in the community will be made, through the means established, to ser\e its purpose in conferring the greatest good upon the greatest number.'' .**■- CTTAPTKR VT. Two TFior.sAXD Pkrsons Kii.i.kd iv St, Vixcfvt. — Grkat Ar.AkM AS TO TIIH FaTH OF TIIK Isi. \ N I). — Auh r I. Sll)l>l-.N- N'Kss OK TiiK Calamity at St. Pii;kkk. - Cr M'fiic Storiks Tot.i) itv \\itm:ssi;s oi- tiih Di.adi.v ICxpi.osion. /CONDITION'S on the British Ishitid of St. X'incent were ^-^ rcpnrlfd on May 13th to ho nmrf seriou.s. The followiuj; '.lesp.'itfh fiin.ished important information : " United States Goverment tnj^ Potomac leaves here to-nitjlit for the Ishmd of St. N'inceut, where conditions are reported to be worse. LaSonfriere, on St. \'incent. was in full ernption May 10. A stream of stone and mud half a mile wide was then issnin^^ from the volcano. Stones two inches in diameter fell twelve miles away. At King.stown, the capital of the island, the ashes were two inches deep. Seven hundred dead were reported Sunday, May 11. It is estimated that the total number of deaths at St. \'incent reaches two thou.sand. Mo.st of the victims are said to be Carib Indians. Seven estates on the island have been burned to ashes, and it is authentically reported that two earthquakes occurred there. It is belie\ed the submarine cables in St. Vincent iiave been broken by the disturbances. The present volcanic eruption on St. Vinceut is the first since 181 2. "Great alarm continues to be felt at St. Thomas regarding the fate of St. \'incent. Communication has been cut off since Sunday, the nth. At that time the Sonfriere was in furious erup- tion. Kingstown, on the opposite end of the island, was being bombarded, stones and ashes falling in an unceasing .shower. The northern part of St. Vincent had been utterly destroyed. Bef.a\ Sunday morning the deaths numbered 1600, and it is feared that this estimate is far too small. "Much excitement was caused by a slight shock of earth- quake, wliich was felt about 4.30 on the afternoon of May 13th. The public was greatly excited, and many rushed out of their 107 ^aK.- "^f' •" MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2 1.0 I.I ■IS: 1^ t m I 2.5 [ 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 111 1.4 111 1.6 j£ /1PPLIED IfVMGE Inc 653 tasl . '16) 482 MQ.r S' Ne* Tor - OX'j k 1 4609 - Pho'>e bSA ,'16) 288 - 598 J -Fo. 11 I! I'JS cuM'iiic hn)Rii;s liv \vi in'i:ssi:s of thi: disaster. I ! •; I I! lit houses, but the tivniurs of the earth stopped before any actual daniat^e was done." '■ I have just returned from the ruins of St. Pierre," writes a eorrespoudent, "unable loiiL^cr to withstand the terril)le hardshii)S and V ncouiiter 'he liorrible sii.;hts that were with nie every minute of the twenty j - hours of my stay there. Wlien I reached St. Pierre I was snrp .^ed tliat more of the dead were not in sight. Not more than a tliousand bodies were strewu ;ih)ug the streets, tlie others being at least partly buried under the mantle of ashes and cinders spread bv Mont Pelee. " Kvery moment of my stay in St. Pierre I feared tliat the volcano would again l)elLh forth its blHows of death-dealing fire. It continues active, vomiting la\a in streams, which lltjws down its sides, changing the surface of the northern end of the island every hour. It is tlie stench and the danger of pestilence that makes St. Pierre a place of even greater horror than was caused by the first result of the explosion of Mont Pelee. BODIES BURIED BY SOLDIERS. '' All of the bodies first found on the surface have been buried by soldiers, but few of those in the ruins have been dug out. It will require months, unless a greater force (jf men is employed, betore the dead are properly disposed of. The sand and ashes that cover the city are still liot. Waves of heat come down fron' the crater of the volcano, making work among the ruins difficult, when it is not absolutely impossible. " Ri-j)i)rts tiiat all of tlie inhabitants of the village of Le Precluur had been bnjught to this citv are not true. A great \\a\e of lava swept across one portion of the village, destro}'- ing the lives of about Soo inhabitants. The others fled to the seashore and were rescued by the P'rench cruiser Suchet. Other \illages at the foot of Mont Pelee were destroyed by the lava, which flowed along the courses formerly followed t" the rivers. " Indiguaticni against Governor Alouttet grows as the panic ot the survivors subsides. It is remembered that while Mont GKAI'UIC STDRIKS BV WITXESSKS OF Till: DISASTE':. 15!) Pelee was thivatcnin^- and givin.t^- warning of the disaster it was al)()ut to work, the (iovcnior refused to permit aiiv general exodus from St. Pierre. Some food has l)een l)rought here from the neighboring ishuids. hut famine still continues to threaten the refugees. All are on half rations, and, when it is remembered that pestilence is an immediate menace, it can be understood whv there should be plenty of food to give those who may be attacked strength to figlit the disease. SOLDIERS GUARDING THE DEAD. "Vandalism has already begun at St. Pierre, and althoug'i soldiers are trying to g;ianl the dead, looting is going on in a shameful manner. .Vnnonncemenl will soon be n'lade providing severe penalties for all who are caught stealing in the island. The Potomac, a United States (Government tug, .sent from San Juan, Porto Rico, which arrived here to-day, brought in five negroes and one white man win. Iiad been picked upin a small b;/.it off St. Pierre. All of tlicse men were loaded down with jewelry, which had been taken from the bodies in St. Pierre. They have been turned over to the French authorities for punish- ment. "The Potomac brought a ton of supplies to Martinique, con- sisting in part of codfish and flour. While off St. Pierre the Potomac encountered a column of thick smoke, through which she could not p.ass. The tug was compelled to go five^niles out of her course to escape the ashes th.it were falling in clouds. "In the harbor of St. Pierre a steamsliip is in constant readi- ness to take away the workers if Mont Pelee becomes more threat- ening. A watch is constantly maintained ready to give w;.rning, and if the lava turns in the direction of St. Pierre the place will be immediately deserted. .Aside from tliose working in the ruins there is not a human being in the northern part of the island. All who have not been killed have fled to Knrt-de-France." The Transatlantic steamer Canada arrived at Port of Spain, Trinidad, with 13S refugees, twentv hours from Fort-de-France' pieccuiug the \f n vi 1 11 inn *^ Q1, 4^1. *itl \_ V Ulii. ill : le-. :M ii ; i If H i if 1 ! Hi; UiO GKAI'MIC hlDKIl.S i;V W riNKhSKS OF 1111. IJISAS'I IK. disaster at .St. Picric, and also of the catastrophe itscllas told by eve witnesses, who were on the scho(Mier Ciabrielle : " A scientific coinniission, presided over ])y the Governor, AI. Monttet, assembled in vSl. Pierre on May 7, the day before the calamity, for the pnrpose t)f stndyin<,f the phenomena of the volcanic distnrljances of Mont Pclce. It was ai^reed by the members of this commission that the relative position of the craters and the valleys debonching on the sea were snch that the scientists could aftirni that the security of vSl. Pierre was complete, and this announcement was made to allay the lears of the frightened citizens. GREAT COLUMN OF STEAM. "The sun rose clear over vSt. Pierre at 6 o'clock on the morn- ing of May Sth. Mont Pelee was smoking to tlie iu)rlh, and the wind was blowing westward. A few minutes before 7 o'clock a great white column of what seemed to be steam and gas belched forth from an apparently new crater on Mont Pelee, which seemed to be about 200 yards from the original crater, and which appeared to open uj) a deep rent t'rom the top to the bottom of the nu)untain. The outbreak caused the utmost consternation and panic among the inhabitants of St. Pierre, who fled toward the seashore, uttering frightful sereams, in anticipation, evidently, of what was to follow. ''Those on the (labrielle observed a small steam yacht leave vSt. Pierre at ten minutes after 7 o'clock, with the Governor and members of a scientilic commission on board. The yacht steamed toward Le Precheur. .\ terrible groaning was heard from the volcano, about ten minutes before S o'clock, and a moment later a gigantic mass of thick, impenetrable black smoke poured out of the crater and fell with frightful rapidity upon the citv. In a verv short time the whole city was a mass of ruins. "The waters of the harbor were violently agitated and every- where was heard the sound of falling masts of the shipping, and vessels were seen to o\erlurn and .sink or burst into flames. The cries of the doonu-d beings on shore and afloat lasted only a few moment'^, when the stillness of death fell upon tlu' citv and the likAl'llIC STOKIKS liV WlTNESSKSOl- THK DISASTER. U!l harbor. Onl}- three vessels of all the shipping in the harbor had withstood the terrible convulsions of nature. These were the little schooner (kibrielle, the Korona and the North .\inerican. '■ One ot the survivors who was bronglii here says he sprang overboard, and despite injuries received froni the fall'n;^ lava and ashes succeeded, by diving and swinnuing for two hours, in sus- taining himself until he was picked up by the Fiench warship Suchet. " Although the volcano's flow had apparentl}- diminished somewhat when the Suchet left, great blocks of lava were still being vomited forth from the crater. Nothing remained of the city of St. Pierre except vast heaps of smoking ruins, resembling a great furnace. Here and there in open space large numbers of partly burned and asphyxiated bodies could be seen lying on the ground. .\n expedition carrying relief supplies left Trinidad for Martinique on May loth, and is expected to return within the next twenty-four hours. RESIDENTS PREVENTED FROM LEAVING. "The Governor, thinking all danger over after the eruption of lava to a height of 120 feet on May 5, formed a cordon of sol- diers around the city to prevent residents from leaving. To further allay excitement the Go\ernor took up his residence with several scientists in St. Pierre. It will take thousands to dig out and bury the dead. The smell of burning flesh is perceptible three miles from shore. The Roraima was still burning yester- day, and ihe ruins of the city will burn for weeks longer. Food for the survivors has been sent from St. Thomas and Barbados for 12,000 refugees, who are in outU'ing villages. " As a result of the measures taken by the authorities, access to St. Pierre is now easier. The ruins of the town have ceased smoking. Two thousand corpses have been found in a carbonized condition. It has been learned that the rain of tire ceased at a distance of 200 yards from the village of La Carbet. "Talk with survivors of the disaster confirms previous state- iiiitif^i; n.s ^<^ tfip nwfiil si'ddt^'Uness <>f tlif cafa'^*^'''^'''^'" Tf ic fVi,-,.»Q-i, t •• ■■^■-■■-if,^-~ II .MAK lOU GRAPHIC STOKiES BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. r\ Ij! i; • A that an enormous quantity of ^as was liberated, producing great atmospheric pressure, which overwhelmed ever^ything before it. The gases absorbed by the bodies of the victims caused them to bur.'"-t, and the fire coming afterwards carbonized them. This was followed b}' a rain of stones, which enveloped the town, ])ut there was not, as has been said, any flow of incandescent lava. A gar- dener at the village of Morne Rouge, saw, at the moment of the disaster, seven luminous points on Mont Pelee. He says he had the impression of being violently drawn towards the volcano by a powerful current of air. Then the moxmtain opened, according to the description of the gardener, and flung tornadoes of fire at St. Pierre. BUSINESS IN THE TOWN SUSPENDED. " Business at Fort-de-France is suspended. The people of the city have assembled in the churches, and the cathedral, where special services are being held for the St. Pierre dead, has beeu thronged since daylight. " A famine here is imminent. The northern section of the island is depopulated. Provisions are needed here immediately for 100,000 people. A siiip load of lime is also needed at vSt. Pierre for sanitary purposes. The stench there from the dead bodies is overpowering. Governor Hunt, of Porto Rico, has asked Louis H. Ayme, the United States Consul at Gaudeloupe, who is now here, what assistance he could render. Governor Hunt's offer has been communicated to the Government which will gladly accept it. "Great praise is given United States Consul Ayme. He has worked indefatigably to succor the survivors. He has bandaged the limbs of the wounded and has worked without sleep and without food. He is now thoroughly exhausted. Forty persons rescued from the city are now in hospitals here. In addition to the specie already secured, jewels to the value of 1,000,000 francs were rescued from the Bank of St. Pierre 3-esterday. The Italian consul at Barbados has recovered the bod}' of his daughter, who was visiting in St. Pierre at the time of the disaster. " The French cruiser Suchet is here, and the city of Fort-de- i'rauce is quict. It wa.i icpuilcd hcic ycMlciday fiom the Brilibu GRAPHIC STORIES BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. I(i3 Island of Dominica that 300 survivors of the vSt. Pierre disaster had reached there in canoes. "vStrange to relate, in view of the number of inhabitants of St. Pierre who were swept to death by the volcanic waves from Mont Pelee, on Thursday last, very few corpses have been found by those who are engaged in the work of cremating the dead bodies. This is due to the fact that the most populous quarters of the town are buried under a thick layer of cindered lava, which appare itly entirely consumed the bodies of the victims. " Many strange and incomprehensible incidents are recounted of St. Pierre. The charred remains of a woman with a silk hand- kerchief, unburned and in perfect condition, held to her lips have been found there. The crisped bodies of young girls have been found, but the shoes they wore were unhurt. The path of the volcanic torrent which swept over St. Pierre is marked out in a strange manner. The vicinity of the shore, where the vessels anchored, was swept by a whirlwind of volcanic gas, which ripped, tore and shattered everything in its passage, but left few traces of cinders behind. On the other liand, the fort centre and adjoining parts of St. Pierre are buried under a thick bed of cinders which consumed everything beneath it. SUCCORING THE REFUGEES. "The work of succoring the refugees continues incessantly. When the cable repair ship Ponyer Quertier, Captain Thieron, started on her mission of mercy she had to pass through clouds of burning cinders, at the risk of catching fire, in order to reach the terror stricken people ashore. But, as already announced, she succeeded in bringing to this port 456 people, mainly former residents of the village of Le Precheur. This was on Saturday ast. Since then the steamer, as the result of other daring trips, has succeeded in bringing many other persons to Fort-de-France! On Sunday-, the nth, she rescued 923 persons and piloted the French cruiser Suchet and the Danish cruiser Valkyrien who took on board 1500 persons. The Valkvrien, havine done everv- tUing possible in the efforts being made to succor 'the refugees, I W--" f tii 164 GKAI'HIC .vrOKIKS BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASI'KK. left this port to-day- The German cruiser Falke has just arrived here. "The Pouyer Quertier has distributed to the sufferers Uirge quantities of biscuits, milk, wine and clieese. The specie found in the vaults of the Bank tif Martinique at vSt. Pierre, aniountinjj^ to 2,ooo,(Kx:) francs, has been iirouj^ht safely here. The specie in the public treasury at St. Pierre is still buried under a layer of lava ab'Hit six to eight yards thick. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES OF THE SURVIVORS. " Public interest centres in the stories of the survivors and in the efforts })eing made to succor the refugees. A woman named Laurent, who was employed as a servant at vSt. Pierre in the household of M. Gabriel, and who was among those taken to the hospital in this city, in describing her experiences said that on the day of the terrible disaster she heard a loud report, and thereupon fainted. When she regained her senses, a few hours later, she was horribly burned, and. glancing around, she saw two members of the Gabriel family still alive, but they died before assistance could reach them. " Mile. Laurent, although she lived for scmie time after being takeu to the hospital and was conscious while under the care of the physicians, died witnout being able to impart any additional information concerning the catastrophe. " Margaret Stokes, the nine-year old daughter of the late Clement Stokes, of New York, who with her mother, a brother aged four, and a sister aged three years, was on the ill-fated British steamer Roraima, is in the hospital here. The child is not expected to live. Her nurse, Clara King, tells the following story of her experience : " ' She says she was in her stateroom when the steward of the Roraima called out to her, '' Look at Mont Pelee." "'She went on deck and saw a vast mass of black cloud coming down from the volcano. The steward ordered her to return to the saloon, saying, " It is coming." Miss King then rushed to the saloon. She sa3-s she experienced a teeiiug ol suffocation, GRAPHIC STORILS HY WITNESSKS OK THK DISASTER. i«5 which was followed by intense heat. The afterpart of the Rorainia broke out in flames. Ren Benson, the carpenter of the Rorainia, who is in the hospital here, severely bnrned. assisted Miss King and Margaret Stokes to escape. With the help of Mr Scott, the first mate of the Roraima, he constructed a raft with life preservers. Upon this Miss King and Margaret were placed ■"While this was being done Margaret's little brother died Mate Scott brought the child wuter at great personal danger, but It was unavailing. Shortly after the death of the little boy Mrs Stokes succumbed.' Margaret and Miss King eventually got away on the raft, and were picked up by the steamer Korona Mate Scott also escaped. Miss King did not sustain serious injuries She covered the face of Margaret with her dress, but still the child was probably fatally burned. " The only woman known to have survived the disaster at St Pierre was a negress named Fillotte. She was found in a cellar where she had been for three days. She was still alive, but fear- fully burned from head to toes. She died in the hospital. PITIABLE CONDITION OF RORAIMA SURVIVORS. "All the survivors of the St. Pierre disaster continue to be greatly broken by the terrible experience through which they had passed. First officer Scott, Assistant Purse. Thomas and Cooper Taylor are still in a pitiable condition. Scott, who lost a son -vho was about to enter college, cannot take his mind from the scenes of last Thursday. He was the last to leave the dead-strewn deck of the Roraima, which was then burning itself out. All thr^e men speak in the highest terms of Captain Pierre Lebris of the French cruiser Suchet, whose kindness to the survivors endeared him to them." The Martinique calamity was the subject of discussion at the Cabinet meeting in Washington May 13th. The prompt and effective response of the supply departments of the army, and the readiness wi:h which the navy responded to the demands made upon It, were very gratifying. The fact that the Cnmr.,-.c,. J department was able to expend the allotment of money assi^ed I IH ;9ma f^ m I 1 1 li;i; r.KAI'lIIC ^.■I()!<1I,S V.\ \V!TN'i;SSI,S or Tin: DiSASTr.K. to it, ;uul to cdlk'ct the stores purchased and make thcni ready for transportation, and the ecjual readiness of the Ouarterniaster's Departnu'Ul mid that of the Surf^eon (ieneral to perform the duties assigned them, showed the efficiency and thoroughness of organ- ization of the supply service of tlie armv. Tlie phins of both War and Navy Departments were so com- prehensive and carried out with sucli promptness and intelligence that even before the passage of the joint resolution authorizing the expenditure of 52(X),(xx) the entire anu)unt had been prac- tically expended the greater portion of the materials assembled for instant delivery to those in charge of the sea transportation. The large collection of military stores of every description on hand was of invaluable assistance in this emergency. The extent of the work done in .«o short a time will be better understood when it is known that the Commissary Departu'.ent, acting upon advices from the stricken islands, proceeded to assemble rations sufficient to supply 4o,o'-"elius N. Blis.s, Treasurer ; Morris K. Jesup John Claflin, Jacob H. Schifif, William R. Corwine. Boston— Augustus Hemenway, Dr. Henry S. Pritchett Henry Lee Livingston. ' Philadelphia— Charles Emory Smith, Provost Charles C Harrison, Joseph G. Darlington, Clement M. Griscom. lohn h' Converse. f !l ' i h ' 168 (iKAl'M r sToKi ■•.S i;V W 1 !.N!.>.M.b ()!• I ! ! !. >):h.\^!KR. Biiltiinorr - -TaiiU'S A. r.:uy. \V:isliiii;^t(iii Ch.irli's C. (iloviT. Pittshuri- \. J. L(i,-aii, II. C. iMi'ck. HiifT.ild -John (',. Milliinn. Carlluii Sprai^-'m'. CK'Vfland -Myron 'P. I [(.Trie k, Saimul Matlu-r. Cincinnati Jacoh ( i. Scliniidlai)]), Hri)..Jt,^s S. Cnnnini^liani. Chicaijo-j. J. Mitflu'll, Marvin I lu,v,^liitt, Marsliall ImcKI, Cxracme Stewart. MilwaiikfL — I'. (;. Hij.,a'l(iw. Charles I". Pti.ster, Fred Pabst. Minncai)()lis — TlDuias Lowry, j. J. Shevlin. St. Paul — Keiinetli Clark. Theodore Schunneier. Detroit — Don M. Diekin.son. St. Lonis — Charles Par.son.s, .\dolpli Pn.seli, Ro])ert S. Book- ings. Louisville — Thomas lUillitt. Atlanta —Robert J. Lowrv. Kansas City— \V. B. Clark, Charles Campbell. Omaha— John C. Wharton, X'ictor B. Caldwell. Denver— D. H MotTatt. San Francisco — Mayor vSchmitz, (reortj^e .A. Newhall, A. Sbardoro, Robert J. Tobin, Henry T. Scott, A. A. Watkiiis. New Orleans— Hon. Paul Capede\ille, I. L. Lyons, S. T. Walmsley. EXTENDING IMMEDIATE RELIEF. This appeal was .supplemented by a statement from a repre- sentative of the newspaper pr^ss : "The commanding officer of the military forces in Porto Rico was informed by cable of what had been done for extending immediate relief, and directed to send to Martinique all the sul')- sistence stores and clothing that could be spared, and to use every effort to assist in the work of relief The collier Sterling is at vSan Juan about ready to sail, and the stons will be carried bv that vessel to St. Pierre or such other points in the afflicted district as may be found necessary to reach the sufferers. Admiral Brad- 'H^'-f .-!>.. ilu \ CSSCIS ISP t.KAllllL MOKIl.S 1,^' WirXKSM-.s ((|- ! lit: niSAsrKK. 09 carrvini,' fn'sli water to Martinique tu relieve the pressing need. "Ten.lers fitted for earryin- In-.sli u lUi are now at \o- t> !1< and IVnsaeola, and have heen instrneted to hold themselves in readiness for sailing. Admiral Hradford has also tendered the nse of the vessels eniploy«d in earryin^ eoal for the navy. There is (|nite a fleet of vessels of this class, and several of them ean be made immediately available for carryin^^ snpplies to Martinique and takin^r off the sufferers froni the island. "In addition to the Sterling' now at Porto Rieo. loadin.^r for Martinique, the Lebanon is at Cienfnc^^ros, about three days' run from Martinique. The Lecmidas is at Port Royal, vS. C, disehart,- injrcoal. The Hannibal is at Lambert's Point, near Xorfol!:, with a h,ad of eoal, ready for sea. The Mareellus is at Norfolk in' condition to be placed in commission within a few hours after receiving orders. p:ach of these ships can carry from 2000 to 30CK) tons of supplies. SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. " A number of scientists will sail on the Dixie for the purpose of makinjr inquiries into the volcanic disturbances. Professor Robert Hill left here this afternoon for New York. Professor Hill has been a frequent visitor to Martinique, and is well acquainted with the j^^eological nature of the country. He will be accompanied by C. S. BorcliK^revinck, a recognized authority on seismology and volcanoes, having given particular attention to the volcanoes of Erebus and Terror, on the Antartic Continent, south of New Zealand. It is probable that Professor Alexander Graham Bell will also be of the party. Profes.sor Hill will repre- sent the Geological Survey, and at the same time will be a repre- sentative of the National Geographical vSociety. "Captain vSoutherland, Chief of the Hydrographic Bureau of the navy, is planning to undertake immediately, v.ith the ap- proval of .