Genuine Pictures of the Ruined City of St. Pierre, smoking Mt. Pelee, Fort de France and Other Historical Scenes incendental to the Great Calamity

Circular Panoramic View of St. Pierre Showing the Ruins of the Catholic Cathedral and Mt. Pelee smoking in the Background

1

Circular Panoramic View of St. Pierre Showing the Ruins of the Catholic Cathedral and Mt. Pelee smoking in the Background

This picture shows the lower part of St. Pierre, where there were only three to four feet of ashes, and showing that the buildings were of stone to keep out the hent, the walls of many being of great thickness, and were built to endure for centuries, and yet no wall was left in tact by the hurricane of fire of May 8th, 1902. Most of these walls were reduced to mere heaps of stone, brick and ashes, many of the houses being unrecognizable. Even those who had known the town well found it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to give the street names to these highways of death. The number of charred remains in the vicinity of the Cathedral (of which this picture gives a splendid view of the ruins) tells vividly the story of the devout Christinns, who, thus early in the day, had answered the summons of the chimes, had gone to worship, and at the moment they were overcome were, perhaps, murmuring prayers of lifting their voices in songs of praise. There were also indications that many had run toward the church in the extremity of their fears, doubtless impelled by the feeling that here at least in the protecting arms of mother church they would find sanctuary, but the Cathedral crumbled as quickly as any of the other buildings, and buried the worshippers beneath a mass of brick and stone. One of the streets that shows most strongly the effects of the annihilating fire of death, was Rue Victor Hugo, which was the main thoroughfare of business, fashion and gayety of St. Pierre, where now absolute quietude and silence reigns, and to those who had known the city as it had been before this desolation, impressed them as the most appalling, because unconsciously they contrasted it in their minds with the scenes of merry making and revelry which were won to occur in this section of the town.

EDI 150 1902-08

2

1 Edison  
2 n.c  
3 08/05/1902-28/05/1902  200f 
4 France, Martinique, Saint-Pierre  

3

       
       

4

Contacts