Montserrat of Montserrat is approximately east-southeast of Puerto Rico and southwest of Antigua. The island lies north-northwest of Suriname and French Guiana (France). It comprises and is gradually increasing owing to the buildup of volcanic deposits on the southeast coast. The island is long and wide, with rock cliffs rising above the sea and a number of smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the western (Caribbean) side of the island. Montserrat has two islets, Virgin and Statue Rock. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than
Long Island City De Bevoise nearly bankrupted the Long Island City government by embezzlement, of which he was convicted. Many dissatisfied residents of Astoria circulated a petition to ask the New York State Legislature to allow it to secede from Long Island City and reincorporate as the Village of Astoria, as it existed prior to the incorporation of Long Island City, in 1884. The petition was ultimately dropped by the citizens. Long Island City continued to exist as an incorporated city until 1898, when all of Queens was annexed to New York City. The last mayor of Long Island City was an Irish-American