\dmiral Bradford, a series of hydrographic surveys. If the current reports as to the tremendous subsidence of the sea bottom near the Antilles are accurate, then there have undoubt- c-di\ been eorrcspuudiny upiieavais of the bottom in other sections *i1 ti? Il 170 (jRAriiic sroKiiis isv wiinlssesof the disasti-.k. whicli have created great menaces to navigation through the fact that they are not yet cliartered. " Captain Southerland points to a cnrious fact, namely, that a year ago there was what might be regarded as a premonitory sign of the tremendous disturbance which has just taken nhice in the earth's crust. The ' Notice to Mariners,' of June S, one j-ear ago, contains the following note : ■' ' Captain J. Thomas, of the schooner Kate, reports that May 5, about thirty-two miles eastward from the sonth point of Martinique, the sea rose with great fury, breaking as if on rocks. This continued for about four hours ; then the sea became quite smooth again. The schooner labored very heavily, sustaining slight damage, and was uncontrollable during the phenomenon, the light airs from the southeast not giving her stc ge way. No current was observed. The weather was fair.' " i i ! APPEAL OF THE RED CROSS. General John R. Wilson, of the Red Cross Society, was directed at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Associa- tion in Washington to issue the following public appeal for aid for the sufferers from the Martinique disaster : "The American National Red Cross appeals to the people of the United States to send money and supplies in aid of the sufferers at Martinique and St. Vuicent. The unparalleled calam- ity needs no words of ours to cause you to offer aid. Money and supplies can be sent to the Hon. Cornelius Bliss, of New York city, or money may be sent to W. J. F'lather, the treasurer of the National Red Cross Association, at Riggs Bank, Washington, D. C. "All such contributions, whether in money or supplies, in- tended for the Red Cross, should be so marked. "JOHN 3VI. WILSON." This action followed a meeting of the Executive Committee at the State Department and subsequently a meeting cf the dele- gatii n with the vSecretary of War, to ascertain what wav the Red Cross could aid the Government iu its work of relief. The Presi- GKAl'HIC STORIEb BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. m dent expressed himself as pleased with the action of the Associa- tion, and said he would be glad to have the Red Cross issue an appeal to the couniry, and to have such other co-operation as the Association might deem best to give. The Secretary of War also expressed himself in the same vein. Miss Clara Barton, the President of the Red Cross, was on the way to Si. P.iersburg as a delegate from the United States to the Red Cross Convention there. NEW YORK RELIEF ON AMPLE SCALE. President Morris K. Jesup, of the Chamber of Commerce held a conference in the afternoon of May 14th at the Chamber with Edmond Bruwacrt, the French Consul General ; H. O. De Medenil, of the American Trading Company ; A. E. Onterbridge the New York agent of the Quebec Steamship Line ; Henry Hentz and others interested in the trade -vitli Martinique. After the conference, Mr. Jesup announced that he had made arrangements to ship by the steamship Fontabelle, of the Quebec Line which was to sail on Saturday, the 17th, supplies best adapted to the immediate needs of the survivors, the quantity to amount to the equivalent of the space of 1000 barrels. This precaution was taken, Mr. Jesup .said, so that in case there should be any delay in the sailing of the Dixie, or in a case of any accident to the vessel, the luhabitauts of Martinique would be cared for as speedily as possible. ■^ This action, together with that taken in ordering the purchase of the supplies aboard the steamship Madiana, on the arriyal of that .ship at Fort-de-France tomorrow, Mr. Jesup said he thought vvould go far towards providing for the immediate necessities of the people who survived the eruption. The Fontabelle, in addition to taking 1000 barrels of supplies from the Chamber of Commerce when it sailed Saturday would take quantities of stores from private firms who have interests in Martinique, and who were arranging to send supplies for distribu- tion on the island. Th(> munificetit aDDrcDriafion nf thn TTni»„^ o^,.t_ r^ f i II '■ ! H iTi: (.KAl'llIC STUKILS BV WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. f(ir the relief of the sufferers from the Martinique disaster, Presi- dent Roosevelt's message recommending a vote of half a million of dollars for thai ])ur}K)sc, and the aeticm of the United States (lovernmeut in despatching war vessels and food supplies to Mar- tinique, etc.. were referred to in the House of Commons, London, bvjohn Dillon. Irish Nationalist, who asked the government leader, A. J. Halfonv, whether, in view of the action of the United States and the fact that a British colony had suffered so greatly, Great Britain intended to adopt similar relief measures. He was sure, he said, that a vole in this connection w(nild be carried unanimously. Mr. Balfour said that the matter had been under the consid- eration of the Cabinet. He had never lieard of a vote of such character being suggested in Parliament. Of course, he said, everybody felt the extraordinary gravity of the situation and the tremendous suffering caused by the appalling calamitv. Every assist mce that could be given locally by the government would be given. "FRANCE WILL NEVER FORGET." Many American firms and individual Americans stibscribed to the Martinicjue fund in Paris 10,000 francs ($20,000). The "Temps" in an editorial referring to the action of the American Congress in appropriating $200,000 for the relief of the Martinique sufferers, said : " This manifestation of American sympathy on the eve of the Rochaijibeau fetes tends to draw tighter the already close ties uniting the two Republics and constitutes a guarantee of peace and of the fraternitv of the two nations. France will never forget the spontaneous initiative of President Roosevelt, or the significant generosity of the Congress." The Government of the Netherlands ordered the Dutch war- ships. K(inigin Regentes to proceed from the island of Curacao to Marlini([ue at full speed, in order to assist the sufferers from the eruption. Both Chambers of the States General have passed resolutions expressing sympathy with France. King \ietor Ivmmariuel contributed 25,000 lire ($5,000) to the fund being raised for the relief of the sufferers from the ^Martinique disaster. GRAPHIC STORIES BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. 173 Shocked by the news of the disaster at Martinique, which had destroyed his residences, warehouses and stores in St. Pierre, James H. Hamlen, an aged merchant of Portland, Maine, sat silent and amazed on the pier, after k-avini^- the Kaist-r Wilhelm der Grosse in New York, in which he had arrived from Elurope. Accompanied by his daughter, Mr. Hamlen left Martinique on March 28 because of Miss Hanilen's ill health and the prevalence of fever. "We had a home in St. Pierre and another in Morne Rouge, nearer the moiintain," said Miss Hamlen. " These were filled with valuable curios and mementoes of the islands, which money cannot replace. All these and my father's places of business are swept away. The loss to us will reach S 100,000. We had man}- friends among the white people there, including the .Vmerican and English Consuls. We usually remained on the island until the middle of May. My illness proved our salvation." OVERCOME BY THE TERRIBLE NEWS, Mr. Hamlen was so overcome by the news that he could not talk. The father and daughter went at once to Portland, Maine, where a bark bearing the merchant's name was taking on her usual cargo for the island. The situation was summed up by a leading journal as follows: " Despatches from Martinique are beginning to gi\e more attention to the living than to the dead, and have become more urgent in their calls for food supplies for refugees. St. Pierre was the storehouse for th-.. entire island, and all of its supplies have been destroyed or buried under lava. In addition a large tract of country has been laid waste by ashes, thus depriving the surviving inhabitants of vegetable and meat supplies, for the cattle are reported to be dying of starvation. " Nearly a week has elapsed since the great eruption, and another week must pass before vessels from New York or Europe can get to Martinique with supplies. The other islands of the West Indies, however, have surplus food that could be sent to Mariiuique in a day or two, aud Luu.s aiiuid rehei uuLil the arrival , jji i liH ¥ iiii] I lili ii 1 174 GRAPHIC STORIES BY WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. of the larger supply ships sent from Anie:icaii and European ports. To utilize the supplies that are near at hand, liDwever, money is needed, and, fortunately, money can be sent by cable to Porto Rico and other West Indian islands. "The Dixie will carry supplies sufficient to maintain 50,000 people for several days. The arrival of the Dixie will put an end to all danger of fimine in the regions that can be reached by distributing agents, for lief.re her supplies have been exhausted other vessels will be sent (nit. The weak point in the relief ser- vice is the distance, but several vessels arc on the way to Mar- tinique, among them, it is reported, the collier Sterling from Porto Rico, with navy stores on board. "The streams on the island have been so polluted that fresh water, as well as food, is needed, and two ..arges carrying sup- plies of water are about to start from Kev West and Norfolk. The prompt action of President Roosevelt in getting ready to ship supplies while Congress was preparing to pass an appropria- tion has saved forty-eight hours, but there should be no relaxing of effort to get supplies to the people until all danger of famine or plague has been removed. GREAT TAX ON PUBLIC CHARITY. "Then the work can proceed in a more leisurely and orderly way. The probabilities are that the world at large will be called upon to support 50,000 people for at least six months, and that is no small task. But we need not concern ourselves at present with the magnitude of the undertaking. The important thing is to get the relief work started, and that can be done as soon as there is money in hand. The United States Government will .send an abundance of supplies available possibly a week hence ; but pri- vate contributions will probably yield immediate results. The Senate adopted a resolution appropriating $500,000 for the volcanic sufferers, which includes the S2 o LlI UJ d D tr u. I Q < Ui m o z I CO w X UI c < O < z < z < i |i it it It I 11 f STREET IN FORT OE FRANCE. MARTii...r»... T tT :%if ^ 5i i -■> V I" z o z (0 z* o I- o z IE < UJ z UJ Q (£ < O _i < o Q. o cc iifii cop»R,uMi. tMVH, w MocK*utjf, h. r. THEODORE ROOSEVELT GRAPHIC STORIES HV WIIXESSKS oF THi: DISASTER. 177 when the flood ..f fire, lava and ashes came doun from Mont Pelee these were anion^ the first houses destroyed. In the season, which began abont Jnne i, there were usually 4000 or 50CX. persons at •Morne Rouge. Probably half that number had gone out this year to open their villas. The people of St. Pierre were rather proud of their volcano Mont Pelee stood first as a "point of interest" for tourists I her<^ has always been plenty cf evidence that life was , ot extinct m Mont Pelee but the easy-going inhabitants believed the volcano was m Its dotage, and its occasional weak mutterin-s only gave it added value as a show place ; the manifestations were never taken seru usly. Not since the end of the eighteenth century and again m IN5I had there been even weak eruptions. It is evident that durnig all the years the volcano has been gathering stren-th and tliat mighty forces have been at work. Despatches from St Ihonias on Saturday, May 3rd, announced that St. Pierre had been covered with ashes to the depth of one-quarter of an inch as the result of an outbreak on Mont Pelee. A second despatch said the overflow of lava had destroyed the big Guerin sugar fac- tories at the base of the mountain and near the northwest edge «>f St. Pierre. It is evident that these warnings of the disaster that was to come did not alarm the people of St. Pierre. NO CHANCE OF ESCAPE. When the head of Mt. Pelee blew off, the inhabitants of the town below had no chance of escape. The burning lava the ashes and mud and the fire came down the hills as the water had been coming fi)r hundreds of years, and the people below were caught as fish in a net. The only way was the sea, and that offered nothing but death by drowning. On the side of the town away from the volcano the tropical undergrowth came to within a few yards of the hou.ses, and the beach ended at the cit-, limits Tlierc were no wharves or quays at St. Pierre, and r'eallv ii<'. harbor-simply an open roadstead with deep water inshore The island rises sheerly from the sea, and there was no anchoratre until LUC .-^UlUS ps got wuiiui300leet ot the buildings on si lore. Ski 12MAR ppers of 178 GRAPHIC STORIES BV WITNESSES OF THE DISASTER. il sailing vessels would take their ships close in and anchor with bows pointed seawards and with a ste: , line ont to steady the craft. They had to be alert during the rainy or stormy sJason because oftheir exposed condition, and be ready to slip anchors and run out to sea. According to despatches, this is what the British steamer Koddam did when the town was destroyed. Though she had a tull head of steam on, seventeen of her crew were killed in running out, and the yessel was partially wrecked. The sailing craft in the harbor didn't haye a ghost of a show to get away There were usually from eighteen to twenty-five vessels in the harbor at this seasou of the year, anchored in a long line along the water iro t. What happened when the floods of fire and lava came down will be related later, but every one who knew the town and its people can easily imagine the scenes of wild horror that must hayebeen enacted wheu the excitable people realized that escape was impossible. ^ The chief exports of Martinique are sugar, rum and cocoa Uwmg to the low price of sugar which has prevailed in recent montlis, the island has suffered very greatly. The island buys of the United States such articles as butter, oatmeal, tobacco, ve-e- ^bles, horses and mules, coal, harness, wagons, machinery, elc 1 he city of St. Pierre has alwas taken a large quantity of these goods. Most of the trading between New York exporters and St i'lerre was by means of direct orders. CHAPTER VII. \r ^ «-<'Nsii. s \v ii.h._(,KKAT Disasters KRn\f VccANic Ekupt,oxs.-Schxks ,xr„K Stk,ckk.v IsLxDs! A^'u!™^:!^ '"^r^-^^ ^^^'^^^ '' '-'■->■ ^— ^ ^-"-^-^i of stor, f explosions, as will be sec-n from the following stor3. of a correspondent's personal experic-nces : ^ _ ^^^'^ '^°"i"i"nication between the islands snnthrft:, T • .-s m.ern,p.ed, aud .he crat.r of .X,„™e S„„IC T llf s. V™ ^ent, ,s m cr„pt,„„. Thi.s could be see,, fr„„, S, L , , -e „.„es .„a,., a„d i„ faet .„e fla„,es „-ere " ,,; ft ;:;:," f about lur n,i.esa V ThVu'r;:?:.:;, "'"";"" """r""-^- ashes aud the peop.e'ou boa^d^^ .:;;:": IXJatd""'' "^ ^^^^' more asties, and was again compelled to out nff u • j • K.„,s..„, ,he eap,ta, of St. Viu^eeut, a^ IL:! J^^'^'Z a..d tleir.rt™.':::;::: ;'a:™p''T rr '," ""■'"" """"-• -utlyover the dist^bed VeXu ^' The 'f l!"""^ "'^^'1 '"'^^■ six., toa huudred a ,„iuu.e. K,u,,tl:;''„:hi:h ::ZS:^ :Z -u a .a.e^h.e .Her;--- T^n^^rt:^^^;::^ 17» im SCKNKS I\ IHF STRICKEN ISLANDS. on Monday. Huge vohinie.s of water shot up, and the people in that district fled. Tliere has been a continuous roar e\er since. " The northern district from Chateau Belair to (Georgetown has been completely destroj-ed. It is im- possible to proceed beyond tliat point on account of the rivers of lava. A huge hill was ob- served where })revi- ously there had been a valley. The whole of that pa. ♦" the island is .» _ ing. Sixt}- persons are said to have been killed Ijy lightning while getting away. " On Tuesday and Wednesday the island was showered with ashes. Near Belair the ashes were three feet deep. On Thursday there was a continuous shower of hot sand and water. Ever-s-thiug on the island was Many persons were brought in boats from Kingstown. Some of the refugees who arrived on the coast were dying of thir.-,t. Some of the.se people had been thirty-six hours without a drop of water. All the cactle were dead because of the lack of water. There is little food in the coast villa-<.s. ISLAND OK Sr. V1N> KNT, SH( )WINm OWNS .AND \<)].CA.N() Ui MI". MJUIUII.KK. ruined bv the ashes un account or tue scarcitv of water and trai sport It is SCENKS IN THK STRICKEN ISLANDS. IMI impossible :it present to go into the interior and investigate the extent of the disaster. It is impossible to say just how many people have perished, but the number will probably run into the hundreds. We left Kingstown at S o'clock in the morning with orders to tow a relief boat from Belair to Owia Carib. A quarter point off Barroulie we received a message from shore by boats that the passage was impassable. Nevertheless we proceeded on our voyage. RIVERS OF MOLTEN LAVA. " When opposite Belair there v. is a grand view of the west side of the crater. Rivers of lava were coinirg down the moun- tain sides in every direction and flowing into the sea. The huge crater was covered with smoke and tiiere was an incessant erup- tion. Great quantities of aslies were blown in the air and were falling toward the .sea, thus obscuring everything. A new lane was observed ruiining out toward the sea for a half mile. It was probably lava which had been cooled by the sea water. It was of a brownish color. It was impossible to get close to the town. The sea was littered with trees and other wreckage. We attempted to proceed to St. Lucia through the falling muck of ashes, but found it impossible. It meant suffocation to try it. We returned and entered the belt again miles out at .sea, but there was the same result. On the horizon there was nothing to be seen but falling ashes and other muck which were piled up like an enormous wall. Inside the belt all was dark. " We put back and steamed round the island to the windward. Opposite Georgetown we enccmntered a gale of wind carrying smoke and debris. To the north the entire territory of the dis- turbed district was clearly visible. Besides the large crater numerous small craters were in eruption. Many rivers of lava were flowing seaward, one of them half a mile wide. When we were close to Georgetown we passed to the windward along the coast toward vSt. Lucia, and saw no sign of life. It is believed that every person within the disturbed area perishea. The refugees at Georgetown and Belair are in danger." iiiiivc jjuoiiio;; v^i ihk^ suu ciUCi jiuM)ii aL an aiit^ie of I 'ru. 182 SCF'NKS I.\ THK STRICKEN' ISLA\ DS. ' Ul ;ji forty-five degrees \v;is said by Hu.trh Clements, the scientist to have been the cause .,f the Mont Pelee eruption .,n tlie island of Martniique. Mv. Clements said that this relative positi.m of the sun and the earth's satellite occurred at exactly tea minutes to 8 o'clock on Thursday, May S. the time when the eruption began. _ The immuise force exerted on the earth by ihe tangential position of the two bodies acted fully upon M,mt Pelee and its molten contents. Its force was great enough to cause the blowing up of t' e volcano's cap. The (ialveston disaster, he points out, occurred when the sun and moon were in a similar position to each other. ERUPTION AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH. Monsieur .Vlbert, pn.prietor of ihc Lagarrane estate, which is situated 1700 yards iiorthcast nf the crater of Pelee, arrived at Port of Spain. Trinid-id. on the steamship Canada. In an inter- view he gave a graphic description of the eruption that over- whelmed St. Pierre and destroyed its inhabitants. About S o'clock on the morning of May S he was in a field on his estate, when he heard a most extraordinar^• noise— m-n-e extra- ordinary than those heard for several weeks past. It seemed like a hurricane coming toward him. Just previously the air had been very calm, although the sun was obscured by ashes and smoke. At the same moment that he heard the .sound he felt a tremendous vortex of air, which he likened to an express train whirling past a station. Immediately lie saw trees in a space io<) yards long and fifteen wide Hurled to the ground by the unseen force. Then he saw a li.ige blackcloudhigh in theair traveling rapidly toward St. Pierre. Lagarrane is twelve miles from the city. As the cloud traveled, he heard numerous explosions, as if whole fleets of warships were finng a tremendous bombardment. A spur of the hill prevented hini seeing what happened at St. Pierre. He ran to the house for his family ; thence he rushed to the seashore, where he boarded a small steamer, and was landed safely at Fort-de-lM-ance. A detachment of troops, he reported, on Satnrd.".- M?.v loth SCr.Xi S IN THE STRICKEN 1^, LANDS. 183 went to St. Pierre and opened tlie hank vault.s. They found hank notes and hooks uninjured. The soldiers said ahout ^oo corpses were exposed to view, hut they estimated hetween 30,000 and 40,(XX) were huried in tlie ruins. M. Alhert l)elieved the cloud to have heen a species of fire damp, fully a half mile wide. The large nuniher of male whites that were killed is accounted for by the fact that when the volcano .showed signs of activity numbers of the residents of St. Pierre sent there wives and famifiesto Fcrt- de-France, remaing themselves to attend to their business occupations. LETTER TELLS OF ERUPTIONS. Thomas T. Prentis, United States Consul at St. Pierre, with his family, lived at Melrose. Mass., for si.v years. Their friends and relatives were distressed by the probable fate of Mr. Prentis, his wife, ^and two daughters, Misses Loui.se Lydia and Chri.stine Hazel. Two adult sons, James A. and Thomas, were not with their parents. Miss Alice M. Frye, a sister of Mrs. Prentis, was in Melrose. She intended to go to St. Pierre a month ago, but deferred her visit. She received this letter from the Consul'; wife : " My dear sister : This morning the whole population of the city is on the alert and every eye is directed townrd Mount Pelee, an extinct volcano. Everybody is afraid that the volcano has taken i^t into its heart to burst forth and destroy the whole island. " For several days the mountain has been bursting forth and immen.se quantities of lava are flowing down the sides of the mountain. All the inhabitants are going up to see it. There is not a horse to be had on the island ; those belonging to the natives are kept in readiness to leave at ;, moment's notice. I.-st Wed- nesday, which was April 23, I was in my room with little Christine and we heard three distinct shocks. " The first report was quite loud, but the second and third were so great that dishes were thrown from the shelves and the house was completely rocked. We can see Mont Pelee from the rear windows of our house, and although it is fully four miles away we can hear the roar and see the fire and lava issuiue from ii vViLii tcrrijuC lorcc. ij i M Ill«l iU' 184 SCENES IN THE STRICKEN ISLANDS. " Tlic city is covered witli ashes and clouds of smoke have been over our heads for the hist five days. Tlie smell of sulphur is so stnmg that horses ou ilu- street stop, snort, and some of them are obli.y:ed to ;..;ive up, drop in their harness, and die from the suffoca- tion. Many of the people are obliirfd to wear wet handkerchiefs ON-er their faces to protect tiu-m troni the strong fumes of sulphur. My hnsi)and assures nie that there is uo immediate dauirer, and when there is the least particle of danger we will leave the place. "There is an .American schooner, the R. J. Morse, in the harbor, and will remain here for .it least two weeks. If the volcano becomes bad we shall embark ,it onci' aud go out to sea." SON OF CONSUL GENERAL AT ST. PIERRE. The sequel appears in the following statement in a Chicago journal : "James E. Prentis, 517 Forty-fourth street, son of Thouias T. Prcntis, United States Consul .it St. Pierre, Martinicpie, t'ears that his father, mother and two sisters perished in the disaster which overwhelmed the city May >S. When Mr. Prentis was informed of the destruction of St. Pierre he was in his apartment reading a letter from his mother written under date of April 23. In this no mention was made of any volcanic disturbances in the neiirhbor- hood of the citv. " The letter stated, however, that the Consul and his family had just moved into a frame residence in the heart of the citv, where they would be most liable to danger from the eruption. Mr. Prentis feels that if there had been even an htmr's warning of danger his mother and father would have left the city at once. Until a reporter called ou him he had heard nothing of the catas- trophe at St. Pierre. " ' Mother writes me nuder datcof .