Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1906 — PELEE SHOOTS OUT FIRE. [ARTICLE]

PELEE SHOOTS OUT FIRE.

Volcano in Mnrtiniqne ' Again in Violent Eruption. A Barbados di«pat<4i says "that" Mont Pelee, in Martinique, is again active, and the inhabitants of the island are in terror of ii recurrence of the great eruptions of four years ago. Five persons are in the hospital in Fort de France wbo were struck by falling rocks thrown up by the volcano. By day a column of heavy black smoke several miles high rising from the crater was visible thirty miles away, and at night the flames could be plainly seen at a greater distance. The town of St. Pierre, island of Martinique, was destroyed by the eruption of Mont Pelee, May 8, 1902, with the loss of 25,000 lives. This was the greatest disaster of modern times. Only one man, who was confined "in a dungeon, and a few persons on the seashore on the outskirts of the town survived the catastrophe. la 1902, an in the present year, the seismic disturbances had continued for several weeks before Mont Pelee showed signs of activity. Then,* on May 5. it suddenly buret into violence, pouring out great quantities of lava aud smoke day and night. Still there was little alarm, as the people of St. Pierre had become accustomed to the activity of the volcano. " At 8 o’clock in the morning of May 8, after the volcanp had been quiescent for nearly eighteen hours, there was an explosion within Mont PeleC which from a new vent on -the side of the crater forced a grea.t blast of flame down the side of the mountain, over the city of Mont Pelee and far out over the harbor. That fearful blast of flame brought death to the inhabitants of St. Pierre. The town itself was destroyed and the flame even destroyed the shipping in the harbor, one steamer alone being able to escape half burned. Ail this fearful destruction of life and property came in an instant? afid in an instant it was over. One breath of flame e iped out the city and people. Than for days Mont Pelee poured a sea or Tava and mud down the side of the mountain, burying the destroyed city, so that to-day only traces of it may lie seen. The eruption of Soufriere. the island of St. Vincent volcano, occurred at the same time. Half tire island was devastated by floods of burning lava. Plantations were wiped out and small towns destroyed. The city of Georgetown itself escajied serious injury.