Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, May 15, 1902.
ORDER CAUSED DEATH.
Officials Prevented the People From Escaping.
STORY OF MAN WHO WAS SAVED.
Armed Soldiers and Policemen Placed Around St. Pierre to Prevent People From Leaving—Physician and Prisoner Only Ones Who Survived. Cathedral and Theater Destroyed.
London,, May 16.—The correspondent of the Daily Mail at Barbados who visited St. Pierre on board the Royal Mail steamer Solent has learned from a Doctor Artier, who miraculously escaped the disaster, that when the governor of Martinique M. L. Monttet and the insular officials had declared all danger from an eruption of Mont Pelee to be past, a cordon of armed soldiers and policemen was placed around the town to prevent the people from leaving. Dr. Artier, however, went to the suburb of Morne Rouge. He was riding back to St. Pierre when the explosion occurred. He turned and fled precipitately across the mountains to Fort De France.
With the exception of the prisoner who was confined in a dungeon at the time of the explosion, Dr. Artier is really the sole survivor of St. Pierre.
MONT PELEE STILL ACTIVE.
Cathedral, College, Convent and Theater Destroyed.
Castries, Island of St. Lucia, May 15.—The signal station here reports that a large fire was seen in the direction of Fort De France, Martinique.
The British steamer Savan, Captain Hunter, arrived here yesterday morning and reported Mont Pelee to be still in eruption.
The search parties who are removing the dead from St. Pierre have discovered safes and molten precious metal in stores and dwellings of the town. No one is permitted to penetrate into St. Pierre beyond the street running along the sea front and a cordon of soldiers has been placed around the town.
The St. Pierre cathedral is all down with the exception of one tower, and of the theater the walls alone are now standing. The convent which contained 200 girls and 36 nuns has disappeared, as has the college where 70 boys and 22 priests and professors were domiciled.
Many thrilling and hairbreadth escapes from the eruption of Mont Pelee are reported.
The volcano on the island of St. Vincent is now reported to be quieter.
BAD FOR HALLSTEAD, PA.
Lackawanna Will Abandon It As Terminal of Six Divisions.
Susquehanna, Pa., May 15. — Hallstead, one of the most flourishing boroughs in Susquehanna county, is paralyzed over an announcement made by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad company, abandoning the place as a terminal of six divisions. The company has already transferred eight train crews from Hallstead to Scranton. The greater portion of the residents of the borough are employed by the Lackawanna either in the engine repair shops or in the yards or on the trains.
The Erie Railroad company has thus far suspended 3,000 men on its system until the coal men's troubles are settled. In case the coal strike is prolonged further reductions in the working force are probable.
TO ABANDON THE CITIES.
Put a Death Line About Them—Let Quick Lime Do Work.
Fort De France, May 15.—The disaster to St. Pierre may result in the abandonment of the site of the city for at least a year, and the distribution of quicklime to do the work which human hands find well nigh impossible.
With this report is one that St. Vincent will be deserted by the British government and the inhabitants transferred to other islands.
In the abandonment of St. Pierre a forbidden zone will probably be established around the city with armed guards to prevent the entrance of human beings to the death city. The stench arising from the burned flesh is terrible. The details of soldiery who have been working on the ruins and piling the dead into huge funeral pyres frequently call for reliefs. The authorities who have visited the city say that the task of burying the dead is almost hopeless because of the ruins of buildings which cover everything. The danger of an epidemic grows daily. Every one who has entered the ruined city is provided with disinfectants but one correspondent who has just returned here says that odor clings to clothing in spite of the use of the disinfectants.
The ruin is so complete, the desolation so terrible that the French government is even considering the advisability of never rebuilding. Even the coast line is changed.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Great Disasters of History.