\pril 23dthat they havejnst moved into a new residence, a large frame house, the very worst kind to resist the burning lava,' said Mr. Prentis. ' Their resi- dence is situated in the centre of the city. The cable dispatcher there, who is also in charge of the local observatory, is a close friend of our family and always informs them of an^• ch-nurf. in •SCKNtS l.\ Till, SI Kl,Kl:.\ ISLANDS. JS5 atmosphc-nc conditions. H. nn.st have hc.n .hie t., know sonic- thniK "fthe nnpendniK di.sastcr in time U, warn them '•-l have never been ,n Martiniqne.' contnnud Mr. Prentis, 1^. t I .,„d,e fnnn what niy family has written sinee ^oing there Imt flight would not be easy from St. Pierre beeanse ."f the m,n n -nons s.rrou,uhn,s. The only .ay to escape wo„ld reallv be . -ve IK. .land and as 1 understand boats sail A-ec,nentlv, I tru tliat tliey y;(4 safely awa\ » - >. "As late as April .^^d ,„, f,,,,- ,,as felt in St. Pierre for this letter says notliin, of the n.atter. The nn.nnta.n co^ncf ha e been threatening^ them." ^ There are fonr children ,n the Prentis family. Two datK^hters -May, a,,a.l 22 years, and Christine. a,,.ed ,5 vears-werc with .1.- parents ,n Martinique at the time of the disaster. One so ^ rTn^.^'' '"'^'"" -'^"^ ''^ -P'-cntative there of the Mandanl Oil Con.pany. The other s,m is James K. Prentis 1 he latter came to Chicaoo fnnn the Kast in March looi ci ^^fter US tannly had sailed f^.r St. Pierre. Until ApTLlZ with the Dominion Steamship Company. All the children were born in the- Island of Mauritius and were educate, there 111 a school eondncted as a preparatory school >r Ox.ord Iniversity. The .son in Chica,.. spcmt mo^t o ht teens „: hnrope, and came to the United States with his famiW when Consul Campbell relieved Consul Prentis at Mauritius. PROSTRATED BY THE NEWS. Mine. Louise Louit, a teaHier of French in Stockton, Cal. was prostrated over the news of the terrible di.sastcr at St. Pierre' Martunoue, as her sister . d family resided in that citv. (^ leannn^U of tlie volcanic eruptions she swooned and was afterward n a serious condition. FKr sister. Mme. Cientile. and the latteV s H.sband. two .son.s. George and Raoul. and two daughters, Alice and Anias are behe.ed to have been killed, as she said the • lived " a part ot the city where they would be exposed to the no en lava which flowed down the mountain sid^v Po-.-i r^-.-/ rated as one of the most brilliant lawyers and "^rat^;-;;; ^Z IKC, SCKNFS I\ fMF. STRICKEN ISLAN'DS !'J ! m island, and liuld many jiioniinent positions of trnst. For two yt-ars lit- had l)ern one of the representatives from tlie island in the I'rench Chamber of Depnties. l\. S. Stone, of the Thomas Iv Cook &. .Son Tonrist Aj^i ncv, was i .it. Pierre in Jannarv, and recalled the threatening position of Mont Pelee, towerinj^ 4,200 ft-et high back of the citv and snrronnded on both sides by smaller peaks. "The irnption," said Mr. Stone, "came undonbtedlv from the crater of Mont Pelee. The mountains rise in a vast anijdii- theatre behind the citv and extend in a magnificent sweep from Point Carbet on the south to La Mare on the north. The position of Mont Pelee, 1 slunild think, would enable it to bury St. Pierre under ashes from one end to the other. While I was there I saw no signs of activit\- in any of the \oleanic mountains. Thev looked peaceful and ([uiet, and there was no smoke to be seen coming from anv of them. BUILT ON SLOPE OF HILLS. "The citv was built on the slope of the hills and the streets rose back from the bav in terraces. The mountains are cleft in the middle by the valley of the Riviere Roxelane, whose waters rush down the steeps, flow across a savanna, through the gutters of the city into the bay, thus giving the place a thorough system of sewerage. It was a beautiful city. The foothills were covered with bamboo and palms, ,ind three uiiles from the town were botanical gardens, which for beauty excelled anything I have seen. There was an appearance of great prosperity in St. Pierre. The Creoles and negro women dressed picturesquely and were verj' neat. Most of the population was negro, of course, but there wei ■ several French imiiorting houses with headcpiarters there, besides .English and French banks. The sugar plantations and factories are behind the town. "The city is built close to the bay and is separated from it by a wide beach. There is practically no harbor, but the roadstead affords good anchorage for vessels. If there were anv ships in the ]^■^^^ nt tlif» f-illir- nf tVit> f>riir»tiriii tliPT Ttlii«t li;n-f» Viopii flfactrrvTorl '' SCL.NLh IN iiii; bTKICKEN ISLANDS. 187 For suddc-nness. co.npk.tc-ness and „„„,hcr ..f victims tl.c desn,ctu.„ of St .>K.,-re. Marti,n,„e, appears to surpass J I all hsast.rs rc-cnU-d l,y l.istnrv. To fnul its e.iual we have to .o K-k to the KM-eat eartlu,nake uhich. o„ November ,, ,-,s iuei^^ht -nutes k.lled some 50,..., p..,p,e i„ Lis,,o„, and u^.f^^rf^ Mn^en^.u the east to Madeira on the uest. and f-on. Fe. on Z t^onth to Scothind on the nortl:. of tJTi '-'TV"'' "" T "^•■^'^•'"^'1^'' proper-a violent shakin^r of the ;^^h.he s fa!.r,c-and not a sudden deseent of burnin.^ earth -d r Vhataetuallv happened at St. Pier.e is stated'l 1 "1 a br.ef despatch tn.u, the connnan.Ier of the French cruiser feuchet to the Minister of Marine u, Pans. This s.vs • na.ss of ti, u-huh (ell on the town about S o'clock Thursday penshed I have brought here ( Fort-de-Frauce, t few survivors QUIET morp: than fifty years. T^ierr!" r ??' ,^"' '^""' ''^"'^^^"' ^''^" volcano ju.st north of St. ^ lerre, vh:ch had been quiet since 1S51. had been giving signs of ^frT\ ''' ^•''."^^^'"" ■" ■'^■^'- l--ver,ihile^ove „g fe harthquakesn, iS,9andin ,;6-had found 700 and 1.600 ictnns respectively ,n Martiuiquc. but the latest of these hS been worse at Fort-de-France than at St. Pierre Hence ,t is reasonable to suppose that the people of St. Pierre regarded the grumblings of Mont Pelee much as the peep leTf Pompenand Herculanenm probably did those of \'esu4is and as the people ot Torre del Greco are known to have looked ii^on he same volcano's activity in 1794. That is, thev were regarde!! a.sdangerous but not immediately or certainly destmctive. Other: e we should hear of fugitives reaching other parts of Mar- Alont Pelee seems to have done, howe ver, what Krakatoa did SCF.NIs III. MKK Kl N l-.I,.\NiiS. m\ rt $ lii :n Ani^nist, iSS;,, and vwu moir sU(l{ {]\r Strait of Snnda. Ilnndivds of ])(.•! iplr wric kilU-d 1)\ liK' fallini^- drl)iis, and the rt'snltin>( tidal w a\(..s (Iriiu ni'(l iiioir ilian J5,(h)(i at Hatavia ahnic. Sncdi cnor- ni'iii^ nias-ts of dust uiru tliiDwn into the upper air that for months altt ruard thr\ p.o(hui'd the stranj^e phenomenon of the "red sunsets" wliic!; exeited mtuh wonder all over the world. In tlie amount of material ejected the explosion of Mont iVlee sftuus to lia\e heen inferior to that of Krakatoa, bnt the jxiimlons town at the former's foot was literally annihilated. It may h- tliat future e\plore:s will delve in the rnins of St. Pierre as the\- do now in those of I'onipeii and Hereula;;enni. But whereas Miere is rea-ou to believe that the t^reater part of the inha})itams of the buried Italian cities escaped immediate death, from St. Pierre very few liave survived to tell the tale. The '" > of the victims descended as suddenl\- upon them from the sky „j it came from the treinblini; earth at Lisbon. PHENOMENA OF THE ERUPTIONS. Altliouf^h some light has been tliro\'- ,^ii thr charactet- of the terrii)]e eruption of Mont Pelee, by which thecityof St. Pierre was lilotted out of existence, the exact nature of the outbreak is a matter oi si)ecnlatiou. P\w eye-witne.sses of the disaster, who were on laiul at the time of its occurrence have been found alive, and the stories the}' teil are far from being consistent and circumstantial. It wcuild sc'em, however, that no molten lava reached the ill- fated town, whicli was destroyed by a tremendous shower of hnge fragments of liot stones, boiling mud and volcanic ashes and dust, while instant death came to all who were in the path of the flood of stifling and poisonous gases which accompanied these more jialpable messengers of ruin. The most remarkable feature of the eruption that was re]iorted was the sheet of flame which is said to have poured over the city hugging the earth, apparentl}'. _ »^i.;._ ic lu cvci viiiiii; ;l.-. icucii. SCENKS IN TUF. STRICKKN ISLANDS. IM Tilt' inaniUT id uliicli tli. \ (.iiiitiuj^s c.f tlif voK.iiio wen- deflected ii' flu- (li,filiuii of St. I'icrrc pnsi iits oiu' of the iiK.st difficult problems t-oiiiiected with tlu- nuplicii w liii li scitiUitu- experts will be called upon to explain. It has het'U said that Mont Pelee blew her head oft", hut it is ])n)l)a!>Ie that the e.vplosion, as distinjruished from :i mere eriiplinu. was (.xcn luore extended than that, and that the whole Mp])rr ni.iss of ihf mount;:in was torn to splinters and scattere wel', a . u])wird, in all directions. A similar phenomenon was wilur mi! in iSi_>, when the destructive outbreak .)f the Soufi iere ot" St . X'incnl oi n.-ii-d, materially chan>,nng the Jreo^•raphical oullini s of the island in its vicinity. On that occasion there was not a How of lava from the old crater of the volcano, but a sudden txplosion which tore out the side of the mountain and hurled the fra,^Mnent.^ with desolat- ing force in a direction close to the earth. VOLCANIC DUST SHOT UPWARD. On the occasion just referred to there was another phenome- non which has again been witnessid durint,^ the outbreak of iiie St. Vincent Soufviere An enormous 'dlnnie of volcanic dust was shot high into the air— it attained a height, it lias been tsti- mated, of fully i6,ckx) feet — wliere it was taken up by the counter currents, and wafted across more than a hundred miles of water, in a direction directly contrary to that of the prevailing trade winds, and then deposited, in the shape of an impalpable powder, as dark and fine as lampblack, on the Island of IJarbados and the surrounding sea. The same phenomenon was noted during the late explosions, when a great shower of volcanic dust made its way eastward from the crater of the vSoufriere tu the island stanil- ing isolated far out at sea, although the trade winds were blowing steadily all the while towards the southwest. For two years the scientific corps of ti Weather Bureau at Washington has been engaged in study, g the direction and iLircc oi incsc upp>_r aii cUiiCiits, aiid tiic piicuuiueiui connected with the eruptions of Mt. Pelce and the St. \'incent Soufi iere will 190 SCENES IN THE STRICKEN 1 SLANDS. matehallv assist th enced geologists and nieteorol .^ Dixie on the relief expedition to M studying tliese and the ot] em in arriving at sound conclusions. E: ; pen- gists accompanied the gunboat ar ■tini<|ne for the ])urpose of '^•'' I)henona-na of the eruptions, on the ground, and valuable- scientific results must follow There has rarely Wn xvitnessed in the experience of human emg^oawiu a scene of destruction as that volcanic uphea. atSt Pie.re The accounts of the cataclvsn, in which twenty- hve thousand n>en. uonien and children uere in a few nnnut^s overwhe med by the tlnek showers .fnn.lten ,ire that belched outof the earth may well n>ake the proudest man feel how tinv and in sie mficant he is. and indeed all the rest of hunuuntv, too. in the face ol one of Nature s mighty and niysteri nis throes. RIVAL TO THE INFERNAL REGIONS. hell ^'';^7'"^^ ^T "' ^^'"'- ^'"^^^'"^^^■o- ^'> play in picturing 11 . Milton was the greatest of them. Bnt the infernal region Kl all Its learning terrors as he conceived them were m.t more hideous and appalling than the storv of the experience of those aples.s inhabitants upon whom the exploded mountain poured down Its flaming and couM.ming storm. The fact is that the Dav of JudgUKm, as foretold in M.e prophetic visions of the pious could hardly impress the hunu-u mind with ni,.-,. horror tlum the extinction, as in a mouKnr ^i the West Indian 'nvu bv th, bl-.st and whirhvmd oi infernal forces. It is one of the most 'impressive events of the ag. It is a holocaust that makes civili.atil.n after all, seem very frail and feeble, and cmipletelv dwarfs the sense of importance winch fills men concerning their relation to the\nii- verse. There is nothing like a contemplation of vour earthquake or your volcano for knocking conceit and vanitv out of the human heart. " Take for example, the following despatch, dated Fort-de- r ranee, May i3tli : ■■ 'l-l.is city is alr..,dy fl)lerecheur. "the village of nearly 4,000 inhabitants near St. Pierre which escaped destruction In addition to these there are those at Morne Rouge, s.methin.^ like SIX hundred m all. All the district for miles about St. Pierre s u desolate waste. Even the wlioJe appearance of the country has been transformed. Where there were hills there are now deep crevasses, and where there were cultivated valleys there are ill lis- "It is not believed that there are any persons left alive in he northern part of the island. Those who have not perished have fled either to this place or elsewhere along the south coast How many were lost in endeavors to escape in small boats to other IS ands will never be known. All that is certain is that many did ake to the w^ater m this way and of these but very few have been heard from. T u-re has been a heavy sea running, in which a small boat could live only by a miracle. "Over St. Pierre and all the country for miles around there is s 111 even ui the middle of the day, a darkness from the great black canopy of smoke tlat continues to rise from Mont Pelee and spread out oyer the sky to the horizon. At considerable distances from where the big soufriere of the volcano was new craters have broken out. . " ^" ^^^ . ^" ^^^! devastation, the rivers which took theiV r,-<=. iiom the vicinity of Felfee have overflowed their banks on the north w\ I l'.r2 SCENES I\ THE STRICKEN ISLANDS. side of the island, and wide areas of country arc under water. The work nfexplorinj^- the ruins of St. Pierre is carried on witi. the utmost difficultv. Tliere is a constant shower of cinders and ashes from tlie mountain. In addition there is tlie sickening odor tliat arises from the great heaps of dead which lie exposed in all directions or are mingled with the heaps of ruins." '""ercv K. Marks, an English tourist, arrived in New York Mav qth, and received his first knowledge of the disaster at Marl- inicpie. He was all o\er the island ihree weeks betore. He spent several davs in St. Pierre, studying the people, the cu--toms and conditi(/US of trade. " II is interesting to stud\' th.e comparatixe times of the ■-ru])tion of \'esuvius wilh the three volcanic disasters at Java, Honolulu and Martinique." he said. " We hud that \'esuvius has in each inst .'ice indicated serious trouble. The old mountain seems to be a sort of stormy petrel, to tell when there was to be disasters in other i)arts of the world. I don't attempt to assign a scientific reason fi)r this, but I cite it as a fact t^'at \'esuvius grows restless just before something dreadful h;ip,)ens in another part of the world. PEOPLE COULD FIND SHELTER. " I am inclined t(j believe that the deaths among the people of St. Pierre have been exaggerated. The island of Martinique is cut up wilh many deej) ravines, and tliere are stec}) mountain sides with sheltered spots where hundreds of people could, and I think we will learn, did find shelter. This condition existed in the case of the terrific hurricane of a number of years ago in the British West Indies. The first reports said that thousands ot people had l)eeu killed, but gradually, after the excitement wore off, hundreds and hundreds emerged from hiding places wliieh were not known to exi I. " I reallv lielieve that we will learn in a few davs that there are sheltered spots on the island of Martinique in which liuudreds of terrified people are now hiding. But I am not so sure we have n^^.: . lit. a Ml L lie \* v^i ,1.1 * « ifta i.^siown, ;it the foot (.fthc \nl - \ iilc.iiiu S.-KXKS I\ THK STKICKKX ISI AM.S. lated.esiK-cially in and aronn.l Kin La .SouliicTe. ■■The people „f M:,rtiniq„e are very p„„:, ulll,,,,,,;!, ,„„„.,rdlv .hen- ho„scs ,„ul sl,„p. ,,ive a„ „„pre.ssi„„ .,( „4hl T ei • bu.ldn.gs are ^ery pretty, are i„ e,.l„r.. red, ,vi,ue u„d bl„e d are kept up very well. Inside the sl.ups Hk- di.„|.,v be cute ,av,s„,,„„ tl,ereare f.v ...Le'::/ .^n,,!: credit system prevails almost exdusivelv ' Tlie ,,,-n r people „.,.„are Hack, of rse, live „,. -.e.t .': ,'^' "{Z • ::;:;,':; tir"'""; "'■ '-^ "'^- t"" -■^"■-^ ^-^ ''■•-■ -' - »'« WOMEN OUTNUMBER MEN. "As in most of the WVst Indian LshuuLs the women ^reatlv outnumber the men. and do the brunt of the nnnual T 'P f s..ar tn.de, .d„eh is pn.t,cany the ,:,v i„;;;Zyr^ ofMartnnque, hasnot been ly-ofitableoflit,. ^ -,,- ' , of both Martinique and Guadehn.pe, e be , ■^:;:"' '"' '.'^^"'"^ Mtmt Pelee, was verv .gloomy. ''''" "'"' ' "*" "^ "The Freneh,^roverument intends to renujve the boinu,- f. ...gar, a„d „-i.|,o„t ,|,is ,„„„„, .„, i„d,rstry , „ , " i^ ' ^ -v.l.o,,, t e „td„s,rytl,e people of the isla.ul ea„„„t v .\ l.efo e the Island ol Mar,ini,pu. ea„ he worked. Lava so id fie ." u,,o„t two years, the ti„, ■ repaired for its eo.d,,; Ui', ^n „„l he ,o„.,d to he tn„„ thirty to fifty f,„. Lpi,I"s.: Pier,7'Th r'-' " "■"", """■" -^'""i-- !" h„si„css i„ St P.e. e The h„s,„ess ot the island see.ned to be ahont ecuaH d,v,de.d betwee,, Frenel, and .Vneriean merchant.s. Tl e ' we e very few Enghshmen on the island The whites were prl tic h- al Atueneaus and French. Dunug the w.nter there are^houla^ds of Antertcan tounsts o,t the island. It is a delio-htf, I „r spend a few weeks; the el.n.ate is sncerb. a.fd cZll^"!."'^" '" me place is intenued to charm the visitor. It -f, tiuu 13- MAR IS a fairvloiid ut iu 194 sci:\i;s IN riii: sikicKrx isi.WDs 4i I niiuialuir, rralK' ; I lu-v.-. 1ki\v seen :iny >|)iit .it IxMutitiil i>v ■■()li, no; it will not mean tin- desenion of thi- islaiiil. In a few \ears St. Pierre will aj^aiii he a flonrishing cit\ . TIk- nati\-fs of the island are p.-cniiarly phlei^iu itie and ])liiIos()phieal. They take whatever is .sent to tlieni and make the best of it. Of course, in a ease of this kind, it eonies pretty hard, but these strant;'e people will si;j:h and sob tor a f/w weeks. The \'ijv: who snr\ ive will tlieii calmly bei^in the reconstruction of the city. It will tak man;.- \ears, no doubt, but tlie sur\ivors of St. Pierre will do jt'.st what 1 sa\- the\- will. That is tti- ir nai re. Peojjle will come f om other p.irts of the island and abide with theiii and labor with them, and eventiuillv we will se^ another tairy-iike city nestling ill the \er\- shadow of the great mountain which sent death among them. NEW CITY WILL ARISE "The history of volcanic eruptions would assure the fulfdl- meiit of m\- prediction. Whenever there has been one a new city has arisen on the site of the one destroyed. The people reason. no doubt, that eruiitions occur not ot'teuer than one every fifty years, and that to live in peace for that length ot time will be sufficient for them." " Was there anv alarm felt by tlie people of Martinique when you left there?"" was asked of Mr. Marks. ".\bst)lutely none. No one expected that the grand old Mont Pelee, the slumbering, so it was tliought. trancjuil old hiil, would e\er emit forth fire and death. It was unlooketl for. Mont Pelee was regarded by the natives as a sort of prcjtector ; tliex- had an almost superstitious affection for it. P'rom the outskirts of the city it rose gradually, its sides gnjwn thick with rich grass, and dotted here and there with spreading shrubberv and drooping trees. There was ii > ])leas;inter outing for an at'ternoon than a journey up the green, velvet-like sides of the towenig mountain and a view ot the quaint, picturesque city, slumbering at its base. '' There were no rocky cliffs, no crags, no protruding bowlders. The mountain was peace itself. It seemed to promise perpetual SCKN'FS !\ Tin: S[RI(Ki;\ MANIAS. lit;-. protection. Tlu- poetir natives nlied upon it to keep Lack storms fn.n> tl.e k.nd and fVKrhten. uitl, its stern l.n.u-. ll.e tempests from the sea. They jKunted to it witli prof.nuidest pride as one of the most beautitul mountains in the world. NATIVES LIVE IN CONTENTMENT. '• Children played in its bowers and arbors ; families picnicked there day atter day during the balmy weather ; liundreds of tour- ists ascended to the summit and looked with pleasure at the beau- titul crystal lake which sparkled and glistened in the sunshine Mount Pekv Nwis the place of enjoyment of the people of St I'lerre. '■ I u-onder what the trustful, worshipful people thought when the great volcano began to frown upon them, when steam and tire began to nse from those beautiful grassy slopes. As near as I can ascertain the spurts of lava came from the sides, not the tup. From the positio:, of the volcano the torrents must have flowed straicr],t nito the city, sweeping through the nice di.stricts first, and next blotting out the business districts. Had .some one three weeks ago, when I was in St. Purre, told the natives that Mount Pelee would soon open up and hurl death at them, he would have been laughed at. I can just hear the pl.acid, forbearing natives sav • 'Oh, no; old Pelee is our protectoi—not our destroyer.' Hut no one suggested it. because no one even suspected it."" What most impressed the stranger on his first arriyal in St Pierre was the brilliancy of the women's costumes. Tlie streets werehlled with an endless throng of graceful swaying figures dad in_ audacious color contrasts. These gay toilets were almost exclusively coniined to the negro or mulatto population The wives and daughters of the French white planners adopted every- where the iiu)dcrn fashions. Until the tall of the French empire in 1S70, when universal suffrage was granted alike to whites and blacks, the government was exclusively in the hands of the white aristocracy, between whom and their colored inferiors was dm cation. As the whites also uearl H'tl '1 f f ♦-.*^+ 1,'., vj.s-inai - ii y monopolized the wealth of tl le ;i i;m; >i 1 xi:n in iiii': hiKiCKi.x islands. r* ii'' ■ ■■ ^.4 t kii 4 I island t1u'\- ucn- al)lr to y^\\v their cl.ildrcn an education in France, wliirli slill niMH> eiu])liasi/ed llie difference between the races. Later, hnwevir, with wealth and power pa.s.sing into the hands of ihe more enleri)risin^; among the colored population, thev, toQ, and finally restored by tlie treat\- of iSi.}, only aftei- the most urt;ent representations on the ])art of the French that not for commereial or militarv pnr])oses, bnt solely tor a sentimental eonsideration, the island slionld be returned ; that the French people desirt'd above all thint^s to own the little island that had s^nven them their beIo\ed empress. Kngland yielded tlie point with diplomatie courtesy, and since 1S14 the tricolor lias floated o\er Martinifjue. It is too far from France to lie a show place for the French. Like St. Helena, it is far f: ni the beaten routes of tourist tra\cl ; like Flba and the lonely rock on which Xaj)ole()n Hona])arte died, it would not be known at all save t'rom the fact of having been made famous by a historic character. RECALLS DESTRUCTION OF POMPEU. Tlie destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum bv tlie eruption of Mount Wsuvius, as described by Sir Kdward Bulwer-Lvtlon in "The Last Days of Pomj)eii," is given renewed interest by the disaster at St. Pierre, to wliich it bears many ]«nnts of similarity. Tile author's words are as follows : "The cloud which liad scattered so deep.a nuirkiness over the flay had now settled into a solid and impenetrable mass. It resembled less even tb.e thickest gloom of night in the open air than the close and blind darkness of some narrow room. Rut in ])roportion as the blackness gatliercd did tlie lightnings around \'esuvius increase in the vivid and searching glare. "Xorwas their horrible beauty confined to the usual flashes of fire ; 110 rainbow ever rivaled their varying and prodigal dyes ; now brightly blue as the most a/ure de])th of a southern sk\- ; now a i..