The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-22
la SOUFRIERE IN ITS FURY.
Mar VIEW ~ THE VOLCANO
Ov ST. VINCENT ~ ACTION.


smoAe ana Asb<s -U~reueudotss tlght.
n,ns Flashes Above the Grster-ns
changed Appesrsnee os The Mssasaia.
ST LrcIA. May 21-Ths steamer Wear
vas sent from ~. Lucia on May = tn carry
Government dispatches To NJ. vinc-nt
and "a report upon III. extent Of the eruption
% ne volcano which had just bsen reported
to have taken place there. The writer
ard an onccr % the garrison applied for
ant oh'sined permission to accompany
thl- y'-~-el
r." Wear was to sail a, p NJ. Al about,
SP VI a steamer was sisnalled making
for Port Castrie-. and she came To anchor
IN the harbor about $50. As eoon as the
first person vent alongside the captain
implored that medical assistance shouli
b. Immediately rendered. A. nearly every
one % his crew Of twenty-eight men was
dead or dying. having b~en .nvelopei In a
volcanic eruption OF NJ. Pierre. Martinique.
THIS ship was the Roddam. whose escape
has since been described.
IN her condition then she was quite I'M
recognizable. She was incrustcd from
sten, tn stern In n layer of volcanic ash
q a dead gray color. and IL lay several
inches thick upon her decks. The funnel,
ANlku was IFFN lourlN Dltfh. fel ana Wine
IN larg" hands. Wa now ~ the same
uniform gray. and her name was almost
undecipherable.
That was an Illustration for "a. Of what
a volcano could do and we were soon To
have other evidences 81 the same kind.
~ the Wear eamed past the Roddam
the destruction wa clearly seen. D~rricks
sdrif', the -,anchions and part ~ tho avn
ing aft hanging over the stern, and the
shole vessel bore evidence OF the fury
~ the ierv ornado through which she had
passed. With such a sight before us. and
ouch dreadful ccounts ringing in our ears.
the Wear started upon her voyage
All the way across huge flashes % light
could br disc~rned from the direction ~
the Sou'riere az NJ. Vincent. these flashes
on each occasion teing accompanied by
roars a. u distant thunder.
The captain Of the Wear was a native of
s. Vincent and knew the coast well. About
midnight. 20 our great alarm. while the
crater was flashing and laundering away
on our left the vessel ran into a dense mass
~ volcanic ashes and dust falling over the
sea in all directions. through which IL
was almost impossible to $50 further than a
few feet.
DANGEROUS SAILING
Thi. continued To get worse and wor-e,
until Il was hardly possible to stand on deck
except under oover and IL became dificult
IN breathe. ~ eyes, nose and mouth were
getting choked. All hands were posted
at various parts Of the deck peering into
the black void. hut nothing could be seen
except the flashes from the crater. which
v~aIN n -. 1nnstaptlv An Ar.pta.p
soms two or three miles sway on the port
bow.
Suddenly the veseel ran into calm water
and b lookout man In the how cried out
sCliRs aheadl' The helm was instantly
put over hard a s,arboard and the ship
tsme around. The lookout now cried
Land on the port side, but soon after
ward the vessel ran into rough water again
and we we~ Clear
The noise Of the crater was kept on the
s,srboard quarter. astern Of us. and after
long sieaming the showers ~ ashes hccame
le-s and less. and eventually Ne ran into a
clear a atmosphere Soon after~ard the ship
wa put upon a new cour-e. and again We
ran into falling ashes. hut on this occasion
the showers were lighter and W. soon got
out 81 the dust
THs souFRieRr.
shortly afterward land was observed
or tho port side and We wen, nj half speed
until " was as~Ceriained that We were well
down the laeward coast 81 81. Vincent.
Thcn fun speed was ordered and We reached
k~ing.'own al SIS A NJ, five hour- late.
After emerging from the l-lt Of falling
ash"s the view 81 the crater IN it, constant
activity was awful to lrhold. What APP
Taared like a gigantic pillar 81 smoke rose
straight up into the heavens. and hung
steadily over the mouth Of the crater.
TREMENDOUS LidHTSISo ASH
Through this at every roar could 10 oh
rrved flashes 81 light. This pillar appeared
Ike an enormous mas Of electricity.
Flashes Of forked lightning were constantly
i-Iug emitted from ~. like fiery serrent-,
r.luug up and down the pillar and cross
VIC. -nm-, mes three or four flashes at
49," same mum"ut without any intermi-sion.
We made several attempts To count the
numt--r Of flashes Ia the minute. hut they
we're 30 many and constant that II could
Mt l.. done. Tn. mountain vas infinitely
morc impressive in its grandeur that night
than when seen In the midst 81 its activity
on The passage back next day
We found that k~ing-town had the previous
afternoon tsen covered with a layer Of dust
and small stones. and the residents were
much alarmed. Many deaths had already
teen reported from the neighborhood 81
the SoufriAre. among them some Of tho
principal planters 81 the island and their
families
The-e were reported To have been In
nesrly all cases killed Nv lightning tho-"
dreadful flashes We had ourselves seen
on tho voyage.
While Ne were AZ Kingsto~n an enormous
pillar 81 smoke or steam rapidly covering
~. heavens came floating from the volcano.
covering the island Shops and houses
Wers quickly closed and the residents gazed
upon It terrified. Eventually IL spread IN
all directions and gradually noated away.
SUFFERING OF TIE Islanders.
We left kingstown about SIS A. NJ with
orders TO call In at chateau Belair and
tow q boat with a relief party to O~ia. the
Garth Quarter. to see how matters stood
there on Baronattie a message was re-
ceived from shore to say that II vas I'M
1T - - 49, w.2.lA