The Martinique horror and St. Vincent calamity, containing a full and complete account of the most appalling disaster of modern times ...

Front matter

Glass.

Book-

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Preface

THE appalling catastrophe which visited the Islands of Martinique and St. Vincent, 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 unparalleled 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 crater, around which nestled the summer villas and the pretty homes of the wealthy French West Indian residents, 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, a 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. Disturbances were intermittent after that, doing little damage outside a radius of two miles, until Ascension Day, Thursdav, 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. Simultaneous!}' the tidal wave swept the roadstead.

4 PREFACE.

With a single blast of the torrent of flame St. Pierre, cover, ing an area of four miles by two, was on fire. By land and sea all was one seething mass of flame. Nothing escaped. Animal and vegetable life was snuffed out in a moment. Seventy-two hours after the disaster thousands of charred bodies were lying dead on the water front.

A relieving party from the French warship Suchet, on the afternoon of Thursday, the day of the disaster, went ashore. Her captain estimated the loss of life at 40,000, incuding Governor Mouttet and wife, the General commanding the troops, and one hundred soldiers, who were armed before the disaster to pacify the panic-stricken people and prevent looting.

Huge trees were torn up by their roots and laid flat, scarce one being left standing, and other indications showed that the wave of fire must have passed over this section of the island at extreme hurricane velocity. Every house in St. Pierre, not excepting those that were most solidly built of stone, is absolutely in ruins. The streets were piled twelve feet high in debris and hundreds of bodies could be seen in every direction.

It is known that many persons who sought refuge in the cathedral perished, but their bodies were scarcely visible, being covered with debris. The sites of the club, the bank, the bourse, the telegraph office and the principal shops — everywhere was the same scene of utter desolation and death.

The Island of St. Vincent was also shaken to its centre by a terrible convulsion of Mont Soufriere. Vast destruction in this island was caused by the raging eruption, and here alone more than two thousand persons lost their lives.

This work depicts the scenes following the deadly eruptions o( Mont Pelee and Mont Soufriere, the frantic efforts of the inhabitants to escape their doom, the present appearance of the ruined cities and a full description and history of the Islands of Martinique and St. Vincent. It also narrates the magnificent uprising of people everywhere to afford relief to the survivors of the great catastrophe, including President Roosevelt's message to Congress recommending an appropriation of $500,000 by our Government.

Contents

i\ rRODUC noN

CHAPTER I. Appalling Calamity ix the Islands of Martinique and

St. Vincent.— Tragic Death of Many Thousands oi

People. — Description of the Islands. — Frightful

Scenes of Devastation

Chapter II

Graphic Accounts of the Great Disaster. — Tragedy Completed ix the Brief Space of a Few Minutes. — Despatches from United States Officials.— Volcanic Islands Described.— Urgent Apffals for Help ... $?

CHAPTER 111.

Martinique City a Heal of Smoking Ruins. — Streets Filled with Charred Bodies. — Large Portions of the lsi and Engulfed with Lava.— St. Vincent also Dfyastated.— Relief for the Sufferers 100

Chapter IV

Uvful Scene in St. Pierre— Whole Mountain Appeared to Biow Up. —Ships Swallowed by an Enormoi Wave. — Harrowing Tales by Eye-Witnesses of the Burned City ■ ■ ... 121

Chapter V

President Roosevelt's Special Message to Congress.— Large Appropriation by Our Government for Immediate Relief of the Survivors.— Additionai Details of the Terrible Calamity. — Scenes Baffling Description r 39

CONTENTS.

Chapter VI. Pa9e

Two Thousand Persons Killed in St. Vincent. — Great a l arm as to the fate of the island. — awful suddenness of the calamity at st. plerre. — graphic stories Told by Witnesses of the Deadly Explosion .... 157

Chapter XI

Ship Tossed by Giant Waxes Without a Breath of Wixp. — Story of the Captain of a Danish Vessel. 1 ong Hours of Terror Endured by the Crew. — Wreck of phi-: Ship Roddam

A PICTURESQUE STREET, ST. PIERRE, MARTINIQUE

THE NATIVE QUARTERS, ST. PIERRE, MARTINIQUE

Appendix

Death Came to Everyone in St. Pierre with the Quickness of a Cannon Shot. — Sulphurous Gas Permeated Every Place and was Exploded at Once. — Priests' Bodies Found in the Attitude of Prayer. — Calm, not Panic, Written on the Lines of Dead Faces. — Daring Feat of Professor Heilprin in Ascending Mount Pelee After the Eruption 513