^;,i ) ,1 ....*• ..„ ....1 uai iii:^ ic.-.LJC: cu aiiu 11 o aa iiie luiUb ^ i.NKs IN rm, stkilklx islands. 100 (>{ ;in eiiornious serpent ; now ,( a lurid and intolerable crinisr.n jrnshinj; forth throuj^h the eoluniiis of smoke far and wide, and li.yhtini,'^ uj) llie whole i ily from arch toanli, tlien siuldenh- dyin"- into a SIC kl' paleness, ike the ,i!:host of their own lift' RUMBLINGS OF EARTH. In tile pauses of the showers ( lan heard tlic rumblmL; of tlu arth liciieath and the roanu,^- wa\-es of the tortured sea, the 'M-ind- nii^ and liissm^ murmurs ( if th( ■^capniy- Leases throui^'-li the chasms of the distant mountain. S iiuetimes i'. le c loud ; iPDearec to break from it; )lid mass, am >y the ]ij.;htnin.i;, to assume quaint and \ast mimicries of liuman or of monster sh-ape, strid- injr across tlie ijloom, hurtlinj.^ one upon the other, and vanishint^ swiftly into the al)yss of shade, so that, to the eves and fancies of the affrii^hted wanderers, the unsubstantial vaj^ors were as the bodily tonus of ^i'^antic toes the assents of terror and of death. "The aslies in many places were already knee deep, and the boding' sho Acrs which i ame from the st<. anting breatli of the vol- cano forced their way into the houses, bearing with them a strong and suffocating vapor. Immense fragments of rock, hurled upon the house roofs, bore along the streets masses of confined ruin. " The winds and showers came to a sudden pause ; the atmos- phere was profoundly stale ; the monntain seemed at rest, gather- in perhaps, fresh fur\- for its next burst. Sudden]^ as lie spoke the place became lighted with an intense and lurid glow. Bright and gigantic through the darkness which closed around it, like the walls of hell, the mountain shone — a pile of fire. The summit seemed driven in two, or abo\e the surface there seemed to rise two monster shapes, each confronting each, as demons contending for a world. These were of one deep blood- red htie of fire, which lighted nj) the whole atmosphere, far and wide, but below the nether part of the mountain was still dark and slirou ded. sa\e in three places, adown which flaiiied serpeutiiic and irregular ri\ers of the molten lava. ' Darkly red through the profound gloom of their banks they tiowed siowiv on a.^ toward the devoted ciiv. ',)\er tiie broade .t iiP i a I '1 U ■ i '■ : 1 1, 1 1 1 i i i ' il i! 200 SCENIs !N -mi. :.!!,, tlu-re srcnu.l to spn.,.,; ,, cra.^^^u 1 an.l tu],cn.i,.us arch frn„, wliu-h, as fn„n tlir jaus ..rhdl. .t^n^.u.! tlu. snurcc' of sndrlcn (lis asters, and throuK^l, the stiile.l air uas l.oanl tlu- lattlin^r of the trajrinent. of rock, InirtlinK one upon an.-thrr as tliev were home inrne.l in .^^ratitn.ie and can^ht Ion once more in h.sarms and fid ah.n,- the slrect. that was vet intenselv Inn.i- nni.s. Hnt snddcniy a dnller shade fell over the air. Instinctivelv he turned to the mountain, and. hchold ! one of the tuo marantic erests n,fo winch the snnnnit had Ihcu divided rocked and wavered to and iro and then with a sound, the mi.t^htiness of which no lan- .^Mia.^a- can d-scnl.c, it fell from i,s burniuK^ »>ase and rushed an avalanche of hre, down the side of the mountain. ••At the same instant ^Mished forth a v.dnnie of blackest smoke, rollniK on over air, sea and earth. .\uother. and another and another shower of ashes, far more profuse than before .scat- tered fresh d-.solation along the streets. Darkness onee more wrajjpcd them as a \cil. •' The sudden illumination, the bursts of the floods of lava and the earthquake, which we have already described, chanced when Sal- lust and his party had j ust gained the direct path leading from the city to the port, and here they were arrested bv an immen.se thron- -more than half the populati,m.,f the eitv. The .sea had retired far from shore and they who had fled to it had been so terrified by the agnation and preternatural shrinking of the element the ir.ispmg forms of the nncnth sea. which the waves had left upon the sand, and by the sound of the hugh .stones ea.st from the '■-untain into the deep, that thev had returned again to the land as presenting the less tnghtful aspect of the two." A leading journal thus c.minients (m the harrowing calamitv • "The appalling character of the disaster which has visited tile island of Man ihi'mh,. I'o A,ii,. c i i ., ' >ti:j, .-.•ijiii lijcu ;j\ liio ciclaiis ()i tile SCL.NL.S IN Till. SlK.i KI.N ISl.WD.s .<•! oahnnty as tlu-y sl.nvlv co„u- t.. hand: tlu- .rnpti.,,, of M..„, lc-k-cu-,11 pass n.t., Insfuv as „„. of tlu- most trrnbk- and in about ,7.,cL-it is in": ^u compan.son with that of any and all of the Hntish Pslands an ' the nativesof various shades of color are far from bein..M. tl,,-:.',;... .' ana as saittiess as the black s of the last- named dependeiie le." In m ,!it ■ I i!i- II • li : I IJ 1 ii 1 202 scr.XKs IN" Tni sikickia' islands. Tlu'\- Iki'c till- :::iv ,111(1 iVivcil.iu-. ti'inpiTanirnt oi []]<■ South of I'^MiK-f, hut 11 is i-)Mj)lr(l uilli a faii- iiua-iin- ot" tlic siihstantial (lualitii'S of th ■ ImxiicIi ]Ka>aiit, and tlu-y aif iiuln-,! rious aiul fruj^^'il in a iK^mix' that, is L-moiint.-i- .1 in non. ,,|" tin- British ])()Ssc's.sions. " 'Phi' tt-rrililc r.ilaiiiit\- whii h li.is \isiii'(l ihi^ hcaul; ful i si ami has swept tens of tliousaiuls of it. inhaliitanl s to a suddrn and h<)rrii)li- dfath. the white ehnieiit of the j)o])iilation ])rohal)lv s.ilTerin,i,r more than tlie eolored in piopurtion, h eaus. the\- were i;atnra!ly attracted, to a residener in the fatal eity of St. Pierre, while the Mir\!\-ors li\-in,L;- in the dexastated re,i;ion, wluther they aie nian\- or few, ha\c Ik-cii utterly mined as to their worldlv helonj,Mni,^s. Tlu- lavish hand ot' tropieal nature will soon ( i\er the waste ])laeev with the liiMiriant -r.wtli wliieli already hides tlu' ravaii^es of })r''vious eataehs,,is. hut nian\- vears will elajjse before the island will witness the return of the prosperous and conttuted conditions so latclv existing.'' M CHAPTKR \ III. St. \'iN(.K\'r \'(>n\N.i IN .\(,ri\K lOkri'iiDx. — TKRRti-ic C\x- NOWIIK UlARI. OnK UlNDRKI) MlI.KS .\ WA V. — K I.\( ISTOW \ SiiowKki:!) wirii Hot .\shk.s ani> I'hiuu.ic.s. /^\ 'I'liurs(l;iy, .M:i\ is, oiif work after tin* eruption of .Mt. I't-lc'c. ^-^ are under relief. I can render necessary assistance from St. \'incent." THANKS FOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The Consul (ieneral of I'rance at the port of Xew York made this public announcement : "I received from the French (Government a cablegram direct- ing me to thank the Chamber of Commerce and the jieople of New York tort'ieir great outburst of symjjathy and generosity. This is only the informal thanks which I am to convey at once. I liave no d.)nbt the Cjovernmcnt will formalh- exjjiess its appreciation later. It is easy to underst uul tliat tl^e Colonial Minister is very much overwhelmed with business ju.>t now. ''For my own part, I wish to say that this great, generous demon>tration is touching in the extreme. There is not another country in the world from which it C(nild have come except America — it is like the .\mericau ])eople. I repe.it that it touches u-.e deeply. I am constantly getting contributions and generous checks. The difference between such spontaneous libcralitv and iia\ing to i)ass around the contribution plate is very great, 1 assure \ ou. To a man in my i)osition here it is a relief that is quite b vdnd expression." The auxiliary cruiser Dixie sailed from Brooklyn for Mar- tiniiiue \\\(lnesda\- the i.ith, ha\in; o.wl ..1. .1 1,;..., I r az , . on hoaicl 4 tons of food tniM -w i ■ til n^ i itia.^LeJ > ST. \'IN'CENT SHAKEN Tu ITS CKNTRF. "Of) Commissary's Departments to , ten feet of ashes. '' Till- l^f ifi\ 1 -1: .-^Lcuiiic: ^CUilcL .Tunuay ran tlirough five ST ViXCF.NT SIIAKF.X TO ITS CKXTRE. nof, iniles of sn.oke that was so ,ie„se that the- .n:- u.re aln.ost suffV,- gu^an J "' "'"" '" "' '""'■ ^'"' ■'^^"^^ ''^^^^ ''' ''^" ^^^^ ^" '^•'^ o.n " ^I"™e Soufriere, though not so active as it was last week s st.ll so threate.nng as to terriiy the inhabitants. Sn.oL and flames cont.nne to bdch fron, the crater, ov.r which there is n mcessant ph.y of li,tnin,. torkin. ont fVon. the coint ,; -aches so far np tnto the sky that the eve cannot reach its 'crest It M.-as more than two weeks a^,, that Morne Soufriere f^rst ^zz::z ; ",' ^^^^^ "'"'\' " ^*^-^' ^ '-^'^- ^ ^-^^o^ks ;!:" ^^a,.s^ Sontnerc r.nses tts head ...^S f..t .Dove the ,sea level It h.sat ,.,,. .,Hc,m,nd of St. Vincent, and can,, s^ les at sea on a clear day. For ninety y.ars the old volc uto hsbeensotnnolent. On rare occastons it has .rnmbled internal " but ,t h,, b,,, .e^arded as harmless by the Indians. w1h> have told o the eruptions, which ceased lo„^ ago, and which thev Ive earned in their traditions. - " -^/^!^ '^''' ^■'■"Pti-" of iSi. the old crater closed, and water hlling ,t. tormed a beautiful blue lake. HISTORY OF THE OUTBREAK. '•For many days Soufriere labored inwardlv in a manner such as was new to the present generation. Then; on Ma 5 le cm^er lake becatne greatly disturbed. It began to boil an Anbb rt ' S ";^""- ^^""" ^"^-^^ ^'■^^"' ^' ^" """— clouds The rumbling beneath the mountain redoubled in force, and at 2 o clock that aitern.xni Sonfnere trembled as though it w is 11 the throes o a ternble agony. Then came a serie,: of severe ean^ quakes that shook the entire island. "That night sulphuric flames played about the summit of the volcano, gnm. ,t a weird and ternble appearance. S^ am contiiuied to nse m clouds, and the thnnderVof the skies joined with those that ca.ne from the bowels cf the Soufriere ...11 dnrniL'- Wednesrlnv tl,« .„l„..J.M _i. _ Wednesday the splendid phe nonienon continued. 14 -\1.4. >w.o wveu m LUC near vicinity .,f the volcaut amplt 810 ST. \-!NCF.\r ^H \K!:\ IS ( KN'TRF. . I t M i i time U) f.iakf their c-sc;i))e. All seem to have been lupilotized, and ui' the thuusamls who were there onlv a few hutidred went awav. "It was uonu on Wednesday when Morne Sonfriere suddenly opened, sendin,!u( six separate streams of lava pouring' and boilinj^- down its siiles. Death was everywhere, and in its most terrible forms. Lii^htning eame from the sky, killing many who had escaped the molten streams that were pouring into the valle\-s. "For this great tragedy the settings were wi)nderful. Son- friere literally rocked in its agony. From its summit a majestic column of smoke, inky black, reached sk\w.ird. The craters were vomiting incandescent matter •hat ga\e forth prismatic lights as it rolled away toward the sca. " ( ireat wa\cs ot fire seemed to hedge about the mountain top. Such thunder as has seldom been heard by man cracked and rolled through the heavens. From the earth came tremendous detona- tions. These joined with the thunder, all merging in an incessant roar that added to the ])anic of fleeing inhabitants. A HUGE COLUMN OF SMOKE. "This lasted through the night, and the day and night fol- lowing. On Thursday morning a huge column, so black that it had the appearance of ebony, arose to an estimated height of eight miles from the top of the volcano. "Ashes and rock, as well as lava, were carried skyward in this column to deluge the island and the ocean for miles around. Gradually the column mushroomed at the top, spread out into dense clouds, that descended to bring night at noontime. "The atmosphere was so laden with sulphurous gas that life was made almost impossible. It is believed that many of those nearest to Sonfriere were suffocated by this gas before the\' were touched by the burning lava. " Many expected that the entire island would be destroyed, and the night of Thursday was given up to prayers. All that night the darkness was beyond description, save when ever\ thing was made light as broad day by the lightning wdiich forked out f,-.>,,, ,1,,. ,-.>l,.ot,-x ST. \'I.\CKNT SIIaKKN To ITS ( I NTKK. 211 "The earth quaked incessantly, the nionntains shook, stones, lava and ,^rreat quantities of ashes never eeased to fall. So terrible were the thunders that it seemed to the terrified that the universe was being- rent to pieces. "Friday brought a .slight respite. Soufriere became less agitated. The lava streams did not decrease, but the showers of rock stopped for a time. Then those of stout heart ventured out to take stock of the wonderful ruin that had been wrought. "All areas of cultivation were found to be destroyed, buried under banks of volcanic matter. Wallibou and Richmond plan- tations and villages on the leeward coast were wrecked. Wallibou was partly under water, which had been swept in from the sea by a tidal wave, p'^ive other plantations were gone. "The Carib Indians had made that portion of the island lying at the base of Soufriere their countrv. That entire district was a smoking incinerated ruin. Ashes were everywhere, no place being less than two feet deep, and in .some places lava had rolled over the deep banks of ashes. Every Indian had disappeared. If there is a survivor he is not vet kutnvn. " All vegetation had disappeared. Not a sprig of green was to be seen on the island. Live stock had died. Houses had vanished. Rivers were dry and their beds ran lava. " Everywhere north of Chateau Belaire were dead bodies some half buried, others showing that they had been stricken down by the lightning. A few seemed to have been dipped in lava, which took form from them. Decomposition seemed to be almost immediate. The dead are being buried now as rapidly as possible, but the conditions are such that pestilence ca^i hardly be avoided. GEORGETOWN'S TERRIBLE PLIGHT. " Kingstown is safe, but Georgetown has suffered terribly. In ihe ho,spitals there 167 sufferers are now being cared for, with little chance that any of them will recover. Now there is a famine. Unless supplies are quickly received, hundreds will starve. While <^Vio i-i,-.! .£>»•.*- ^.m «.; 1 1 .1 _ . . . ^••••-:iv v; Lij,--.„u ;;.;:, LeajCQ, tilc aU 1:5 .sllii liiled with volcanic dust and ashes, creating an intense thirst and M-' ,1. N'INCI.NT SIIAKI.N TO I IS CF.NTRF.. 1 } i 1 l> 'm 1 *.-' "■; i ■ rf i ^ < causing such suffering as can liardlv be iniaj^incd l)y those not on the island. "The Sonfriere Ijruke forth again on the 13th, Ijnl there remained no more inhabitants in the north (jf tlie island. Its ex- plosions are said to ha\e been heard for nearly one hundred miles throujfh the Caribbean Sea. " Work among the ruins of St. Pierre is being continued in an unsatisfactorv manner. The sol- diers have to be forced to act, and hour by hour the danger of an out- break of pestilence increases. The dead are being burned, the pyres being fed with pe- troleum and tar. Great fires are kei)t going, which at night light up the entire island, and which, being seen at St. Lncia, led to the belief that Fort - de- France had burn- ed. The fires in the c i t y h a \- e burned themselves out, making it possible to dig down into the ruins, thus revealing the horrors that have been buried. " In the streets ashes and cinders are in places six feet deep. Everywhere are the dead bodies, decomposing and giving off a stench that makes the workers faint. Although thousands have been burned, bodies still remain to be cremated. Many of the Mv ISL.ANU Ol- .M.\RTlN"IQUi:, >H()\VIN(; MONT I'liLEli AND Al.l, THE TOWNS. ST. \I\(:F.NT SM \KF.\ Ti> its ( IA'TRF, l\^ bodies are earl) )ni/,el aiiil swollen. s asncs. I'lul oine are eiienisted w ith \v hil er one rum perhaps only a sinj^le hrdy will be found e not far off will I)e a K^roup of half a seore huddled toj^a-th In all St. Pierre only a sini^le h ler. itinian beinjj;- escaped the work of Mont Pelee. The one is a nog^ro murderer, who was locked in a cell so far under ^n'ound that the t,^ases, as well as the flames, faikd to reach him. There he remained for four days before his cries were heard. When tlie cell door was tlirown open he dashed away. He is b-dieved to have been crazed by the awful experi- ence throu.i^^h which he passed. "Armed soldiers are watch in ,<;• the workers to prevent the robbin-- of the dead bodies or the ruins. X'andals continue t) l)rofit, but orders that have been ,<,nven to shoot down any person who is seen robbinir a body will probably put a stop to tlie crime. vSome idea of the terribl- heat poured down froui Mcmt Pelee may be had wlieu it is known that the iron rollers of the Prinelle su.irar mills were melted as thouK^h they had passed through a furnace."' TERRIFIC CANNONADE. Another account furnishes additional confirmationof tlie fort, .troing reports : "The S>nfricre volcano, on the island of St. Vincent, is still m destructive eruption. A terrific cannonade can be heard a hundred miles away. The reports are followed bv columns of smoke, rising miles in the air. Immense balls of colored fire also issue from the crater. Lightning is playing fiercely in the upper sky, and the whole northern p irt of the island is one mass of traveling flame. It is impossible to reach the burning district In- land or sea, and there are no means of estimating the destruction wrought to life and i)r.>perty. " King.town. the capital of St. \'incent, is still safe, though ^hovers of ashes and pebbles are continually falling on the town. The volcano itself is invisible. It has just b?eu officially repjrted that there were 1600 dead up to May i2lh, at St. Vincent. " It i.s rep^riled i'lom lli- French island of Guadeloupe that pumice stone in great quantities is floating on the sea there and KT'I 1 1 ;i! ff' :\4 S! \ IM INI' WIAKIN 1' ) IT ^ iF.MKI, • It tlif I>ritisli isl.iiul of Pomiii e-.i.st up aloiu ftl arc' standintr. h" convent, w hicli con- tained >o i^irls and \(i nuns, disappeared a> also the collc'c, where 7-1 boys and 22 priests and iirofcssors were d'lniiciled. 1 STREETS BURIED UNDER CINDERS. A correspondent of the .\ssociatjd Press wrote a; The destruction there is appallini.,^. The streets 1 co\er thousands lollows : feet deep in ashes and cinders, whici bodi les, scorched black and shin\-, as if l!ie\- liad are two )f dead )een pluni,^ed into boiling pitch. .Many of the dead were never couched bv llie vol canic fire, and >onie of the houses and woodwork, destroyed show no sij^^us of burnin^r. " At Mouflla!.je, ill the st)Utl Town Hall is still standiu'. fort, 111 the northwest-jin part of St. Pieire, the iwesteru portion of St. Pierre, the IS liigli as the first story, while at the Host massive stonework is calcined. The cliurch lower, built two centuries ago of Cyclopean mason work, i s now t lik he J lieaii of old metal. e a esuits huge vSold lers are guarding property from prowling gliouls, wl are robbing the dead. The\- n 10 ueet witli severe can ght. puuislimeut wIku The stench throughout St. Pierre isterriblv offensive. T str:et> are still obstructed bvhuee oilesof d bris .Tud de.id h ic The work of clearing the th oro ugh tares will employment of large uuuibers of men for ma nv necessitate the months. ) :'l(i SI". \iM i:\i si!.\Ki:\ I. » I Is 1 1: NTRE. M-mlh,^. R„„,.. m:n- St. P^vrr.. ,. pusn^.,!. and Basse 1 "mtc an.l Mac.nl.a art- vK unliurl, hut the crater is still active .'iiasiii.,keaii,lasliesan. l,l„uiiiKstea.lilvn..rtliuar,l. Tliesurviv- in.i; inlial.Uaiits aivtivin- turn.ss fmin St. Pirrre to the Island „f I)..nnn,ea n, l,„ats. M,... dn.unn.K casnalties are n-,,orted Assistanee is e.,nsiantlv .unMu.^at l-.-rt-de-Francc fr„m all the neighborini;- islands." NEKDS OF ST. VINCENT. .\ d foil 'espati'h (Vdiii I/uidon iin del- date u{ M :iv OW'S i4tli was as .\t a (lini ur „t- me West Indian Club held in L.md on. .\nlinr Ponsonln- d-elared that to-nijjfht the H i.r^neriisity shown ])\ President I on in view o toward the Marliiii should not he 1 ipl Him' snlTerers, the peo f the people i'le of (;reat Hritain [\oose\elt and the .\merica example and helpini,^ lluir own X'inceiit. Sir Aitli-.ir .said he U donatiiijj^ funds for tlu- su )eliiii(l-liand in einulatuii,^ I'resident R oosevelt's c-oiintryiiuii on the Island of St. however, th.it the fashion of .irei ee( (1 ot the ^•lctllns of th.e disaster on the breach island set by Kin- I'duard inio],, k-ad Huglishuieu to overlook their si.fTerin.t,^ kinsmen at St. X'liueiit. '•C. T. Cox. the administrator of the Island of St. Kitts in the Leeward ^'oup. spoke in the same strain as had Sir Arthur Pousonby. Mr. Cox said : ' American •.Inlanthropv shnuvrs upon Martinique, vet no ..iie in I'li.^rjand lia^ auv idea how severely the mhabitant.s of the Island of Si. \-i,ueiit must suffer, not'onlv from loss of life, but the ^^reat loss of their trade, which in normal times is carried on on th.' hand to mouth basis.' Mr Cox wh . IS ou le.ive in Kn-land. expressed on behalf of the Rriti'^h admin istrat.rs of the West I.uliau Islands, the deepest svmpathv for ...th the Preueh and British sufferers from the volcanic eruption.s. •' I p )U all sides bitter comparisons between the British Gov- e-umeiit\s lack of action in reK^-lrd t,. the sufferers in the We.st Indies and the pnmipt and mateiial response of the United States to the einertjfencv are beino- v.\n'.]t A. J. Balfour, the C lovernmeut leader in ihc House of ST. \INi INT Ml \KI.N Hi I Is i I NTRK. ■217 C()inni()ii>, will aiUMiiut' m I'arliaiiiciU tn-(ia\ tlu- iiitfiitiMH^ ot tlu' Clovc-niimnt icspitiiiiy; ihr relief of tin- Mirvivors of llu- M.irtiu- iquv and St. X'liicriU (!isa.->ti is. '"vSir William Honldcr, of Hin-Mnj.;liai!i, lia.s .snit lo^epli ClianilnM-laiii. the Colonial Srcretary, i 5. < > touaifU tlir niief i,i the W'lsf Indian snfFeTeis. " Mes.sa.i^H-s of .synij)ath\ loncerninj^^ the \\\st Indian catas- trophes are beinjr voted by the pnhlie bodies thron-houl the United Kingdom." EVACUATION OF ST. VINCE^^"^ SUGGESTED. The LeK'^l^tnre of Kinj^slon, Janiaiea, \(ited ^5()(;.^ for the relief of the sufferers of St. \ineent and Marlini(|ne. Dnnni; the debate Secretary Olivier said it was not certain the Imperial (n)\ern- nicnt even now wonld see the desirability in the interest- of the inhabitants of evaeuatin}.( the Island of St. X'incent. lb knew Great Britain years aijo considered a scheni>- f( • distribntin_t; the inhabitants anionj; the other islands, and thoni,'ht tlu' reient hnrricane and present calamity .>honld decide the conrse of the Oovernment. The folb)win^r statement was sent ont from Wasliin^^on, May 14th : "The Na\y Department received despatches to-day from Commander McLean, of the United States erniscr Cincinnati, and Lieutenant McCormack of the Potomac, both of whicli vessels are at Fort-de-rrance, Martinicine. Commander McLean reports that he arrived at Fort-de-France this morning, and, havini: learned of the di.saster in St. \'incent, had sent the Potomac to that island. Lieutenant McCorniack,wh() reached Martinique b;fore Commander McLean, reports that St. Pierre had been destroved with its inhabitants and sixteen vessels that were in the }-.arbor ; that the surrounding village.'-- were uninhaiiitable ; that the island was covered with the work of destruction, and that provisions were needed within ten days to supply .so.<^x>o I'efngees. " Beyond giving orders to push the preparations for carrying relief to the afflicted people of the islands, nothing was done here -'"^ ^T. MN\ F.NT SHAKY.N To [TS CK.XTRK. t.Hlay. The r.,s„luti„n„r the Senate passed vestenl-u- to appro- pnate an additional J.^cxvhx) for relief remains Mith" the Hou^e Lonunittee on Appropriations. There is no opposition to niakin-^ lurther appropriations. i,nt members of the Hon.se Committee tlnnk It uonld be as xvell to v.ait and see the extent to u hieh the >:fxvx>r, already appropriated and partiallv expended will reach 111 affordir,t,r rehet before t.-kin- fnrth.er aetion in that direetion "If It be fonnd that the snm appropriated is n(,t sufficient there is no dotfot that the House ui!l promptly cmenr in tl.e vVnate resolution appro})riatin,o; an additional S^^cxvxx, The faet tliat the United States is the neare.st eounirv from uhieh sub- stantial relief ean be sent to the afflieted people, and that suppl-es can be delivered within a few days, adds materiall v to the value of tl IS relief It is expected that the ccmtriiutions l,einr thirty-six days for so.oo.'people Among t.ie articles provided are 982,200 pounds of rice 214^00 pounds of hard bread, 8,5,ock. pounds of flour, 65,375 I^unds of -11, .71,100 pounds of ccdfish, 30. , pounds of baking powder Ih40 two pound cans of currant jelly. 16.000 pounds of coffee' 4«« pound: f tea, 8o,ocx. pounds of sugar. 