The destruction of St. Pierre is the most frightful calamity in American history. It is more than this. Few seismic or volcanic horrors in the world's history have been attended with such an appalling loss of life. The Rochester Post-Express has been looking up the history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and finds that the former can be traced back for nearly 3,000 years. It says there was the fabled convulsion that tore Ossa from Olympus; the earthquakes noticed by Thucydides; the shock that was unheeded by the combatants when Hannibal was conquering at Thrasymene; the great earthquake that shattered Tyre and the Asiatic cities in the fourth year of Tiberius; the first ominous quiver that half ruined Pompeii and Herculaneum in the year 67; and the famous eruption of the hitherto harmless Vesuvius, whose brambly crater had afforded a hiding place for Spartacus, but which in the year 79 vomited fire, lava and ashes upon the two Italian cities, a disaster that has made them immortal. But the loss of life at Pompeii was only 2,000 while that of St. Pierre, as far as is known at present, is 40,000, and these figures may run even higher.
Vesuvius erupted several times after the destruction of Pompeii. Between the years 527 and 565 a series of earthquakes filled all Europe with terror, crushed the life out of thousands in Constantinople, and buried the law students of Berytus beneath the pillars of their porticoes. After these fatalities, which befell in the reign of Justinian, we have no historical knowledge of earthquakes for many centuries.
In 1137 a convulsion destroyed Catania, Sicily, in 1158 an earthquake killed 20,000 people in Syria; the Palermo earthquakes of 1726 were responsible for 6,000 lives. The disaster at Canton, China, Nov. 30, 1731, is the most distressing in history, as far as loss of life is concerned. More than 100,000 inhabitants of the city were blotted out of existence. Another earthquake visited that city in 1830, but the loss of life was only 6,000, insignificant compared with the earlier tragedy.
No event ever created greater horror in Europe than the almost total destruction of Lisbon in 1755. Until that period Europe had looked for no real danger from seismic disturbances. At the time of this great earthquake Lisbon was a far more important city than it is now, and was considered quite the peer of Paris and London. A single shock of a few minutes' duration buried 30,000 dead beneath the ruins of their own city.
CORTLAND'S EX-POLICEMAN
Wins a Victory at Baseball for Syracuse Over Albany.
The local baseball men who went to Syracuse yesterday to witness the opening of the State league in that city were well repaid for making the trip, as "Cy" Townsend, formerly of the Cortland team, took the most prominent part in the game against the Albany players, in fact his batting and fielding at critical times won the game for the Syracuse team.
When the Syracuse Stars came to bat in the ninth inning the score was 2 and 1 in favor of the Senators. Schule had reached second when "Cy" came to bat. Things had been looking pretty blue for Syracuse, but Townsend rapped the ball for two bases, and Schule scored, making the two teams even. Another hit was made and the big first baseman came in, bringing the score to 3 and 2 in favor of the Stars.
Albany then came to bat, and with two men on bases Townsend drew down a hot liner and made a double play unassisted. The side was retired without scoring. This fine fielding, as well as the timely two-bagger that the Cortland man drew was cheered wildly by the large crowd that saw the spectacular work.
Townsend is already a great favorite among the Syracuse fans.
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| William Greenman. |
A SPEEDY AUTOMOBILE.
Cooper Brothers Cut Down the Time from Preble to Cortland.
One day this week Messrs. Lester and George F. Cooper invited Mr. W. J. Greenman to take a little ride with them in their new automobile. Mr. Greenman was of course delighted and the party started for Preble. They jogged along at a moderate pace on the way up, but when ready to return George, who manipulated the ''ribbons" said he thought they had better "hit her up" a little. The others didn't object then, though when he found just what George meant by that Mr. Greenman was inclined to protest. The story is best told by the time record.
The distance from Preble corners across the valley to Baltimore and down to Mr. Greenman's home in Cortland is about 12 miles, and it was covered in a fraction less than 38 minutes. Some of the way they fairly flew. From the Little York cross road by the watering trough on the Foster place to the end of the street car track in Homer it is a little over 4 miles. It was run in ten minutes. There were sections of the road where it is believed that the speed was better than a mile in two minutes.
Mr. Greenman is used to fast horses, but he never tried such an automobile before. He hung on with one hand to his hat and with the other to his seat. "Look out for that bridge, it'll break down at this speed," he gasped as a small wooden affair flashed up before them. "Never mind, we'll be over it before it can begin to fall," was the consoling response of the man at the lever. But the machine responded to the slightest touch and no harm came. Will thinks it was a pretty good ride after all, now that he has caught his breath, and the Cooper brothers simply smile; they knew all about that machine before and what it could do.
