The Volcanic Eruptions.

Manawatu Herald, 24 May 1902, Page 2

The Volcanic Eruptions.

FURTHER DISTURBANCES. * Clouds bf ashes obscure Fort de France, the capital of Martinique, like thick fog. - Violent detonations, surpassing - those of the Bth inst., were heard at St. Thomas early this morning from . the direction of Martinique., The American warship Potomac . landed a party at St. Pierre and ire*-' - covered the body of Colonel Wire, the American Consul. As they were so engaged, Mont Pelee , suddenly poured a mass of lava into the sea, accompanied by terrific deto-n-uinns and thunder, The party hurriedly escaped. ' , , . The British cruiser Indefatigable, which was lying off the town, also put to sea. A new township has been established * at St Vincent. Fifty thousand pounds sterling is re- „ - quired to support the sufferers by lha eruptions for half a year, to re* house them in fresh localities. * " The Lord Mayor--of London has cabled a-further sum of £15,000 for.. ... the relief of the sufferers. The wounds caused by burns are of „ a terrible nature. Sixty deaths have occurred in hospital. < t Heavy rain caused the Bassee Poipte river, "in Martinique, to overflow. Twenty houses were demolished and fifty damaged. A cinder cloud from Mont Pelee , swept with terrific velocity over Fort de France, dropping stones the sizepf r hazelnuts. Many residents took refuge on ships. Quesaltenango, in Guatemalo, was completly destroyed by earthquake on April 18th. It is believed five hundred people were killed. Large districts were devastated Amatitlan, formerly a town of ten thousand inhabitants, exists no more as a town. The- destruction extended one along the western part of the ‘fife- " public. There have been - serious seismic disturbances along, the Cordilleras, affecting towns and villages between Quesaltenango, the second city of Guatemala, and Amafiflacn.' * ' There were slight disturbances in - • Guatemala city, but no disasters. It is estimated a million dollars’ worth of damage to property was done at lapachula, a Mexican town near the. Guatemalan frontier. Queslatenango was a handsomely-built well-payed , city, with a richly-decorated cathedral and magnificent city hall. FURTHER NEWS.

A terrible panic occurred at Fort do France at the last outbreak of Mont Pelee. Twenty thousand people ran about distracted, kneeling and praying in the streets. Many have fled to Guadeloupe. Lava from Mont Pelee, issuing in greater volumne than in the eruption • on the ;Bth has overwhelmed the village of Grande Riviere. The inhabitants are still in the great* est danger, since all means of trans* portation are destroyed. The loss in property, crops and live j stock in St Vincent is assessed at a quarter of a million. ‘ .. Soufriere was again in active eruption ' on Sunday and Monday. The adjoin* ing districts trembled, and the shocks were felt at Kingstown, the capital. A dense cloud overhangs the island. Business is at a standstill.

The alarm was increased by a rumour that the extinct volcano of Mount Enbam, six miles from Kingstown, was active.