516 gallons of vine- gar, 4000 pounds of salt, 250 pounds of pepper, 6160 pounds of ham. 9600 cans of milk, 2400 cans of chicken soup, 2400 cans of beef soup. 1468 can openers. Three stores have been put in charge of Captain J. H. Gallagher, commissar., who will have personal change of their distribution. '; An official of the War Department said that the food and clothing shi^jped,.n the Dixie would uud.mbtedly suffice for the material needs ol the survivors until the Freuch Government is enabled to provide means of permanent relief "The President is very much gr^t-'fied by the fact that every man named by him to act in conuec >n with receiving contribu- tions for the sufferers had telegraphed an acceptance " The meeting in Paris called by the American Chamber of Commerce u. raise funds for the relief of the West Indian suf ferers was well attended, and over $25o<. was subscribed in a few minutes to aid i le destitute people at Martinique. The proceed nigs were brief and business-like. Henry Vignaud, the United ,1 „ ri "u''' f'r^ ' ^""~'™ '----'aenr xManci.s Kimbel, of .heChamberof Commerce, explained the object of the meetiiie r ex sr. \I\CF,NT SHAKI.X To ITS TI XTKK. 1 H. Pfartrcf moved, and H. X'alois, pressing the sympalhy of the Americans o eotuU f V (1 a resolution aris \vi m liv.T sorrow. Anieriean fund. til ¥ ranee eoniniittee was appointed to take charge of tl M unicipal organizations, the Chanihcr of C odics and public organ onnnercc, reliirious zations throughont France sent tlie G jOV ernmcnt resolntions of symp:Uhy ccmcerning the Martirinne di.saster, and appointed eonunittees to further the collection\.f tunds to aid the West Indian sufferers. Barnnin .S: Bailey's Circus turned over the receipts of performance to the Martinique fund. one M I CHAPTER IX. For Wkf.ks Moxt Pklhk Bklched Clouds of Smoke. vSi'i.K.NDii) AM) Aim'allim; Ph i:x(,)mk\o\. — Lncks.sant RoAK ok AwFii. Thuxdfr. — Tkkrors Paralvze the Helpless Inhahitaxts. 'T'HK corifspoiulent of ihc London Times at Pari.s, M. de Blo- * witz, supplied his ])aper with an account uf the St. Pierre disaster, tele^^rapbcd to him by a friend from Fort-de-P>auce, Mar- tinique, by way of the Island of Malta. It said : " For three weeks Mont Pelee had been vomiting clouds of smoke, but the smoke seemed produced so normally that it was permissible for even those who were inclined t(^ look on the dark side not to dread a catastrophe. At Fort-de-France, where the agitation of Mont Pelee attracted, as it went on, much attention, any anxiety which existed, gradually died down when, May 5, a violent eruption of mud. the hot ashes having been mingled with water in the crater, overwhelmed Guerin's works, killing twenty- three persons, and the ri\er in the north of the island, now swol- len by a muddy torrent, noisily overflowed. On May S, while there were still deliberations going on at Fort-de-Frauce and St. Pierre, where the night liadbeen passed in anguish and ignorance as to whether the eruption of mud was the precursor of or end of the disaster, St. Pierre was, within ten minutes, annihilated." Describing St. Pierre aaer it had been demolished, the cor- respondent said : " .\ portion of the upper town was rar^ed by a cloud of fire, which increased, as it advanced, and crumbled everj-thing in its course. In the lower town, near the harbor, a few walls, bearing; traces of tire, remained standing. To the stupefactiou of those familiar with the spot, the tc .,n clock remained intact, as if to show the precise moment of the disaster, and this sinister indica- tion deeply affected all who saw it. On the other hand, the tele- trrnnh nffire .-Mul U>i Ciiiiffntk: M-rri' 1>iii-iik<1 Q.nnt. ft-n, ■■„,,, .,f.. ..<" fi^ MONT I>1 I.Kl. <,\\|. riMi tA WAKMNC. e apparatus were thrown a hundred yards. Bodies, wl re perceptible, were lyin^^ prostrate, with the l.owel e we th tud trudii the back [lose atti- ig, as thoujrli forced out by the te s partialh- carbonized. pro- nsiou of tlie lieat. and witli It is a melancholy and ofvSt. Pierre has to be most humiliating thinjr that the site l)i rates from the neigh))oriuo island lay hands on anything .>f value. larded by the niilit, iry, for numerous s were preparing to come and ruder date of .May xath the following despatch came from Kingstown. Island of .Si. \'incent : ;• Scientists who haye come here from the British Island of Tnn,dad predict another yolcanic eruption on St. Vincent within a short tune. 1 he damage done to St. Vincent by the yolcanic eruptions is now known to be considerably greater than was at first estimated. The present uneasiness of the inhabitants of the island is increased by th. continuous agitation of the yolcanic craters. -Friday morning, M .y 9, large stones and yolcanic dust fell "1 the neighborhood of Georgetown for two hours, terrifyiuir the people there. A cloud of hot yapor then passed oyer that part . woeruptums of less magnitude than the first occurred Saturday May 10. and since then fire and smoke haye been ascending ai mterv-als from the craters. Owing to the great heat it is still im- possible to approach the Soufriere volcano from the leeward side. PHYSICAL CHANGES ON THE ISLAND. ^ "Interesting discoyeries have been made regarding physical ^nange.s on St. Vincent resulti,.,- from the eruptions. Several fissures have been ob.served on La Soufriere. The estate ..f Walib..u has aisappeared, and has been replaced by an inlet of the sea Richmond, an estate adjacent to Walibou. which was formerly flat and upon which there were several laborers' cottages, has been completely burned, and out of the estate there now rises a lame ndge of ground. It is belieyed that the Rabacci crater in the windward district of the island, has also erupted. " From a distance I.a Soufriere, although less violent stiP Mont viA.iT c.wi: timki.v warning. 2*28 wears a cap of dark cloiuls. wliicli is luinincd every now and then by flashes of red lijrht. \',,kanic dust fell here again yesterday. Bnt fortunately there have also been several heavy rain showers, which have washed away the dust from the GC O oc UJ I- z ? .-.•/-^.^.Ct.- 1 -^ iff H » -I i Q. i Z 1 D " O ',2 z o t- Q. (T UJ < UJ I cc UJ u. < z g < t- < > UJ Q UJ z Ul O en •!t^ ,f ^': ^^ Ml it' 'I: ill r.-_ L^'<^ p^ r'i DC < UJ Z < I o cc u >- I 1-- < $ u. o ' UJ o 2 u UJ D g z (- < UJ UJ Q iff W °- UJ . cc I- UJ uJ MONT PELKE CAVK TIMI-LV WARXINT,. which had hiiig confronted them brouj^^lit death to manv thon- sands of human beings. Even before Mont Pelee began to rumble, late in April, live stock became uneasy, and at times were almost uncontrollable. Cattle lowed in the night. Dogs howled and sought the company of their masters, and when driven forth tliey gave every evidence of fear Wild animals disappeared from the vicinity of Mcmt Pelee. Even the snakes, which at ordinary times are found in great numbers near the volcano, crawled :iway. Birds ceased singing, and left the trees that shaded tlie sides of Pelee. -V great f-ar seemed to be upoti tlie island, and though it was shared by the human inhabitants, tliey alo'.e neglected to protect themselves. MAGNETIC DISTURBANCES. Otto H. Tittman, Superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, reported that the delicatelv suspended nmgnetic rxcedles at the two coast and geodetic survey observa- tories, the ones situated at Cheltenham, Md., sixteen miles south- east of Washington, and the other at Baldwin, Kan., seventeen miles south of Lawrence, were disturbed beginning at about the time the catastrophe at St. Pierre is reported to liave occurred. The wave of fire struck St. Pierre about 8 o'clock A. M., May 8, and a clock was stoppi d at 7.50 A. M. The magnetic disturbance began at Cheltenliam Observatory at a time corresponding to 7.53 St. Pierre local mean time and at the Baldwin Observatory 7.55 St. Pierre time. The delicate appa- ratus installed at these observatories is so arranged that it regis- ters automatically by photographic means the minutest variations in the direction and intensity of the earth's magnetic force. It is a noten'orthy fact that no seismological observatory had thus far reported a seismic disturbance during this eruption. No magnetic effects due to eruptions of distant volcanoes have ever been recognized at magnetic observatories. Purely mechanical vibrations caused by earthquakes have been often reg istcred by the delicatel}' poised magnetic needles. The Gaute- malan earthquake oi' April 18, for instance, wa^ recorded not only I5-M.\R 22(i MONT ri:Li;i: cavi; iimkj.v warning. by Sf-ismograplis at various places, but also at the- Chelteubani magnetic observatory of the CcKist Survey. This earthquake simply caused a mechanical vibration of the magnetic needles about their mean position of rest and lasted about one-half hour, \vhereas the dislnrl)ance of May S was a distinct magnetic effect, pulling the needles aside from their usual direction and lasting many hours. SUPPLIES ON THEIR WAY TO THE WEST INDIES. The following statement given out May 15th from Wash- ington showed the progress made in affording relief: " The probability is that tlie House Committee on appropria- tions will not take up the Senate resolution to ai)propriate additional money for the relief of the survivors of the West India disaster, unless advised by the President that further assist- ance from the CTOvernii: nt is needed. Chairman Cannon had a conference to-day with the President, and as the result the House committee will hold the Senate resolution to await developments. It is the belief of the officials at the War Department that the supplies shipped to Martinique and St. \'incent on the cruiser Dixie from New York and on the collier vSterling from San Juan will be sufficient to meet the needs of the suffering people for fully a month. "The present efforts of the C.overnment officials are being directed to supplementing the fiiod supplies ccmtribnled by the people so as to make them immediatelv available. Secretary Root has authorized the oftlcers of the commissary department at New York to pi "chase any additional supplies that may be necessary to supplement those contributed by private firms and individiuils for shipment to the scene of the disaster by the cruiser Buffalo, now loading at New York, or by other vessels. Consequently, private donations of flour will be supplemented by a proper supply of yeast by the C.overnment, and the same with codfish and other food supplies which require other articles to make them available as food. " The C.overnnient has already expended a little over $100,000 J .\fONT PELKK GAVK TlMKLV WARNING. 227 of the available appropriation of$2oo.ocx^and as imicliofthe balance as ins iiecessa;- will be utilized in. suppknientinjr the food, snpplies contributed by firms or individuals. As ha.s been already stated, the (government officials anticipated the action of Congress in providing for the immediate relief of the situation, with the result that the Steiling sailed fnmi San Juan with supplies within five hours from the time the appropriation became available, and the Dixie sailed fr. n New York with additional supplies in exactly twenty-nine ' ,urs after the President signed the act making the appropriation. These two vessels carry more than thirty-six days' rations fijr 50,000 people, together with a proportionate amount of clothing, tentage. etc. "The supplies contributed by the people of the United States will be forwarded on the Buffalo, and on other vessels if necessary, and it is believed that it will not be necessary to expend anv more of the appropriation except as Indicated, to supplement the private supplies. These shipments were made to meet the pressing needs of tlie moment, and as they will provide for the material wants of the sufferers for over a month, it is believed that it may not be necessary for this Government to extend any further aid, as in th. meantime the French Government will undoubt dly have made ample provision to meet the situation in a more permanent form. RELIEF MEASURES BY BRITISH GOVERNMENT. In a statement in the House of Commons, May 15th, regard- ing the measures prupo.sed by the GovernmenL for the 'relief of the sufferers ironi the volcanic outbreaks in the West Indies the (;overnment leader, A.J. Balfour, in a reference to the steps taken, added : " We have taken account of the most sympathetic manner in which the United States Government have, to use their own anguage, expn •. -. \ their desire to share in the work of aid and rescue. As tc . mai.uer in which this generous offer can be l.e,-,t acceded to the Government of tlu Windward Isles has already been consulted." iMr. Balfour referred to the oneniug of the relief fund at the 22fl MONT PKLKF. CAW. TINIF.I.Y WARNING. U IM (W Mansion House by the Lord Mayor, Sir Joseph Dimsdale, in behalf of the sufferers of the Island of St. Vincent, and said that Canada, Jamaica and tlie other West Indian Islands, and the Island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, had promised to help with money and goods. '' I have no doubt," he added, "that the other colonies will be equally generous. In addition, the Governor of the Windward Islands has been authorized to speud whatever sums are necessary, and the Imperial Government is prepared to supplement the contributions from other siuirccs to whatever extent may be needed. " As regards the Island of Martinicpie, Lord Landsdowne, the Foreign Minist.'r, May I2th, had instructed his Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, Sir Kdniund Monson, to say that it would give the Gcn-erument great jik-asure to offer assistance in any manner most convenient to the sufferers from the calamity, and to say that if this country could help by the loan of doctors or the gift of medical comforts and i)rovisions that we were prepared to act forthwith. "The French Government replied, accepting with gratitude the offer of his Majesty's Government. From the nature of the case, there must a distinction between our own colonies and those of another Power in the expenditure of money. But the Govern- ment, as stated, is prepared to give comforts and provisions to sulTerers at Martinique." INDIFFERENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF PARIS. John Dillon, Irish Nationalist, who first raised the question in the House .ind suggested that the authorization to the Governor ot the Windward Islands to spend money ought to be extended so as to provide for the relief of the Martinique sufferers, as he considered it would ])e most unfortunate if a distinction was made, tried to move an adjournment of the House cm this point, but the motion was rejected. Writing from Paris, a gentleman made the following com- ments : " The American visitors cannot understand the seeming M"NT VUAK OAVi: TIMLI.V \VAKM\(i. .-'^ inailTcrcnce of the Parisians i„ regard to the Martinique disaster Beyond the half-masted flags over the Government offices there are no signs of public mourning. The people flock to their usual resorts, attend the races, fill the theatres, none of whicli has been closed, no extras ' are issued, and there is no demand for them But the evening paperr containing bulletins of the automobile race are eagerly purchased. " The various funds being raised for the relief of the Mar- tinique sufferers now only total 303. ' V. 280 Ml IN I I'll.r.l. (,.\V1. TIMKI.Y WARNING. " Tlic Canadian Coniniissioner, Mr. Fabcr, called on the Minister of the Colonics, M. Dccrai.s, and expressed, in behalf of thi' Government of Canada, the profound sympathy of the Cana- dian jicople with France in re^^ard to the Martiniqnc disaster, add- in}f that he liad received a cable message Irom the Minister of I'inance, Mr. Fieldinj^, to the effect that the (lovernment of Canada had snbscril)ed 525,1x10 to the relief fund, which amount was held at the disposition of M. Decrais.'' The I'Vench cruisers Bruix and Surcouf were ordered to sail from I'rest with supplies for the inhabitants of tlK Island of Martinique. Qi;autities of food, wines, preserves, etc., were taken. EXAMPLE OF MAGNIFICENT GENEROSITY. Two uicssages, expressing sympathy regarding the loss of life at vSt. \'incent, were received at the Foreign Office in Lo.idon here from the United States Government. One was private and the other official. The former was verbally presented by Mr. .Choate, the United States Ambassidor, whom Lord Lansdowne, the Foreign Secretary, warmly tlianked for the official message. The cablegram from Secretary Hay to Ambassador Choate was as follows : " Express to British Government the sympathy of the Presi- dent and the people of this country' in the affliction which, has befallen St. Vincent, and our desire to share in the v.'ork of aid and rescue." The Colonial vSecretary, Mr. Chamberlain, wrote to the Foreign Office, desiring Lord Lansdowne to very gracefully ackiu)wledge and accept Presidenl Roose\elt's offer of assistance, and to inform Mr. Roosevelt that Mr. Chamberlain cabled to the Governor of St. \'incent asking for intormation as to the best ' meth.od oi utilizing the United States" offei-. Until the G ,v- enior's answer was received nothing definite could be done. Tlie Colonial Office especially asked the Associated Press to .'lUUnunce that any relief intended for the inhabitants of the Island of St. \'ince;it could be safely sent, and would be wisely :^ Mt)\T i'r;i.i;K i,.\vi. ii\ii:i.v \\\,2^o to the Mansion House West Indian relief fund. Much satisfaction was expressed at the opening of the Mansion House We^t Indian relief fund, while the tardiness of the action taken i)y tlie authorities was adversely commented cm. Thus, the Westminster (razette said . "Once again, in the cause of ch:irity, our kinsmen across the Atlantic have gained a sulfstantial start, and have set the Old Country an example of swit't and magniticent generosity, from wjiich we might well Ijeuetit."' Capitalists were somewhat slow in sul)scribing to the Man- sion House fund. Only $25,o(X) had Ix'cn received, of which amount the Bank of England contributed 55.t>oo and the Corpora- tion of London $2,s(xx ' St. Paul's Cathedral and other cliu relies arranged for special cc>llections on vSundav in aid of the fund. .M.).\r i'i:i Ki: i:avi-: timlly warninc. TIk' Lord Mayor of Liverpool ujKMic'd ;i West Indian relief fnnd. A tclcj^rani received announced the >aLt\- of Lady Llewelyn, the wife of the Goverm r of the Windward Islands, and her family, who were stayinjj^ at St. \'iiKent at the time of the ernption of the volcano there. A cable messaije from Kini^ston, Jamaica, confirmed the pre- •"ious despatch of the Associated Press referrinjr to the possibility, owing to the frecinent disasters, that the Government wonld decide to abandon St. X'incent and transfer the people there to other islands. FRANCE'S GRATITUDE. M. Jnles Cambon, the French Ambassador at Washington, transmitted to Secretary Hay a lon?^ telegram from his Govern- ment expressing the gratitnde of France for the energetic efforts of this country to relieve tlie distress of 'artiniqne. The text of the Ambassador's communication is as follows: " Kmbassy of the French Repnblic. W. diington, May 14, 1902. — Mr. Secretary of State: I havejnst received the follow- ing telegram from my Government: 'The President and the Government of the F'rench Repnblic, deeply moved by the sym- pathy evinced by the President, the Congress and the nation of the United States toward the sufferers of the earthquake in Mar- tinique, charge yon to be their interpreter in expressing the gratitude cherished by the entire French nation for their geneii^ns assistance, the remembrance of which will live forever.' "It is my great honor, Mr. Secretary of State, that I should be called to tender to \(,\i the thanks of France for all that the United States is doing on this sorrowful occasion, and I should !)j infinitely obliged to you if yon would convev this expression to all in the Government and Congress who have given evidence of such noble sentiments uf humanity. "Be pleased to accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurances of my high consideration. "JULP:S C.\MB0X. " The Hon. John Hny, Secretary of State, \\ ashington, I). C." On board the Dan.di cruiser Valkyrieu off St. Pierre, May 11, a correspondent wrote ; J - laa-.^i.!-^.-.'^' MuNT i'i;Li;r. (,.\\ i riMi.i.v waknixc. •2m "Where llic city of Si. Pierre stood tliL-re is tu-dav a molten livc.itoinl) of lava, wli li proclaims the liorrible storv of the fate of the people of the city in a stinch tint was manifest in spite \T I'M. PI (i \vt riMKI.V WARN l\n 386 tioii^, haviiij^r lived (luuii llicir diva.l ,,f .K.itl un.siH>:ikal)k' crinus. "C<)ri)scs Ikivc Iktii imitil.ilod lui tl thfiu. DfsiKratc chances liavf I.cfii tal«, way Ihrouj^rl, still Imt adics to gel into I of thrir fiiniKT ouiurs. i> iAVu •■'•iiiinittiiii K- sake (if il IL' ry on ji'wel ' 11^'' I tlu-ir louses that art- the tombs )\' nifji whi a\ e I- I little sii])i)ly of food, l)iit it must 1 uuine. t..... luenae.s tlie people here. At present tl lev (laws o r L\n y nuist -i\e ui) the ir U(> k. K- replenishetl in a fe w On hoard the \'all, yrie'-, wliich ha .S5() refu-ees, pieked up aloii'^ the lu^rtl is one of the two known s between its deeks about fiisl eoast of Martiiiiciiie su rvivors of all the people of St. P lerre SAVED IN PRISON. H Tile grim irony of fite speak S ! e was a prisoner in the eity prison. Vv-mi I 11 him. His name is Mouat. only story that has been told of tl Monat IS a nei^To, a native of Martinique. H 11111 was had th c overw ludminj; of the cit\- fluent!) — as do all tl le natives. in th( IT e speaks French e w jail. as serving a short sentence He was ill of a fever the nij^ht before the er that faet he is indebted for beinir ali uption and to K' alive today. Me hei,rjrcd tl jailor to permit him to spend the nij^^ht i„ the d pri.son, where he mij^ht allay the 1 unj/eon of t lie stones. He was at liberty t( th riling of the fever on the col.l walk about the cell irs of the jail when the end came for ever) other living thing in St. Pierre except himself and and an old 'It woman, who has since died. was early in the morning that it occurred ' [ had been in the jail yard and was stifli unusual. I 11 g. There was a cloud went back into the cell ;ir, le said, ' I Tl le air went back into th over I e.ee, but that was not e e was near the foot of the steps leading down from ellar to get out of the heat and th ere was an explosion. It the yard when ever roared and all th at once. was as though all the thunder that e cannon in the world had been set off I fell on my face, k-.ockcl down by the shakinir of tl le ear th MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TFST CHART ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2 1.0 '-la = Iti 1^ IIIM J 2.2 [ 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 i 1.6 _^ APPLIED INA^GE Inc ^? 