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| Wickwire Bros. Factory, Cortland, N. Y. |
WHIRLED AROUND SHAFT.
Coat Sleeve Caught and Cloth Would Not Give Way.
George Brumage, a wire drawer, was seriously injured at Wickwire's factory [in Cortland] last evening while operating a block. He was caught in a coil of wire and carried around with it several times. He sustained a bad break of the bone in the right leg about 2 inches above the knee joint. Beard & Peck's ambulance was summoned and the injured man was taken to the hospital, where Dr. F. D. Reese, assisted by Dr. F. W. Higgins, attended him.
Brumage was drawing No. 16 wire at the time of the accident. A strand of wire went over the form loosely, and he reached up to take out the slack in the wire. As he did this his coat sleeve must have caught on a peg in the reel, and in no time the man was whirling about with the wire. A fellow workman came at once to the rescue, but not until he had been carried around seven or eight times. His leg was broken by striking against a post near the block at which he was at work.
Today the injured man is feeling as well as could be expected after his perilous experience. The break is a bad one to deal with as it is very close to the joint. The man was bruised more or less all over his body, and one band was badly skinned. He lives near the marl ponds, southwest of the city.
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| Hatch Library, Court Street, Cortland, N. Y. |
MR. WEBB RESIGNS
Presidency of the Hatch Library—Expression of Regret.
Notice has already been made of the annual election of officers of the Hatch Library association early this week, but the records of the association show two facts not referred to, which will be of interest to many—the resignation of Mr. Edward Webb as president of the association after a long and honorable term of service in that capacity and the expression of regret at this action on the part of his associates. They are as follows:
To the President and Directors of the Franklin Hatch Library Association:
I hereby resign the presidency of the Franklin Hatch Library association to take effect the 6th day of May, 1902. My impaired health within the last past six months admonishes me that retirement from responsibilities is desirable. Hoping and trusting my successor will experience as much interest and pleasure as have fallen to my lot in the several departments of the association.
I remain, Gentlemen,
Respectfully yours, Edw. D. Webb,
Cortland, April 11, 1902.
The following resolution was adopted by the trustees:
Resolved, That we accept the resignation of Edward D. Webb as president of this association with regret and while doing so we take this opportunity in extending to him our kind acknowledgments of the courtesy and kindness we have received at his hands as our presiding officer, and most earnestly request that he retain the office of trustee as long as his health shall permit in order that we may have the benefit of his counsel and advice in the management of the affairs of the association, as he is the oldest and most respected member and has been connected with it since its organization, and we most sincerely trust that we may still have the benefit of his counsel for many years to come.
Political Equality Club.
The adjourned meeting of the Political Equality club will be held at the home of the president, Mrs. Lucy Linderman, 85 Clinton-ave., on Monday, May 19, at 2 o'clock. The annual election of officers will occur and a full attendance is desired. All those interested are cordially invited to attend.
In Police Court.
W. W. Hollenbeck, a farmer living near Blodgett Mills, was arrested by Chief Barnes yesterday afternoon and placed in the lockup. This morning he pleaded guilty to the charge of public intoxication and was fined $3.
BREVITIES.
—Rev. John Timothy Stone of Baltimore, Md., will conduct the prayer meeting at the Presbyterian church this evening.
—The Forty Hours' Devotions at St. Mary's Catholic church will begin next Monday morning, May 19, at 9 o'clock and will continue till Wednesday.
—Mr. William Stage and Miss Harriet Delaney, both of Cortland, were married last night at the home of the bride on Arthur-ave. by Rev. H. L. Rixon, pastor of the Homer-ave. M. E. church.
—New display advertisements today are—City Cycle Co., Columbia bicycles, page 5; R. W. Mitchell, Meats, page 5; Gas Light Co., Gas ranges, page 8; S. P. Smith, Hams, etc., page 6; E. M. Mansur, Seed oats, page 6; W. J. Perkins, Varnishes, etc., page 7.
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