Louis Mouttet

Born into a French Huguenot farming family of modest origins in Marseille, Mouttet espoused extremely radical socialist views in his early years.

[1] In 1886, Mouttet joined the French Colonial Service with the support of Félix Faure and was sent to Senegal in May 1887 as a deputy bureau chief, second class.

The following year, he married Marie de Coppet (1867–1902), the niece of the deputy of Le Havre, and was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur that September.

Highly rated by his superiors, he received a promotion to governor, third class (roughly equivalent to chief commissioner) of French Guiana in late 1898.

[1] Mouttet married Marie Henriette Hélène de Coppet (born 27 January 1867), a minister's daughter, on 27 September 1897, in Étretat, Normandy.

They went on to have three children, daughters Lucie Alice on 19 November 1891 and Hélène Renée Louise on 5 October 1895, and son Jacques Louis Jean Henri on 9 June 1901.

Although the white colonial oligarchy had managed to retain their economic power after the abolition of slavery in 1848 and the subsequent extension of voting rights to all French citizens in 1871, tensions between them and the middle-class coloured bourgeoisie yet remained.

The previous day, Mouttet, watching the eruption from Fort-de-France, had decided to appoint a commission to discuss whether or not it was advisable to evacuate St. Pierre.

Apart from Mouttet himself, the commission included Gaston Landes and Eugene Doze, professors of natural science at the local Lycée (high school), Lieutenant-Colonel Jules Gerbault of the artillery and William Leonce, a civil engineer of St. Pierre.

At the same instant, a tremendous pyroclastic surge exploded down the southwestern flanks of the mountain, obliterating two villages in its path, but just missing Precheur.

[citation needed] According to eyewitness accounts, the steam launch carrying Mouttet and the commission members, which was just about to leave the waterfront, was crushed and set afire, sinking instantly.

Some historians have criticised his refusal to evacuate the city in order not to alarm public opinion or give arguments to the local opposition, who were calling for urgent measures.

Firstly, Louis Mouttet had rather limited means to anticipate the severity of an eruption that scientists now term "Peléan" — named after the mountain itself, due to the lack of historical precedents.

Secondly, the rapid evacuation of the entire population of St. Pierre — 30,000 people — was beyond the capabilities of the authorities, and the willingness of the residents might have been a stumbling block.