1653 East Mom Street ~^ Rocneste-. Ne« tork 14609 USA I^ (7161 482 - 0300 - Pnone ^= (716) 288 - 5989 - Fa« 1^':' 286 MONT I'KLKK (;a\E TIMLLY WARNING. by the explosion. I could not have lain there a moment when I recovered my .senses. There was a roaring sound as thougfl the houses were being torn to pieces. " ' It was perfectly black all about me, and down through the door of ' -i cellar there was a blast of wind coming that was like a flame, i nought I had died and was in hell. " 'The uoor of the cellar swung .shut and I lay still. The heat drove me mad. I could not stay there. I found the door and opened it. The wind was blowing a gale and so hot that I could not breathe. It was not so dark, Luc the air was full of ashes and I went blind. I dipped a rag in a water bucket and tied it over my face, then went out. The roaring was fearful but it was peace compared to the thunder that came from Pelce every few minutes. I made my way on my liands and knees to the back wall of the jail yard. I took the rag off my eyes and saw that the wall had been thrown down and had fallen into the bay ; the prison was on the edge of the water. The front part of the jail was moving along with other houses. I thought I was mad. TRIED TO CRAWL ON BEACH. " ' I could see about me for some distance. There was not a being in sight. A dreadful fire was flashing from the houses, that seemed to be covered wit'n hot mud. The heat made me frantic and I threw myself down over the broken wall into the water, or where the water had been. " ' I fell on the stones and broke my leg. The tide had gone out, but it came roaring in a tidal wave, and I was thrown up on the stones of the broken wall. " ' I tried to crawl al.)ng the beach and fell into what looked like a mud puddle. It was burning hot and nearly burned my arm ofT. " ' I found a place under a rock where there was some water that was not hot. I stayed there that day and all night. I could see out but saw no one. MONT r'ELKE (lAVF. TtMKl.V WAPNIXG. '" A f^reat stream of mud was niuning over where St. Pierre had been and into the sea. It sent up clouds of steam, and it wet the aslies and they fell like rain. " 'The next daj^ I crawled south ulonjr the beach. I saw no man nor w,)man, nor even a dog. I thought I would drown myself, but I must have fainted, for I knew nothing until I was aboard the ship.' " A man who sa\v the eruption from the deck of the Por- tuguese bark Oporto, and who escaped death, after being thrown overboard, by fastening himself to the bowsprit ^vf the vessel, which stood out of the water when the bark went down, tells some- thing of the story of the erupiion in lucid intervals. The man has been insane at times from his suiferings. He was at work on the deck of the bark at 7.30 on the morning of the cataclysm of fire. " 'I heard first a roar that rent the air and sky and made the masts of the bark to quiver. The ship shivered as though she were alive. I cannot describe the noise, for it left me senseless for an instant. Wlien I stood up the sliip was careening irom side to side. The whole sky was black except over Mont Pelee. GREAT SHAFT OF FLAME. '"There was a great upright shaft of flame that must have reached for miles, and could be seen as though it were night. I could see leaping from one side of the pillar of fire a great streak of black mud. While I am telling it to you the stream reached the city. '"The bark was onlv a few fathoms from the shore and I could see the people rushing about. Hundreds had run out of their houses r.t the first awful roar. Most of them were kneel- ing in the streets. It only seemed an instant before the mud and ashes begun to fall into the bay. St. Pierre, with all its houses, all the people praying and running about in the streets, all— everything, had been swallowed up by the stream of mud. '"The stream reiched the bay at the same instant f.at tlie inud and ashes and stones began to fall out of th • sky. There F?'- ^iP' 288 MONT pj:lI';i: (;.\\k timely warning. was ;iu awful liissiiii;- S(iund as the black tide rushed into the water. The sea ru-^lud back from it, the air was seething witli mud, steam and rocks — and it was aU over. I don't remember anythin,!^ more of it.' "It is understood from masters of vessels who have been in the neighborhood of the island of St. Vincent that the St. Pierre horror has been repeated tlicre. '■ No man has yet been able to effect a landing on the island and it is known that vSt)ufriere has been in a state of eruption for several days. All here who have the courage to speculate have given themselves to the i(k'a that the entire po])ulation of St. Vincent has been obliterated, as was that ( .' St. Pierre. The refugees on board the \'alkyrien say that there is not a green thing living in the northern part of Martinique. "So far as the shores of the island can be seen from the Val- kyrien this is true of other purticnis of the island, and the ashes from the volcano have made a barren and horrible waste of what was a week ago one of the garden spots of the world. The Val- kyrien will go from here to Fort-de-France, and possibly to St. Viuccut." >,^^' .e- ,-. . -•'-. :■»'- m CHAPTI-R X. Nkw Horrors Rkvkai.kd Daily— Moxt Pkur A.;aix ix Activk Hkn-Tiox.— Rivi-.Rs Axi) Lakks Dkiki, Ui>.— Hissixg Pits OK Lava.— PiivsicAi. Chaxgi-s Madi.; itv thk Outbreaks. pROM Fort-de-France it was leanu-d on May i6th that tlie de- scnptions of the rnin wrou-ht l)v the volcanic outburst of Mont Pelee fell far short of the reality : " Most remarkable are tlie topographical changes wrought by the eruption of Mont Pelee. Subterranean activitv is by no means ended, and in the northern part of the island wide crevasses are forming, cutting off the northern fnmi the southern half of the island. A remarkable change in the „cean bed off the northern coa.st has been noted. In some places the lead sinks fully thirty fatlioms deeper in the sea tlian it did previous to the eruption be- fore finding bottom. Tliis easily explains whv cable communica- tioii with tlie island was cut off. New craters are formingon Mont Pelee m the district traversed by Riviere Blanche (Wliite River) "Morne la Croix, the peak of Mont Pelee, is the centre of most curious electrical phenomena. At times the air is cut and slashed with electric discharges, and during the nights of May ii and 12 a ball of fire and luminous clouds lighted up the ruined country for miles. Theie is a fresh flow of lava in the Riviere Blanche, and Basse Pointe has been evacuated on account of the heavy, unceasing ram of cinders and ashes. " Work in St. Pierre is proceeding slowly and under circum- stances of the utmost difficulty. Attracted by tlie hope of loot bands of pillagers Iuinc invaded the ruins. Troops have been placed on guard, with orders to deal with the vandals as befits their shameless crimes. Twenty-seven women and three men have been brought to Forc-de-France and lodged in jail on charges of robbery. Two men who wc-re caught in the act of pillaging and on the appearance of a squad of troops sought to escape iu flight were shot. i lilO NIAV 1I0KR(~»KS klAT.Al.I.l) DMiV. " It is rejiorldl here- that nil Kiiirlish offict'r, fouiul to have stolen the sacretl altar vessels iVoiii the ruins of the Cathedral in St. Pierre was put under arrest and taken to .St. Lueia on hoard the United Slates cruiser Cincinnati. His name and connections cannot he learned. " Work in the ruins is daiijjjennis. Cruinhliiiii; walls area serious nienace lo workin,^ parties. It is urt^ed hy many that what remains of the city should he leveled with dynamite. P^vcu when hodiesare found their ideiitilicatioii is difficult or impossible, hihahitants of the districts near vSt. Pierre have been forced to quit their homes cm account of the odors from the dead and gaseous emanations from the volcanic craters. " Public services of all kinds are sadly impeded by the heavy task that has fallen upon the authorities in distributing in the southern jnirt of the island the refugees from the northern part. ( )n May iSth, 653 bodies were buried. Funeral services were held in the Cathedral of Fort-de-France. The local authorities, officers from the French cruiser Suchet. the American navy tug Potomac and the German cruiser Falke were present. PANIC IN ST. VINCENT. " No one has been able to appioach nearer than five miles to the crater of the St. Vincent Soufriere, which .still shows signs of activity. Scientists believe that the volcano has not stopped emptying, and there is general expectation that there will be another and severe explosion. The island is constantly in a tremble. Earthquakes follow one anolher in quick succession. They are not sufficiently severe to do great damage, but they fill the inhabitants with fear, and if it were possible to obtain trans- p(n-tation it is safe to sa\ that St. \'iuceiit would be depopulated in twentv-four hours. "The Soufriere seems to have completely changed its shape. Its top has disappeared, and t>om a distance the mountain looks as though a inight\- thumb had been pressed upon it, crushing down its apex. Where ;i pretty blue lake of great depth existed a fort- night ago there is now a bubbling cauldron of molten lava. Above XF.W HORRORS Rr.VKAt.F.n DAII.V. ofl this clouds of smoke and steam constantly rise. Over the entire island spreads a peculiar mist, which is" injurious to the eyc-s and which contains noxious properties that cause much "dis- tress. "Some of the huts built by the Carib Indians still stand and in every one there are bodies. Scattered about in the open 'also there are hundreds of bodies, blistering in the terrible heat. The result is that an effluvia spreads over the Island f St. Vinc-nt which IS nauseating, and which threatens a pestilence that will further decimate the population. Such precautions as are possible are being taken to ward off fevers, but the most that can be done is very little. _ " Burial parties have been sent out. Bodies are being dragged with ropes to trenches for interment, and cremation has been^e- sortedto, One great trouble lies in the fact that manvofthe bodies are too close to the Soufriere to be approached. Until the volcano quiets down they must remain to add to the stench that is now almost unbearable. STARVATION EXISTS. "Starvation is a condition that actually exists in St. Vincent Three thousand refugees are being fed and sheltered by the Gov- ernment near Georgetown and Kingstown, but other thousands are 111 need of food. Supplies are coming in, but not fast enough to meet the demands. It is reported that relief ships are hastening to Kingstown, and in a few more days it is believed that there will be food in plenty. " The water famine is causing more distress than the lack of food. Many of the former supplies of water have disappeared Rivers that were running bank full before the explosion of Sou- friere are now dry. Lakes have evaporated, and only in the south half of the island is there any living water that can be readied. Down the east slope of the volcano a stream of water can be seen flowing, but no man has approached close enough to it to tell whether it is fresh or impregnated with sulphur, as much of the water of the island is= 16-MAR 242 M.VV HORKOKS RlAK.M.Kli DAll.V. " The United States cruiser Cincinnati arrived at St. Vincent from Martinique two days ago. Officers report that the war vessel passed throuj^rh heavy showers of ashes. They say that Mont Pelee is still blazinj^. and that the danger from it has not passed. These officers insist that the American supplies must be distrib- uted by the Auierican Consul, or, at least, by an American committee. The Martinique funds are exhausted, and persons bringing relief are far from pleased with the attitude of the local committee that have had charge of affairs in Fort-de-France. There is a strange apathy exhibited there which Americans can- not understaiid. "An election set for vSunday, May ii, was actually held in Fort-de-France, and the contest at the polls was as keenly con- tested as would have been possible had Mont Pelce not killed 30,000 persons, a score of miles away, just three days earlier. PITIABLE CONDITION OF THE REFUGEES. "A relief expedition sent to Martinique has just retiiriied to Port of Spain, after delivering the supplies sent from here. One of the members of the expedition gave this interview: 'We arrived at Fort-de-France early in the morning of May 12, and at once made arrangements for landing our supplies. The Act- ing Governor expressed keen appreciation of our mission, and, of course, the ordinary customs duties were not collected. The food was greatly needed. We saw hundreds of refugees enter- ing the cit}', some of them without anything except the clothes worn by them, and a few carrying their belongings on their heads. They were apparently dazed, and did not know what to do to care for themselves. The Governor said medical supplies were not needed, as there were no injured. We were struck with the apparent apathy of the inhabitants of F'ort-de-France. Their calmness while speaking of the catastrophe was something remarkable. " ' It is impossible to give an adequate description of the conditions we found existing in Martinique. The country for miles around St. Pierre is covered with sand and ashes. The N'FW HORRORS RF.v'KAI.FI) DAILY. ^48 Stench that co.nes fn,m the bodies i„ St. Pierre i.s .s„ .strong that it IS very offensive five miles ont at sea " 'Onr party landed at St. Pierre, bt,t we were able to pene- trate only about 3^x. yards. All beeanie ill. We h-ul di.i„f tants, but they did not seen, to .a.e an in.^^^^^^^^^ " ' Mont Pelee was still belching smoke at,d lava. Scientists who made a stndy of the situation .say the heat mu.st have b^^ abont 300 degrees The bodies were incinerated, and the s one walls were crumbled.'" le sioue EFFICIENT RELIEF WORK. - I cov-ered St. Vincent yesterday on horseback, visitintr fiftv "rsfl -^'^"'r-^^"^^"^^'-^-^'^ ^ correspondent, ^'riti^ from St Lnca, 'w,th ,ts terrible scenes of devastation. The gov- ernment has buned 1300 victims. One hundred are in the three hospitals at Georgetown. Refugees are flocking into Georgetown ^:l!^T''^'V' ■''''''''' ""'' panic-stricten. The Ced In mg cattle wander ,n agony on the roads. Water is scarce and a va.st area of crops .sunder ashes. Tne entire northern .section of the .sland ,s covered with a depth of ashes that ranges from -.atn,g at kmgstown to eighteen inches near the volcano at 2000. It will soon be thousands. The destitute in the rural districts are ever,nvliere suffering. Native laborers refuse triple pay for bunals. The disaster radically differs from tlia at St P:erre ni the great area and almcst entirely rural districts affected Georgetown, which is nine miles from Soufriere. has been badly damaged by the rain of stone and ashes and bv lightning ' , • Among the incidents noted is that of a ;chool teacher and .s wife and family of ten killed together. On the ^ad to W aterloo in one room twenty-six people were killed. One married couple were found dead hand-in-hand. but their babv w^ 1 "' lying at its mother's breast. ' ^ ^^^^ '-Hundreds of native shacks were burned by the liehtnino ..-.:. u:c zrr,m one u, li.ree bodies in each. \Ve saw horribt i I: I ; V.X. i t <-. ■>.; ■sV-^f. •"J^ si-H? h 244 NEW HORRORS RP:\EAl.i:[) DAILY. scenes in the hospitals, where tlie wounded were dying on the tUnirs, the native nurses beinjjj utterly inefficient. One hospital was lighted bv two tiny lamps and by twisted rags in saucers of kero- sene. The eofFin makers were hammering awar in the rooms adjoining, and the d3'ing had no beds to lie on. "The British Oovernment officials are active and claim they can handle the relief measure alone. This is in marked contrast to the French outfit at Martinique, where little has as yet been officially done. Captain McCorniack. of the Potomac, offijred (iovernor General Llewellyn the sympathy of the American Government and the assistance of the Potomac and its food supplies. Governor Lleywellyn in answer said that in Martin- ique the needs were greater, as the sister British colonies were helping St. \'incent. The British cruiser Indefatigable brought twenty-five tons of sup]>lies from Trinidad, and there are more coming. The Potomac took Governor Llewellyn's despatches and proceeded to St. Lucia." AMERICAN SUPPLIES REACH MARTINIQUE. Secretary Moody received the following cablegram, May i6th, from Commander T. C McLean, of the Cincinnati: " St. Lucia, Mav 25. — Six thousand refugees have come into Fort-de-France. Three thousand have come into Kingstown. Northern portions Martinique and St. Vincent \ery many people perished ; other suffering for food and water. \'ery great difficulty relieving and saving so many people scattered over large areas. Number of ])eople to be fed and cared for said to be reduced by nu)rtalit3-. Have coaled here. Return to F'ort-de-France and St. Pierre to-day. Will endeav(M- to recover records of .\nierican and British Consulates at St. Pierre. If remains of officials are found will bury with military honors." Later the Department received a cablegram announcing the arrival of the Cincinnati at Fort-de-France. A telegram also was received, announcing that the collier Sterling, which took a quantity of stores from San Juan, Porto Rico, had arrived at P( irt-de-Fr-ance, NEW WORROKS REVFALEI) DAILY. 24ti Late in the afternoon the Navy Department reeeived an nn- siKtied eahleKnani, dated at St. Lucia, and apparently from Lien- tenant McCorniark. of the Potomac. It read as follow.s: " I.sland St. Vincent devastated nortli of line (icorj^etown, ea.st Chateau Belaire, west. SutTl-rcrs, country people. Dead, 1700 ; destitute, 5000. Immediate relief supplied by local Government. Desti- tution will continue several months." RUINS OF ST. PIERRE INFESTED WITH PILLAGERS. Says another despatch from Fort -de-France : "St. Pierre is infested with pillagers, who are forcing safes. The authorities are taking severe measures. Fifty of the ghouls haxc already been arrested and imprisoned in Fort-dc-France, where the population wanted to lynch them. The criminals were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. " The Government has appointed accredited representatives of the commercial community to explore the ruins in St. Pierre for valuable lx)oks and papers. An English officer, accused of robbing the sacred vessels in the ruins of the church, has been taken to St. Lncia on board the United States cruiser Cincinnati, and will be placed under arrest tl-.ere. Troops have been detailed to guard the ruins of St. Pierre, with orders to fire upon pillagers. "There were 663 bodies interred vesterdav, making a total of i20oburied thus far. The work of intermc'nt is presenting great difficulties. Funeral services in memory of victims of the volcanic eruption were held to-day in the presence of the officers of the French ship Snchet, the German man-of-war Falke, the Danish ship \'alkyrien and the Ignited States Navy tug Potomac. Intense emotion was displayed by the audience. The inhabiiants of the north part of the island are now distributed in the various districts of the south. Some Italian sailors were saved who were thought to have perished at the time of the eruption." Another correspondent writes as follows : "La Trinite, Island of Martinique, F. \V. I. (Filed at Fort- de-France), May 16.— Since early this morning I have been travel- ing over ilic JcbuiaLeU eastern portion of the island and am heart '■ivy; ■ ■ n fi NF.U HORkijR.s RF.VF.ALI.n haiiv. and lir.iiii suk at llic sij^'IUs u itiuv^scd. The- smoke (.f Moiit Peloc oliSLUies the landscape, and showers of ashes eontinue to fall inier- mittenlly. On the lower levels of the road I enconntcred many fleeinj,' from their homes. I'rojjerty owners are arminj^ to protect their estates from hands of roI)hers who are tradinf,^ on the chaotic condition of tlie countrv. " In company with, the Mayor of La Trinite and Fernand Clerc, a candidate for the FrencJi Assembly and a prominent agri- cnltnnst, I spent much time encourajj^inK^ and pacifying' the conntry people, who are now in a state of panic. The police and .soldiery also lent active .service, and if there is no fnrther ernp- tions qniet will soon be restored. I saw at the hospital of Trinite Hdonard Lassere and Panl .Simmonel. They told me they were dnvinjr to St. Pierre (m the morning of the ^reat catastrophe and got canght in the very ed^a- of the cyclone of ;ras and flame that came out of Pclee's new crater. wSo close were they to the burning, .suffocating cloud that their mules and driver were killed by it,' and they— Lassere and Simmonet -were badly burned. SAVED BY A NEEDLE. "M. Clerc told me that, noticing a violent o.scillation of the needle of the barometer, he hurried with his family to Morne Rouge an hour before the disaster. AL Hauzalan, a manager of one of the Clerc estates, met a bitter f^ite, he and his family of eighteen being completely wiped out. "I am sending this cable to Fort-de-France and am pushing on toward the north crater. There are plenty ..f scenes of volcanic violence and danger in the upper reaches, but so complete has been the destruction of life that I fail to perceive any signs of destitution. ^ ^ " After leaving La Trinite and Grande Ansc, I entered the real zone of volcanic effect. " Everything here was covered with a layer of mud, unlike the dust seen in the regions below. Judging from what I saw here I .s^liould imagiue that great streams of fire and gas fell toward St. Pierre and water and mud nearer to the crater and tow.ird th^ M W lloKUoK., klVI-.Ai.Ii) i.AiiV 347 ntirth. At iiooii I rt-achtd Mnnif R(m^;c, several -'liles from St. Pierre. "Here I met the Bishop of the Catho.ic Church, nho wa.s atteiidinj^ to everything', althoujrh deserted by the other clergy. I gave him a hundred francs with which to .succor his poor people. " Mont Pelee has again broken into activity, and threaten.s further destruction to the island of Martinique. Work among the ruins of St. Pierre and the suburban village of Carbet has ceased, the .searchers and the burial parties having been forced to flee to escape the outpouring from the volcano's crater. Many refugees had returned to their homes, believing that Pelee had quieted. They arc now again in full flight, and the distress is increased. The rural police, wb.o have been patrolling the northern end of the island, hav-e left their posts. " Search was being made by a party from the I'^nited States Navy tug Potomac for the body of Thomas T. Prentis, the United States Consul at St. Pierre, who, with all the membens of hi.s family, perished under the sweep of flame that came down from Mont Pelee the morning of May Sth. AMERICANS FLEE FROM MONT PELEE. "That .search has now been abandoned, and the Americans have returned to Fort-de-France. They report that the volcano is in a most vicious mood, and that before they left St. Pierre ashes and mud were raining upon the ruins. It is now believed that the body of Consul Prentis cannot be recovered. Governor L'Huerres intended making a tour of inspection of the island to-day, but owing to the renewed activity of Mont Pelee, the trip wa.s not a success. " On the French cruiser Suchet the party proceeded to St. Pierre, intending to spend several hours there. It was seen that Mont Pelee was smoking, but the conditions were not deemed dangerous. Boats were lowered and all of the officials started for the shore. Before a landing was made the volcano exploded with a terrific noise. Tl.e force of the eruption was not in the direc- tioii of Si. Picuc, and nt) uamatre was done, but the investigators ?!« NKW HORRORS KIVKAI.KD DAILY. Sli i l|;'» fled precipitately back to the Suclict, which immediately ptit out to sea. It was at tliis time tliat the workers among the ruins abandoned their lai)ors, and took refuge in flight. " After leaving St. Pierre the Suchet turned northward, and at half speed made its way along the coast, taking soundings as it went. It was discovered that the bed of the ocean has been radicallv clianged by the upheavals that have accompanied the explosions of t.ie volcanoes. In some places the bed of the ocean has dropped beyond the reacli of the deepest plummet. At other points rocks have been forced to the surface that do not appear on any chart, and which have never before been noted. "Three days ago when I started on a trip through the island there was panic everj-whcre. I met men, women and children struggling toward Fort-de-France. All were so ^ dly frightened that thev seemed dazed. They were almost afn'id to look behind them. As I rode back to Fort-de-France yesterday- I met manj- of these refugees who were returning to thei; homes. Some weie even going to the sides of Mont Pelee. Now there is once more panic, even in Fort-de-France. THE COLLIER STERLING ARRIVES. " From Puerto Rico has arrived the United States collier Sterling, with 150 tons of supplies. There is now little distress here, most of the urgent needs of the refugees having been filled. P^roni all of the West Indian Islands provisions have been sent to Martinique, and from the United States such large quantities of ])rovisions are being forwarded that all danger of famine is past. " There is danger, however, of pestilence, and unless thorough precautions are taken there will be an epidemic of disease. It has been estimated that there were four hundred explosions within the volcano betvvocn May 4 and May 8, each being followed by an eruption of lava, mud and ashes. v"^ince May 10 there have been manv alarms, but no eruption accompanied by a lo.s,s of life until to-dav, and the extent of the present trouble cannot now be told. '■ According to the Bishop of the northern province, no mud NKW HORRORS KKVKALKI) DAILY the .-olcano's side is .o. a.;Ht:d^o^ :;He^r'"i: j^f /""•" /hat ,t was an electric flame, traveling with T;.! ^.' "^ ^"^'^^'^^ rapidity. It cut a swatl, as clean as mkl 1^ ?"'"'"" ^"^^^ '-^"^ by a mechanical agency. ' ^'""'^ accomplished '■ Outside nf the immediate he-it ym,n fi,„ i great. A„ iron sugar r.AW s.a.K.i ^ nX p , T^i^l ""■' ""' affected -1, a most sincri.lar manner n, T "^f ""'"'■ ''""^ t..ou.r,.a,f.a..i;-ee,,;r:;;:;n,;t::';^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ tone..e?;^tt:;e:;::lt tt;r ™;::l" ;•- '-^'t r RECOVERING FROM THE SHOCK. "In the akenecof .symptoni.s of fnrtlicr crnptions of the Sn„ fnere volcano, the !nl,ahitant,s of St. \-i„cent ar '^r^H , .V l"g front the shock of the disaster \ Z , ""'/'""^"fy '■''"»"- conditio,, of the Carib co„trv, „-., d ad eaufe ''d 'r'"'" covered bodies are probablvcovercd ,vi,l, lava *'" "In a small shop, ivhich ,vas opened three davs ,f, ., ernptton, eighty-seven bodies ,vere diseevered ,7/ > "" was recogn,.able. In the dw.lli, J ,o 'of t^,, "t' ,°'""'r""=" of the estates thirty bodies were fo^.nd .Crl^.L'"-"'"?:!