ST PIERRE SNAKE INVASION

Volcanic activity on the 'bald mountain' towering over St Pierre,
Martinique, was usually so inconsequential that no one took seriously
the fresh steaming vent holes and earth tremors during April, 1902. By
early May, however, ash began to rain down continuously, and the
nauseating stench of sulphur filled the air. Their homes on the
mountainside made uninhabitable, more than 100 fer-de-lance snakes
slithered down and invaded the mulatto quarter of St Pierre. The 6-ft
long serpents killed 50 people and innumerable animals before they were
finally destroyed by the town's giant street cats. But the annihilation
had only begun. On May 5, a landslide of boiling mud spilled into the
sea, followed by a tsunami that killed hundreds and, three days later,
May 8, Mt Pelee finally exploded, sending a murderous avalanche of
white-hot lava straight toward the town. Within three minutes St Pierre
was completely obliterated. Of its 30,000 population, there were only
two survivors.

Sounds as though they had a bad week this week. I'm surprised the media
missed all the fun.

Carolyn Blevins wrote:

> Volcanic activity on the 'bald mountain' towering over St Pierre,
> Martinique, was usually so inconsequential that no one took seriously
> the fresh steaming vent holes and earth tremors during April, 1902. By
> early May, however, ash began to rain down continuously, and the
> nauseating stench of sulphur filled the air. Their homes on the
> mountainside made uninhabitable, more than 100 fer-de-lance snakes
> slithered down and invaded the mulatto quarter of St Pierre. The 6-ft
> long serpents killed 50 people and innumerable animals before they were
> finally destroyed by the town's giant street cats. But the annihilation
> had only begun. On May 5, a landslide of boiling mud spilled into the
> sea, followed by a tsunami that killed hundreds and, three days later,
> May 8, Mt Pelee finally exploded, sending a murderous avalanche of
> white-hot lava straight toward the town. Within three minutes St Pierre
> was completely obliterated. Of its 30,000 population, there were only
> two survivors.