Montserrat August 14, 1995
Another Crisis in the East
Farmers from Long Ground complained this week that loose livestock have inflicted untold
damage on their crops. They are among the first persons who were evacuated last Monday as
volcanic activity threatened their village. But the farmers’ problem really had its beginnings in
an announcement on Radio ZJB which advised displaced livestock farmers to let their animals
loose.
“Farming is my livelihood,” one vegetable farmer declared as he revealed how he saw livestock
farmers simply cutting the neck rope of their animals.
He said when he went back to the area during the week most of his cultivation was ravaged by
roaming animals. “I have reported it the Department of Agriculture and I believe that
government should consider compensating all the farmers who lost crops,” he said.
Admitting that there was a signal that loose livestock should be let loose in some areas, Chief
Minister Meade said it was important that ‘we come to a balance between our livestock
farmers.” “We cannot therefore have individuals in the rest of the country taking the opportunity
to also let loose their live stock,” he said. Adding “there is really no need to let livestock loose.”
Montserrat August 14, 1995
A Week-end of Tremors.
The governor described it as an eventful week-end, but a series of earthquakes from late
Saturday to last night terrifies residents everywhere.
Sunday Night scientists monitoring volcanic activity reported at that in all there were over a
hundred tremors with the heaviest measuring three-point-five on the Richter scale.
Some Plymouth residents, visibly shaken by the cluster of tremors, spent Saturday night on
their verandas but according to Governor Frank Savage, the scientists do not regard the week-
end seismic activity as a significant development. He said although the scientists could not
predict the activity, they were not surprised. They said the earthquakes were centred under St.
Georges Hill a just over 1100 foot hill overlooking Plymouth. A fault line from the soufriere hills
passes under the Hill.
According to Chief Minister Meade, the seismic activity under St. Georges Hill did not indicate
any increase in activity under the active volcano at Castle Peak in the soufriere hills.
Meade revealed that similar activity was recorded under St. Georges Hill in the 1930’s and
again in the 1960’s.
In a report by the Royal Society expedition which came to Montserrat in the wake of activity in the
1930’s St. Georges Hill is listed as a ‘small volcano of purely explosive origin. ‘ But scientists
monitoring the current activity say it is very unlikely the hill which is over 16,000 years old will
ever come back to life.
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