^ "' ""'. ouer terrtble dtscoverie. Lave been tnade: The di;;™:; 'irfing 1 !' k 2go NEW HORRORS RKVF.ALF.D DATT Y. rapidlv cleared. Many persons are suffering from fractured skulls, caused by the stones thrown from the volcano, and from burns. " There was a slight convulsion May 17th. It was lollowed bv a small discharge of smoke, but this caused no alarm. The weather is fine and the excitement is abating. The bed of lava in the windward district is still hot. The abyss, 500 foet deep and 200 feet wide, which existed between Langly Park and Habbacci, is filled with lava, and the physical features of the mountain on either side are apparently more beautiful than before eruption. , . , , ^- • ,-\,„t- " \ curious circumstance connected with the eruption is that the earthquakes were not general, notwithstanding the smallness of the island. In Chateau Belair the convulsions preceding the eruption of Mav 7 were almost continuous. In Kingstown and Georgetown sixty shocks were felt in four hours. SIXTEEN SQUARE MILES OF LAVA. - \lthough attended with smaller loss of life, the eruption of the Soufriere was not less violent than that of Mont Pel^e, in the island of Martinique. The area covered by lava ^ere com- prises sixteen square miles. The fact that the loss of life and damage to property in St. Vincent were smaller than m Martinique is due to the position of the Soufriere and the smaller population of the district, the mountain overhanging sugar and arrowroot estates and a couple of thinly populated villages. " Officials of St. Vincent are busy relieving the sufferers and housing the injured and homeless. The problem now facing the crovernment is how to provide permanently for the natives who lost all they possessed. Peasant settlements may be formed on the estates which the government possesses, but money is needed to assist the settlers to build houses thereon and to provide them with sustenance during the cultivation of their land.'' Weird and interesting wt-re the experiences of the crew of the British steamship Horace, of the Lamport & Holt line, which reached Nt-w York from St. Lucia May i8th. and later in thejiay was berthed at the Woodrutf Stores, at the foot of Jorakxuun NEW HORRORS RFVEALFJ) lUII.V. 251 Street, Brookl}!!. The Honicc carried a large cargo of C(5cii)0 to the Martinifjue fund. The Norton Line steamer Ktona arrived at \ew York from the River Plate, via St. Lncia where she called for bunker coal on Ma}' lo. "At St. Lucia on May ii," said Captain Cantell, " I went ou board the British steamer Roddam, which had escaped from the ter- rible voicani:? eruption at Martinique tliree days before. The .state of the ship was enough to show that those on board must have 17 MAk .,gjj NKW HOKRDKS R1.VI:AL1'.I) DAILY. unckTKone an auful experience. The Rod.la,n was covered wUh a ,„.ss of line bluish KV.V dust or ashes of ce.nenl-hke appearance^ In some parts it h.y two feet deep o„ the decks. 1 Ins n att r U;,l uaien ui a red hot state all over the stean.er, settmjj hre to .vervthin. It struck that was burnable, and when it ell on the men' on board burned off limbs and large pieces ot flesh. '• I visited the captain of the Roddani ni the lu.spital at St. Lucia, where he gave me an account of his terrible experience. He had just arrived and a.ichored at St. Pierre, Martinique .m the morning of Thursdav, May S. The captain was standing near the accmimodatiou ladder talking to the agent ..f the vessel, ,vho had come on board, when he saw what appeared to be an enormous black cloud, like a wall with patches of hre m it. approaching the sea from the land. . , -,• "With it came an immense tidal wave of boiling water, accompanied bv a loud and terrible noise. He shouted ' taKc shelter' to the' crew. Immediately the steamer was caught and tossed over on her side, almost capsizing. Darkness fell like a pall and volumes of red hot matter showered down, while the air was'thick with sulphurous fumes and dust. The sea was a con- fused mass of boiling mud. THE ENGINES STARTED AT FULL SPEED. "Thecaptin of the Roddam, knowing that his vessel had steam up, and instantly realizing the necessity of escape, rushed to the engine room annunciator and signaled below to start he en-ine at' full speed. The anxious moments, increased by his sufferings from burns and agony <.f mind, were relieved by the 'vibration of the engines and the reply from below. It happened, fortnnatelv, that, although the crew had been rung off from duty ■xt the engines, some of the engineers were nearby. The terrible tidal wave which had swept over the Roddam and nearly capsi/.ed her had parted the cable, and the vessel was adrift. " When the engines started it was found that the steering gear had become disabled in some maiiiier and could not be ^y-^-"-- For more than an hour the Roddam's engines were worked, back- ^^J NKW HORRORS Kl VF.AIKI) DAILY. 'J lit iiij.^ and K"'"K :ilH-a(l, with ihv liojir i>f briii^iiii^ hvv li' ;ul tnuaid tilt.' s a and auay t'nini the laiul. ( )ncr slu- i,n)t (huii^cMonsiy ni-ar tht' stcanur Rorainia. lioth \tssils wi-it- in tlanii's. SoniL- of those alxiard junipcd into the Ixiilin^ water; some tell d\in^to the deck. All this lime the red hot matter was fallini^, and the water was hissing; ;iiid steaminu dense- masses of \aj>or. Smoke and dust tilled the air, and i)oisonnus fnnies s])rea tVum the injured became iUore audible. Some rushed frantically about with their ch)thes on fire and larj^e pieces of tlesh burned tVom their arms ; others in their agony lay writhing in the red hot dust. "In about two hours the air became gradually' clear. An investigation of the casualties on board showed that, besides the captain, who wa.s frightfully injured, only two engincrs, two .sailors and the !)oatswain wert- able to d;i uty. Fire was still burning about the ship, and the rigging was in flames. The captain decided to try to reach the Island of St. Lucia, forty-five miles distant. This lie succeeded in doing by 6 o'clock on the evening of May 8. "In the time occupied on this terrible voyage the experience of the survivors wa.s still worse than that alread}- gone through. The brave captain and his few men fighting the fire, exhausted and scalded, struggled and worked trying to do .'Something to assist their dying shipmates. Tho.se working below strove to keep up the steam. The captain, suffering the greatest agony, succeeded in navigating his vessel safely to the port of Castries, St. Lncia, with eighteen dead bodies lying cm the deck and human limbs ''A sailor stood b}^ constantly wiping the captain's injured ■'(■,(( MAV IliiKKtiKS Kl \"l AI.I.I' DMIA'. (.-vc's. I lliiiik llif i)(Tf(>nii;iiK\- of tlu- Riiir- roundings. In numerous cases, however, no such Inisiness reason operates as an iducement. The ma-net is sentiment, not nn.ney. As sonic nninrners devote every holiday to visitin;^ ,L;ra\es, so a large frac- tion of the homeless and l)ereaved go hack to sj)end the remainder of their days in the scenes that recall calamity and agony. RISKING DANGER. It was so after the great London fire; it was so after the Lisbon earlluiuakc ; it was .so after the yellow fever swept Phila- delphia ; and in more recent years, the Chicago fi-e, the Mi.ssis- sippi floods, Charleston, Johnstown and other catastrophes contirm the old experience. Apparently the desire to gain new pleasures is not more keen than the wish to revive the memory of old pain. ( )nr late storm has destroyed much properly and a num- ber of lives, but we will see people choosing homes in sight of the telegraph pole fnnu which the ialal live wire dangled, or the flooded stream in which the only son was drowned. Johnson's ''Rasselas" tells of sundry thoughtfnl per.sons %vho, wearied of their life in Abyssinia, go f(.rih to seek adveu- tures. During the Nile's annual flood they are obliged to halt, and they resolve, when the iraindation shall cease, to return to ,\ 1... . .:,,;- T; it; ••■-.• ■.!•.''-: hli!'.1'i!'.u>- evt-s looked shafjlv into liuman uature. NF.W IKIRKOKS KKVI.AL! D DAILY. •2>\\ Tlu- \v(.ll-kiiowii journal tlu- Xi'w York IiulepciultMit, printed an I'ditori.il on tlu' catastrojilu-, uliicli \vc lu-rc rt-prodncc : Sued: a U-rribk- c-atastroplu- as tliat which last week suddenly ovi-rwludnii'd a city, parallclinyj the destruction of PonijK'ii, and tlun rciH'atcd itself on a ncivjlihorinj.;^ island, simply hlottinj.^ out Mailini(|uc as a land of fair homes and extinjjnishin^j its aj^ricul- 'lUf and business, and di'stro\in,i,' half of St. N'inceiit, raises the old (|uestion a;^'ain, Imu our better Theism can deal with sueli fearful events. Think of the sudden ferocity of this jxiwer I the top of the mountain suddenly blowing; off, spouts out nu)lten l.ava, which not merel\- Hows in a stream from which t into a field of wheat or a sandy shore into a city. The Theist must think of God as having made laws for nature that are good in their general effect. That hydrogen should combine with oxygen to form water is good; that carbon and oxygen should make carbonic acid is good, and vegetaticm depends on it. Rut every law, though generally beneficial, may be exceptionally injurious in its action; yet that is no reason why its steady rule should fail. MUST LEARN TO AVOID EVILS. We must learn to understand the rule and avoid its evils. We must not step off from the precipice ; we must not build our eities on the flank of a volcano. We must learn to rejoice in the beueficenee of the law and submit to its unavoidable injuries. The comfort and the peace must come in the thought of thf general goodness of law and the advantage that follows from the fact that we depend on its certainty. We do not need to vait for some great catastrophe to learn this lesson. When a friend dies we are not to think of it as a judgment of Heaven on us for our hlil>, •l.'' i» VJOii vn_i<^ ^••"& 'r-^-' NEW HORRORS RKVEALKl) DAILY. think of it as nature's, and so (iod's wise way of removing and renewing the generations ; and if our ignorance or neglect of some law of nature has hastened the end of one's life, we should take tlie blame to ourselves and learn the more how to make these laws our kindly servants. If to some minds this seems to remove God further from us, seated behind the law, to other wiser minds God will be .seen euthnmed within the law. giving it its power and rejoicing, as sliould we, in its general beneficence. it i f CHAP KR XI. vSiiir Tossi-i) I'.v (iiAXT W.WHS WnimrT a Brkatfi or Wixn. SroKv (II' rwy-. Cwvws ov \ IXwisit \'kssi;i.. — Loxc, Hoiks oi- Thkror Kndik!-.i> r.\ 'I'liK Ckkw. — Wreck ok thk Shh* RoUDAM. THIv Danisli stciim.sliip Noidby, sul]'liur-l;ul(.'ii from the Isle of vSicilv, readied Pliihulelphia. May 17II!, after an exi)erience wliieh the old salts on board said they never saw equaled, and hoped never to see again. The Xordbv ran into a mysterious sort of storm, ("anscd bv the volcanie erniilions at Martiniqn , when se\-eral Hundred miles away from that i)lace. For two e hours of a windless and cloudless day the vessel was buffeted and tossed about in a terrifyini^' fashion. The crew, dazed and puz- zled bv the phenomenon, expected every moment that the ne.vt would be their last. As told in simple st\le by Captain Mric Lillienskjold, the storv of the ship's ])li,^ht is i^raphic enous;li to be a creation of fiction. "On May 5," said the captain, "we touched at St. Michael's for water. We had had an easy yoya;^e from (iir;;enti, in .Sicily, and we wanted to finish an easy run here. W'c left St. Michael's on the same dav. Xothiiii^^ worth while talkiusj; about occurred until two days afterward Tuesday, May 7. " We were plodding aloUi.^ slowly that day. :\bout noon I took the bridge to make an observation. It seemed to be hotter ih in ordinary. I shed mv coat and \est and got into what little shade there was. As I worked it grew hotter and hotter. I didn't know wliat t(< make of it. ".\long about two o'clock in the afternoon it was so hot that ■dl hands got to talking about it. We reckoned that something C|Ueer was coming oit", but none of us could exjilain what it was. Von could almost see the pitch softening in the seams. " Then, as cjuick as you could toss a biscuit over its rail, the STORY OF THK CAPTAIN oF A DAMhH V'KSSKL 2ti5 Nordbv dropped— regularly dropped — three or four feet down into the sea. No sooner did it do this than big waves that looked as if they were coming from all directions, at once began to smash against our sides. "This was queerer yet, be.. tuse the water a minute before was as smooth as I ever saw it. I had all hands piped on deck, and we battened down everything loose to make ready for a storm. And we got it all right— the strangest storm yon ever heard tell of. " There was something wrong with the sun that afternoon. It grew red and then dark red and then, about a ([uarter after two, it went out of sight altogether. The day got so dark that you' couldn't .see half a ship's length ahead of yon. We got our lamps going, and put on our oilskins, ready for a hurricane. " All of a sudden there came a sheet of lightning that showed u}) the whole tumbling sea for miles and miles. We sort of ducked, expecting an awful crash of thunder, but it didn't come. There was no sound except the big waves pounding against our sides. NO BREATH OF WIND. "There wasn't a breath of wind. Well, sir, at that minute there began the most exciting time I've ever been through, and I've been on every sea on the map for twenty-five rears. Every second there would be waves fifteen or twenty feet high belting us head-on, stern-on and broadside, all at once. We could see them coming, for without any stop at all flash after flash of lightning was blazing all abou* us. "Something else we could see, too. vSharks ! There were hundreds of them on all sides, jumping u]) ;Mid down in the water. vSome of them jum])ed clear out of it. And sea birds ' A flock of them, squawking and crying, made for our rigging and perched there. They seemed as if they were scared to death. "But the queerest part of it all was the water itself. It was hot— not .so hot that our feet could not stand it when it washed over the deck— but hot enough to make us think that it uaa Dccn heated hy some kind of a iire. Vv'eli, tiiat sort ot ! 1i 3t i"' I ■ vi II' I I' ! 266 ST(-)RV OF THF ( AI'TAIN OV A DANMSH VI'.SSKL. thi.r. went .-u h-.iu after hour. The waves, the lightning the lu.t ^ater and the sharks, and all the rest of the odd things hap- pening, frightened the crew out of their wits. THE CREW PRAYED. "Some of them prayed ..ut hmd-I guess the first time they ever did in their live.. Some Frenchmen ahoard kept running around and yelling, 'Cest le dernier jour!' [This is the last day 1 We were all worried. Even the officers hegan to think that the world was coming to an end. Mighty strange things happen on the sea, but this topped them all. •' I kept to the bridge all night. When the fir.st hour of morn- inii came the storm was still going on. We were all pretty much tired out bv that time, but there was no such thing as trying to sleep The waves were still batting us around we didn t know whether we were one mile .,r a thousand miU .r..m .shore. " \t " o'clock ill ihe morning all the queer goings on stopped just the way they began-all of a sudden. We lay to until day- iijrht; then we to..k our reck.mings and started off again. We were about 700 miles off Cape Henlopen. No, sir ; you couldn t get me through a thing like that again for 510,000 None of us was hurt and the old Nordbv herself pulled through all right, but rd soonJr stay ashore than see waves without wind and lightning without thunder." . ^ .„. , . •,, ^1 \nd iccording to his records CaptPin LiHicnskjold must be a pretty brave man. During the Turko-Grecian war he ran his steamer .\slibv up against a blazing Turkish schooner and rescued thirtv-three of its crew. For this the Sultan awarded him the Orde'r of Medjidi. a decoration given to admirals m the Ottoman "^^'^ Such of the Nordby-s crew as could .speak English and all her (.mceVs told the same .story about the mysterious storm. It was not until the Norrlb^■ rcac'hed Delaware Breakwater late Friday night May i6th, that the captain and his saih.rs learned uf the volcanic disturbances in the West Indies. Then they understood, or said they did, what caused their own troubles. STOKV OK Tin: CAI'TAIN OF A DANISH VKSSKL. 2H7 One of the sliips that passed tliroiigh a shower of lava from Mont Pelee and reached the American mainland to tell ahont it, the British Ktona, honnd to New York from Montev'deo and St. Lneia, steamed up the Narrows before daylight on the morn- ing of Ma}' iSih. Mer captain, John Cantell, and her four passen- gers. Professor I'lo Kraft, of the Hessen (German}-) High School; H. R. Babbitt, the Buenos Ayres representati\ e of Robert H. Fordcrer & Co., of this cil}' ; Julio Buchwald, of Buenos Ayres. and Rinaldo Bibolini, of Paraguay, brought with them a thrilling stor}', not only of their own experience in the second eruption of Martinique's destroyer, but of the Roddam and her heroic cai)tain, whom they visited in the Si. Lucia's hospital The Etona reached St. Lucia on the evening of Ma}- loth, expecting to coal and leave the ^a^le night. She had experi- enced queer weather during the day, the atmospheric disturbances indicating that something li;id happened either in the sea or on land. In the harbor news was received of the St. Pierre disaster, and lying at ancluu- was all that was left of the Roddam. All St. Lucia was in uunirning and the people were so distracted by the news from the neighlK)riug island that it was not until May iitb, that Captain Cantell could obtain coal and proceed on his journey. St. Pierre was ])assed at a distance of about four miles and all on board studied the land with glasses. ALL WERE FRIGHTENED. "The weather was clear and we had a fine view," said the Captain yesterda\-, " but the old outlines of vSt. Pierre were luit recognizable. Fiverything was a mass of blue lava and the for- mation of the land itself seemed to have changed. \\'hen we were about eight miles off the northern end of the island Mont Pelee began to belch a second time. Cloiuls of smoke ai;d lava shoe into the air and spread over all the sea, darkening the sun. ( )ur decks in a few minutes wc i e covered with a substance that looked like sand dyed brown, and which smelled like i)hosphorus. " I was on watch at the time with Second Officer John G. Gibbs When partial darkness came upon say dm P t': iiini •Jt'K STORY in- IHI. CAITAIN tiK A DANISH VKSSKI.. and cverybndy else on Unwd the sliip were badly frightened. After the storirs we had heard and tlie si;^dits we had seen at St. Tvncia we did not know bnt that we were onrselves to be hnried nnder red hot l;va or engnlfed by another tidal wave, tliongh we were then ten miles from shore. "'Crowd on steam!' I whistk'd down to Chief Engineer Farrish, and he needed no nrging. Slowly we drew away throngh a snffoeating atmosi)here, foot by foot, yard by yard, and at last the snn began shining again. We had passed ontside the storm of dnst and sand. When I looked al my wateh I fonnd that we had been abont an lionr reaehing daylight. " Onr deeks were eovered two inehes deep with this material ;" and the Captain exhibited a box of voleanic dnst, whieh had been saved by his c'.ew. " Yon ean see the marks of it yet abont onr masts and poiished wood work, and I do not think my passengers are yet over their fright. No cnriosity wt)uld every take any of us again near that terrible ])laee." Captain Cantell said that he saw several steamers moving abont Martiniciue. but conld not distinguish their names. He talked with the eaptain of a small steamer whieh left St. Lueia, May 9th, for vSt. X'incent to offer relief, but whieh had to turn back. When within seven miles of St. Vincent the needle in the com- pass began to spin round and nnnid and point everywhere except toward the north. WRECK OF THE RODDAM. " Hefore leaving St. Lueia," said Captain Cantell, " I offered to carry supplies to Fort-de-Franee, but was told that a ship had gone over with everything needed. While we were w.iiting at St. Lucia for coal we visited the wreck of the Roddam, which escaped from St. Pierre on May S. We found the ship in charge of a watchman and two policemen. vShe had been abandoned by all of the sui\ivors of her crew. When we went aboard the watchman was engaged in gathering up fragments of human bodies and - ...:.. .\^\ ;.. .. 1....U,, irtv-two persons aboard the ship, only six of whom survived. The ship keeled over when the tidal wave hit her and near capsized. Then she riyfhted and the falliuy sli')\ver of fi.re continue;!. "Captain Freeman ran into the chart room, but was driven II m I,: m S V ' l)"').! 27(» sn)KV <)1- Til! ( Al'TAIN <>l A DAMMi \■1■S^^ out :i);aiii i)\- tlaincs lliat can'c in :it llir ])()rth(iK-. 'riu-n ho rushed to thf cn^Miu- room ti-k-j)h()iK' ami sis^nalkcl the cii^nnuLr to put ou hill stcaui. Some oiK- ri.'Si)ou(lc(l. :uul the ship l)e<;au to mnw, hut ihc stccriui,' .i;ear was jamuu-d aud would not work. He kept the eniiiiies i::oiu,i; ahead and astern alternately, hopinjj: to tree the paddles, and in so doiui; nearly collided with the Onehec line steamer Roraima. from which clouds of steam and tlame were risint,^ " Men on the Roraima were wrin«rin<:: their luuuls and rushint^ ahout frantically. vSomeof ♦hem jumi)ed into the sea. where they must have died instantly. Captain hVeeman said, for the water was boiling lihe a cauldron. It was like a mass of hoilinj^; mud. Many of the Roddam's crew had disapi)eared, probably swept overboard, and the rest went one by one until only six were left. Every one of them must have died a terrible death. HEADED OUT TO SEA. "After a time the captain jjjot the steering .c^car workinc:, the ship answered her helm, and he headed her cmt to sea. Slowly the sky cleared, and it was possible for him to see about him. Men in the red hot lava lay dying all alono; his tr.ack. He himself, though, he stayed at the wheel, was unable to lift his burned arms. Blood from his forehead kept running into his eyes, obscuring his vi.si< n. He likened his escape to the passage from hell into heaven. .\t last he reached the open sea, and with the help of two sailors, two engineers and the boatswain succeeded in tak. 'g his ship to vSt. Lucia. " During the run out of the harbor the chief engineer died a horrible death. He escaped the hrst shock, started the engines, and not finding his men behnv, went on deck to look for them. As he thrust his head out of the hatch a mass of lava fell upon him, burning one side of his face completely off. "Captain Freeman's performance has, perhaps, never had a parallel in stories of the sea," continued Captain Cantell. "When .1 T^ 1 1 , ... « -«; 1 «f C# T n,>io tlw^Ki-'iA'o ni'iti rcfncf^rl nil lllC'il- t ii ^- i^^ M iviii ill ».i i 1 i ■• ^■'-i >■'•■'-»"- ■ • -'" cal treatment until the others were cared for. He will live, the STORV OK Tin: CAI'TAIN ' >\ A |)AMS[| VI SSi;L 271 doctors tell me. I s;i\\' two sailors, two (.'ii^iiifLMS and the boatswain in St. Liicia. They were able to j.;et about. Julio lUichwald, of Hueuos .\yres, wliocaiue in on the lUona, was on a visit to his brother. Rinaldo Hibi)lini uas one of the I)arty. They. Professor Kraft and II. R. Habbitt told the same Lhrillinj,^ tale as the captain. " We knew lon^ l)efore we reached vSt. Liuia," said Mr. Bab- bitt, " that somethinjjj was K'>"'k^ •'"• W'c couldn't sec St. X'incent at all as we passed that island. A thick ha/c. like steam, huu^ over the sea and shut out all sii(ht of land. Our shi]) was a sight after we ])assed through the shower of lava dust. .-Ml of ns have gathcri'd up samples of it to show as souvenirs of our expiri- cncc. Not a spot on the deck's superstructure but was covered with the blue stuff. The air was stifling and you couldn't see across the deck. It was an experience to last a lifetime. Chief Engineer Robert Farrish said of the lava shower : " We had been watching the island fnmi the time we first picked it up until we were well past St. Pierre, and I had just gone below, put iip my glasses and stretched out on my bunk for a nap, when the captain sent for me. .\s I came on the bridge he said. ' Look at that island, will you ?' " I looked, and there the volcano was belching out a black cloud of what looked like dense smoke. " ' Get below,' he said, ' and drive her as hard as she will stand until we get clear of this place. We don't want a repetition of the Roddam's experience.' CROWDED ON STEAM. "I went below and gave her all the coal the furnaces could take. We had j./iod coal and plenty of it and we did not hesitate lo use it. I pounded her through at an increase of two knots an hour over what we had always thought was her highest speed. The safety valves were dancing a jig every minute, but, notwith- standing the high rate of speed we were running at, there was scarcely a minute during the hour that we were flying from the scv^iit^ oi lUc crujjuiOii Vviicii inc licaci oi stuaiu iii. tiic buiieis ciiti not force the safety valves open. sroKv OF Tin; (ArrAix of a danism \-i;ssi:i.. '' W'lifii I v.;mu- on dvcV. two hours latt-r uc had K-ft the island hull down, hut tilt.' dt-fhs of our ship wc-rc a sij^ht. h"vc-i vwlifit.- fvi'vything was covfrfd witli tlu- hliu- lava dust, whith ihetorcLol ilif vok-anif (.luplion had driven in tlu- face of tlu- wind ten luiks out to sea and seattend over ns. " This dust as it fell on the ship was moist and sticky in character. It made the decks slipper\-, much as though they had heen plastered with soft c]a\. W'luu it dried out it becanu- like a fine powder. In manv places the decks were buried two inches deep from the shower." Abramson, carpenter of the shi]), said that he was lyini; out in a hamnu)ck under an aw niui.; on the forward deck, from which he had been watchinj.^ the island of Martiniciue throui^h a i^lass as thev ])assed it. .\ little before two o'clock in the afternoon he noticed that the sun was takin_i( on a peculiar condition. It was shininiL;' l)rii.,'^htlv, \ et seenud surrounded by a thick haze, but fnuilh' it took on a tlerv red appearance, and, while still perceptil)le in its entire contour throuj.(h the haze or snu)ke, its circumference kept aj)parently contracting. It i;rew snuiller and smaller until finallv, Abramson said, it ltH)ked no larger around to the nuked eye than an ordinary tumbler. A BLOOD-RED SUN. About this time there came a sudden i)utTof dark smoke, the edges of which were tinged with light, as though reflecting the rays of the blood red suu. This cloud uuived toward the ship like a black s([uall. Before the captain's orders to take in the awning could be executed, the shower of lava poured onto the sh.ip and covered evervthing. The snu)kestack of the I*Uor.> was 1)uried thicl. in the stuff, which caked thereon and hardened st) that it tool. several days to get it off. The peculiarity about this dust that caked on the smokestack was that when dried it hardened in appearance much like cinders, instead of fine dust like that which fell on deck. i iic /*i iin ill lu uC vii Stis'Lcr 1.. would expect it. Dr. .\. R. Crook, professor of mineralogy in sn>KV cr riii; ( ait.mn of a dwimi \ i .-.m i.. :;:! Nortlnvcstrni rnivn>ity. ..f Chi u-o, has lua.K- a spcc-ial study nf V(,Ka:i.n's. Hi- lias iiiadr an asciiit .iftlu- two hiulu'sl in the world, and has c-liinln-d many otlur-, for purpost-s of study. He i . an antlioiily 0,1 voU ano.^, ;ip], v. " There are two s^Mvat lireks ot" sohanoes aluuit the eartli," he said. "One girdles tlie eaith noith and sonth, extendinj,^ ihron-h Terra del I'MeKo (railed 'Land .,f f.re' l.eeatrse of its volcanoes), Mexico, the .Mentraii Mand>, and down thronKli .\ns- tralia ; the other east and west thron-h H.awaii. Mexico, West Indies, Italy ( inclndin- .Monnt Wsnviiisiand Asia .Minor. "These two eirclcs intersect ;it two points. One of these is the West Iinlies, which iiichule Martini(ine. tlie scene of this ter- rihle disisit'r; the other is in the islands of Java, lioriieo and Sumatra. On tlie latter islands there are I'xtinct volcanoes. On the f n-mer is the terrible Pek'e. It is jnst .at these points of inter- section .f the two \.)lcanic rin-s that we expect nniisnul volcanic acti\ity, and it is there th.at we fmd it." BASKD ON THEORY. Professor Crook said it was iinpossiI)]e to ])redict an eruption. "There has l)een more or less theori/in-" hv continued. " as to volcanic disturbances movin- in cvcles, but it cannot 1)e' ])r<>ved. One fact is established, and that is that a voK-auo is in explosion caused by water coiuin- in contact with the molten mass below the surface of the earth. This is proved by the -reat cloiuls of steam that accom])an\- the action." The (dd theory that the center of tlie earth is ;i nndteii mass the i)rofes,sor says is no lon-er held. He asserts the latest idea is tliat the center of tlie eartli is more ri.i^id than odass, tliough less ri-id than steel, .\bont this there is more or less molten matter, and over all the surface crust of the earth. This molten matter causes the surface of the earth to ,^^vt■, to sa,^-, and form what is called "wrinkling." When watei comes in contact with llie heated mass an explosion f(dlows that finds its (uitlet through .1.,, „!., ., . ...1.„,. i1. . • 1 . . o ■-;;-.. p;.e e.-, v, iicie liicrv: lo iv^asi leM.siauce, and the result is a volcano. iS MAR I 'i 1 ■^ ''III ! li 874 sn.KV ol Till. ^ AITAIN Ol A UANIMI Vl^^l 1- "TluMV is no pari ..f ihf .ruth's surt-uc- whic-li is .-xripl from e-ir'WuKik.s;' >Md I'rotVssor Crook, --md tiu-rc i> no rr^r„huHy i„ their .ppeannu.-. VoU.inu. .vupUons .nv .hno^ alu:u s prc- ,eckHl i.v earthquakes so,ueuh.MV in tl>c crcle. keceUlly thc-.e were earthcituikes in the Citv of Mexico in which nuu.y lives were lost. .,, , 1 " \s it IS impossible to piedicl when the next will take l.laee. it is also impossible to tell ulure it uill be. It will eertamlv be somewhere in the line of the two circles. •' -Ul this is of interest as showiu;^ that the earth is still m process of f^.rmation ,nst as ii.nch as ii was a billion years a^o \Ve see the saiiie thin, in .•ellow>t..iie Park. 1 here most decule. chanuc-s have taken plac- even in the .ast ei^^ht years. Old K.i.hful, winch used to play re;,nlarlv every sixtv mmntes, now does so onlv once in twice ihe time." _ • i , When'aske.l what contributions to science, il y, mi-ht be expected trom investi^ati.ms at Martinique, the protessor expressed a great desire to \:.o there. BENEFIT TO SCIENCE. -Even new elements mig. . be dI:^covered;' he said, " and seismic theories either conhimed or disproved. A volcano always throws off a ^rreat variety of materials, hydrochloric and sulphnnc acids iron, silica (sand>, sulphur, calcium and maKniesium. 1 he hu-a is of two kinds. That whicli is easily fusible flows more rapidly than a horse can trot. .\ more viscous kind cools into shapes like ropes. The latter is comm.m in I lawaii." •• Why do people live near volcanoes ? " was asked. ' Don t ihcv know thev are loaded? '" ■ •• Yes The daii-er of the proximity is nsually well known, but the iron oxides render the soil extremely fertile. You .see this i„ Sicilv about I'Una and Vesuvius, Y.ni see it also m Martnuque. where the area forty miles scpiare was occupied by i6o,cxx3 people. The professor "then spoke of the probable character of the death of the unforLnnalc \ictruis. -Owing to the presence of the fumes of chlorine it is pruba- S^<)|<^■ ()\ III! CAl'IAIN hv ■xiatrd, and so (loiihlKss, uiMt- hiiritd in aslii's, like tlic Koiiiaii o: Vfif (.•aii.v,'lit ill s(tiin' iiul.iscd place- u liuh \ty niiillt-'ii la\a nsullcd in slow roastiii<'. It lasilv. 'IditT ill Otl icrs. ollUull, iic-iiii,' siiiiotiiidfd IS iiidiTci a liorn (lisastei-, and one wliirli uc ina\- wt-Il pray not ti Scienct a.uaiii.' houfwr, has no auaiis o f k stf dnpluatcd. iiouiiiy thai it nia\ not ofenr S. V. Sniilli. a IuiiiIkm nu rc-liant k cesUr (.•onnly. Mas^ achiisLtts, ivlunifd 1 nown ll.i. iirlioiit Wor- loin a visit at St. ]' Mailini(|iK-. lie was one of tlu- last visitors to the island lliis jiail ot the eoiintiy, and his nieinories of the 1 wliieli was wiped out ,,i cxistc'iiee in a tl; caiio, Were oiilv made iiion- \i\id in lerie, li'oni )eaiitit'nl eit' isli l)\- his mind Willi a {larly of eii;Iily, Mr. Smith leU Xew York. !■ the Qiuhec- Steamship Coinpaiiv's Madiana. Mrs. Sheldon, foinu rly Miss liessie Mitehell, at in the liarre, Mass., liii/li school. U .III ] l)v the 1-|<.H \ ol- (lisaster. el)ruar\- Stli, on ,11 t]:i.- parly was one I line a leachei LITTLE BOATS VISIT THE STEAMER. St. Pierre, .Marliniciiie. was reaeheil earl V on llie niorniii u <> Fehrnary 171I1. ,\i St. Pierre, Mr. Smitl I fonnd that the \essel .olll' 'nl\- ilhin about a miU' of the si lore, and the natives in enule little i)()ats e:;me out to the steamer. The 1 some seven feet loliL. To propel the tVail eraft two board sent it throiii^^h the water by the dou-paddle 1 of the men and boys, Mr. Smith said he 1 swiinmers. xKits were nade of anyt]lill}.,^ and leaked badlv. s were used, and the boatman iiolioii. In speakiii;; ie\er saw siuli expert iiV .\ nickel thrown over tlie steamer's edt^e wonld call for a rush the rabble of boys and men, and a loiit,'- dive under the bo.u w liicli drew twentv feet of water was haidiv ont of th or the natives. Wli e ordiiiarv en a com was tlirown into tin- water there was a wild rush for it. The water was so clear that '■, scramble for the coin fifteen leet or more below tlie snrfnre w-k ..nv.;K- ^-,...1, u,. ^i, „ and in some cases Mr. Smith said that two natives could be .se eu 27B STORY OK Tin: CAl'TAIN OF A OANTSll VKSSEL. pulliiii; (.'uc-li (illiLr\s luiir ti ying to gel the coin ;it the bottom of tlie liarljor. Ill telling of vSt. Pierre Mr. vSinith stated that his fir^t and hest iiieiiiory of the- eity was that here he got his best dinner of the trip, that was not served on board ship. A fnll conrse I-'rench dinner, np one flight, in a holel that bore the name " Icehonse," was servetl by men waiters Anything tliat was wanted in the way of licpiors was served. Mr. Smitli said wine seemed to be the beverage that was used by tlie better class of people. Speaking of the city itself he said th.at it was very closely settled, bnt he thonght the estimate of the number of inhabitants as given tor the eit\- was correct. The poorer class of people lived in one story houses, while those of more wealth lived up oue flight. AS IN SOME EUROPEAN CITIES. The city being situated at the foot of the volcano, which is some five miles away and very steep, had thue good streets, which ran parallel to the seashore. The otiier streets were so steep that a team with a load could not go up them Along the coast there was a primitive car line which ran at any time. This went into the city. It was of a ^ery narrow gauge, and when in the city ran very clos-' to the sidewalk. When Hearing a crosswalk the driver, with a horn much the same as our fishhorii, gave forth a blast that was startling. There were two modern things ab.,iit the city. It was lighted by electricity and had a modern theatre. In regard to buildings there were few imposing- stnutures. 'I'he cathedral, large and massive, was very iioticeabli-. In regard to schools Mr. Smith only saw one ; this was a school that from the outside of the building looked to the passerby as nothing but a commou dwell- ing. It was attended by scholars from lo to iS vears of a"-e. Mr. Smith thought it was a higher grade school. The noticeable i'act was that neatly, if not all, the attendants were girls, and Mr. vSmith said it was a matter of comment tliat the women and girls far oi > .umbered the men and boys. The women were remarkably well formed, and their giddy STOKV ()|- I III: CAI'TAIN OF A DANISF! VF.SSFL. 277 costiinu'S were ;i sis/lu in tliciiisclv OS. Tl ic women were vltv cixct. dne prolKibly to the fact that nearly evervtliint^, little or I carried on their heads. T iR, was le party that Air. vSniith was with did not go ont of the city limits, hnt at night, over Mont Pelec there WIS the smoke ea^). .Asked if anything ont of the ordinary was thought in regard to the smok replied that he heard nothin e cap by the natives, Mr. vSniith ..^ said either way. On board ship it was commented that some day trouble would con Mont Pelee was not dead. le, and that ol a At St. Pierre one of the fi Indies was visited by the part\-. One f; nest botanical gardens in the West along the shore and at th Ti let noticeable, especially e piers, was that the city was v.ell policed, le marketplace in the morning was a place of unusual interest. Here the natives for n any miles around came into the city to sell whatever they thought there was a chance to mnke on. Many of the natives w, walking all the way. TH?: TRADES PEOPLE. The marketplace, on a small scale, was divided off, or classi- fied ; meats were sold in one part, fruits in another, and so on. Some of the more pretentious of the salespeople had a small shed to sell from, but many put their belongings down wherever it hap))ened, and sat down beside them. On the trip Mr. Smith and the party visited the boiling lake at Dominica. This was one of the most interesting points visited on the trip. At the shore mules and guides were hired for the trip to the lake, a distance of twelve miles. After going three miles, by placing the hand to the ground the heat below could be fc't. And Mr. Smith said over a large territory tmall streams of steam could be s?en issuing forth from three to fifteen feet m height. In pi; ces along the route a rnmlilc and a roar could be hoard like that a large river makes in going.ovcr rapids. ReacliMig the lake the heat was hardly more inten.se than at .s(mie of the ])laces along the route. The water in the lake was W'i f ttT '1 t1 /-I 1- Jl o »- •t^ ^I'O tT* O 'ft-'' (^iUV. L*UlilU> , f I ' : ii! ■ '•Hi I: 1 1 27S SIOKV OK nil ^.Al'IAlN oK A DANISH VKSsKU lake is (il)laiiK'(l. Mr. Sniiili said thai a few iiiontlis Ijciore a Iravc'lk'r and his j^iiidc in gt)iiig i>vtr the rontc brijkc thru'sjh the crnst and were killed. The trip envered thirty-six days, a voyaj^c throns^^h the Wind- ward Islands to (Georgetown. Denierara, British Gniana. Several side trips were taken bv some of the party. Mr. Smith was one of a \y.iviy of fonr to lake a carriage dri\e of eighty-three miles aeross Porto Rico. Alsoal t ieorgetown, Denierara, a small steamer was taken for a trij) of sexenly-fue miles npthe Denierara river. Then a ride on a primitive railroad to iCssecjiiibo river was taken, th.e boundary line between British (Hiiaiia and \'ene/uela. No greater ealaehsm is authoritatively known in the annals of eivilized man than that wliich has swept tlie Lesser Antilles, with Martinicjue's now famous volea'io of Mont Pelee in tlie lead. But the influences of romance and of romantic history still cast a mournful glor\- about Mount \'esuvius and that eruption which engulfed the classical cities of Pompeii and Plerculancum and made it the most vi\id and appalling of all the greater catastro- phes of nature. BEAUTY DESTROYED FOREVER. We can transport ourselves in imagination more easily to the Bav of Xa])les, in the latter part of tlie first century of the Chris- tian era, than to the P.ay of St. Pierre iu the beginning of the twentieth, fur all the resources of the imagination are instantly called into play. It was the most purely pictorial era which the world has ever known. The catastrophe llun enacted on the shores of the Mediter- r;inean ha(' a setting of physical and artistic beauty such as ha\c never since been conjoined in so great a measure. The Mediter- ranean and the Bay of Naples are still extant indeed. So is \'esu- vius, in a form somewhat modified from that which was known to the Romans before the great erupti(>n. But the architecttirni bcaut\- bv which man had supplemented the beauty of nature, was laid w;isle and has never returned in its old-time splendor. In the year A. D. 6.^, the suburban city of Pompeii had • » STOK\ OF Tin: C AI'IAIX (if A DANISH VlhSKL 279 reached the climax of her prosperity. Raised to tlie rank of a city under Atigiistus, she had been reeoi^iiized as a Roman colon}- under Xero. She had become the arsenal of the maritime cities of the Campania and the centre of their commerce. Situate on the shores of the most beautiful bay in all the world, she la\- near the foot of a volcano, which had come to be considered as extinct. For how long before the Christian era \'esuvius had been at rest is not known. This mucli is certain, however, that troni the landing of the first Greek colony in Southern Italy, the volcano liad given no signs of internal activity. Strabo, indeed, recognized it as a volcanic mountain, but Pliny did not include it in his list of active volcances. In those days the mountain presented a far different appearance fnnn that which it exhibits to-day. The huge cone, in which the steaming mass now culminates, and the long broken wall on its left, which at the present day foru^. features so conspicuous and so peculiar, were not then to he seen. Instead there was a broad and ulmost level crest at nearly the same elevation, whereon a slight depressi<>:-, marked the place of an ancient crater. The fertile slopes of the mount' 'n were well cultivated. Near its base lay not only Pompeii, but also the cities of Herculaneum and Stabiae. So little was the thought of danger associated with the sleep- lag volcano that its fiery crater not very long ago had been sought .\s an asylum by the bands of slaves and others who had flocked to the standard of vSpartacus REASON FOR APPRKHENSION. Although W'suvius was at rest, an expert having only a slightly greater knowledge of natural phenomena than was cur- rent in those days would have seen reason for dread in the fact that the region of which \'esuvins was the main vent had never in the memory of man known any long period of absolute rest. The island of Pithecnsa, known to-day as Ischia, was frequently shaken by violent convulsions. So fierce were the volcanic erup- tions from its still active mountain that several Greek colonies IfJ H 2 ! « ■•!> ;1 ■ lis II ■■)! ill ^' 1 f! li i li li Iwii .Liul WtlV S(J()I1 (Ic'JXiJJU- wliiili luui csuiMislicd iIkiu.sl-Kl-.s on ll hilcd. Nor wvvu tlu'.SL' c-niptiniis ihe only .-.nin\ ■, of jK-iil. Poisonous cxIi;iIations, such ;is are iiuiUcd l)y xioa-ni craters after an eruj)- STAKTLIXC, I FFl LT OK THE KRUITIOX OF VESUVIUS ON THE SEA. lion has suhsid.d, were exhaled at intervals from extensive tracts ^ AVviiiciiJ. uCCu I! PiM ! I- \i I' 2«-J STdKN' «>I -m!; ( \l'! \I\ nV A DANISH \'I SSI I.. " ( )n Inv j.jtli (lay of .Mii;-usl, ' sa\> the ynuni^nT Pliny, "about i>m- in the .iftcrr.uor., ni\' mother lU'siix-d him to o1;s(M"\c a cloud of viTv t'xtraordin.iTv si/c and shape. lie aro-e at once and went out ui)on a heij^hl whence he- nii,L:[ht more distinctly view this striiui^e phenomenon. "It was not at tlii> d'-tance discernihle from wliat mountain the cloud issued, hut it was found afterward tliat it came from \'esuvius. I cannot find a more exact description of the figure than hv comi)arint^ it to that of a ])ine tree, for it shot up to jrre.it heii^ht in the f)nn of a trunk, which extended itseil at the top int( a sort n( b-aiiches, occasioned, I suj)pose, either by a sudden jj^'ust of air which impelled il, whose force decreased as it advanced upward, or else the chuid itself bein;^;' j)ressed back by its own weij^rht, exjianded in this numner. The clotid ap])eared sometimes brii:;ht, at otluMs dark and sjiotted, as it was more or less impreguated witl; earth and cincU-rs." OLD MAN SET OUT ALONE. Plin3''s curiositv was aroused. He ordered a small vessel to be prepared that he might sail closer. The nephew, however, could not be aroused to any similar interest. He was too deep in his studies to be disturbed, so the old gentleman set out alone. It soon becan.ie e'ident that the phenomenon was an unusual and most threitenihg one. Pliny gave orders that several galley.s should accom])anv his vessel and steered the little flotilla to the foot of Mount X'esuvius, "tor the villas stood extren;ely thick uj)on that lovelv coast." .\s they approached cintlers, pumice stone and black tragments of l)urniug rock fell on and around the ships. " Tliev were in danger, too, of running agronml, owing to the sudden retreat of the sea ; vast fragments also rolled down from the mountain and obstructed all the shore." The pilot advi.sed ietre;it. Pliny would not hear of it. " Fortune befriends the brave," he cried and ordered the sliips press onward to Stabiao. Here he did his best to encourage his fri-^iids wlioni lie feMiiid in ureal consternation, assured them that M"K\ oi Till CAI'IAIN .i| A DANISH VK.S.Si.L •2m tlic flanu's whitli they saw in several places were merely l)uniiii,t,r villajjfes. and after eatiuir sni)per, retired rahnly to rest. "I!ein,t,r ])retty fat." says his nephew, " and hreatliin- liard, those wlio atti'iidvd ontsid' aetnallv heard him snore." rintnow the court outside the house was almost filled u]) with stones and ashes. The house its-lf rocked and swayed. Plinv Mas incontinently aroused from his slumbers. Joiuiu,!^-- the rest of the company he found them planniui^ to make a sortie. They decided on seekiui,'- the fields for safety. I'^astenni.t,^ pillows on their heads as a prc-ction from fall stones, they advanced in the midst of an obscuritv ,i.,^reater tluui that of the darkest day— thou,e:h beyond the limits of the .i^reat cloud it was already broad day. When they reached the shore, th'.y found the waves runnin.y^ so hij^di that they dared not venture out to sea. So Pliny calmly resumed his nap. SULPHUROUS VAPORS. " Havinjr drunk a drau-ht or two of cdd water, he lay down on a cloth that was spread out for him ; but at this moment the flames and sulphurous vapors dispersed the rest of the company, and obliged him to ri.se. Assisted by two of his .servants, he got upon his feet, but instantly fell down dead, suffocated. I suppose, by some gross and uoxious vap,or, for he always had weak lungs and suffered from a difficulty of breathini) SloK'i (»1 rilf. (.AIIAIN »iK A IiWIsIl \ ISSKL !|.' lit up, iKil (iiily wiili the intcnnittcnt toiij^nics of flatue, l)Ut ulso with ;i (.DiitiinKius nuUly i,rh>\v, as from some vast, hidden funiacL", while a hail of projectiles fell fast and furious down the sides of the niountaiu. So jKissed the night; then came the hour of dawn, but not the lii^hl of day. This, \vc are told, even at far away Misenum was "exceedin.i^ly faint and lan.uniid." Not yet were the terrors of the eruption at an end. The level i^ronnd near Misenum, whereon the fu.Lritives from the shaken houses had ,i,r;it]iered, rocked to and fro. The sea rolled hack from the laud, leaviuiL; the shores strewn with many marine animals. The cloud that rested on Vesuvius became more and more murky, and then seemed to be riven by dartint; sheets of flame. A.vrain it came sweeping across the bay. It was blacker than any night, "like the blackness of a room shut up." On every side " nothing was to lie heard but the shrieks of women and children and tlie crying and shouting of men." ANOTHER OUTBURST OF FLAMES. .\t length a light ap])eared, which was not, however, the day, but the forerunner of another outburst of flames. These pres- ently disappeared, and again a thick darkness enveloped every- thing. Ashes fell heavily n])on the fugiti\es, so that they were in danger of being crushed and buried in the thick laver that covered ilie whole couutr\-. Many hours passed before the dreadful darkness began slowly to dissipate. When at length day returned and the sun even was seen faintly sliiniug thnnigh the overhanging canopy every object seen changed, being covered over with white ashes as with a deep snow. Pliny say.s nothing in his letter of the destruction of the two iu.pulous and important cities. He tells us that at Stabiae a .diower of ashes fell so heavily that several day.s before the end of the eruption the court leading to the elder Pliny's room was beginning to be filled up. When the eruption ceased Stabiae was eunipletely overwhelmed. STOKV Ml Thr. ( AlTAl.N- ()| A DANISH VISSKf.. 2tm Farni.Mv sudden, h.mcvcr. was the destruction „f Punineii and Hereul.-uu .lui. Tiie tun cities xvere first shaken violentlv hv tlie thnns ,,f the disturbed nu.untain. It is probable that the inhabitants ucr.. driven In- these anticipatory tlin.es t.> fly fn.ni the d.K.n.ed K.uns l-..rn„tu-,thstanding Dion Cassias. wlu, wrote more than a centurv atler the catastrophe and who reports that the two cities wer"e |)nrie