The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-05-22
N. c., THURSDAY, \

dreds OF miles Northward, followed
at short irregular intervals and con-
tinusd all night. In the intense
darkness the electric light failed, but
the town was lit up by lurid flashes
OF flame from the mountain. The
terror-stricken inhabitants rushed for
the hills in their night clothes,
screaming, shouting and wailing-
mad with terror.
The same afternoon, later, tele-
graphic communication was inter-
rupted with both the islands of Mar
Unique and St. Vincent.
During the afternoon of the Sth the
British steamer Roddam, which had
left st. Lucia at midnight on the 7th
for Martinique, crawlsd slowly into
the Castries hsrbor, unrecognizabls,
gray with ashes, her rigging disman
tied and sheets and awnings hanging
about. torn and charred.
Capt. Whatter said that, having just
cast anchor off St. Pierre at a. m,
in fine weather, succeeding an awful
thunder storm during the night, he
was talking to the ships agent, Mr..
Joseph PlissonO. who was in a boat
alongside. when he saw a tremendous
cloud OF smoke and glowing cinders
rushing with terrific rapidity over
the town and port, completely, in an
instant, snveloping the former in q
sheet of flame and raining fire on
Loard. The agent had just time to
crawl on board when his boat disap-
psared.
Several Of the crew OF the Roddam
were quickly scorched to death. BY
supcrhuman efforts, having steam
up, the cable was slipped and the
steamer backed away from the shsre
and nine hours later managed to
reach Castries. Ten Of the Rodda ms
crew were lying dead, contortsd and
burned out of human semblance,
among the black cinders which cover
ed the ships deck to a depth of six
inches. Two more of the crew have
since died. Two Of the survivors of
the crew were loud in their praise Of
the heroic conduct Of the captain,
steering their vessel with his own
hands, which were badly burned by
the rain of fire which kept falling on
the ship for miles after she got under
way. Beyond burns all over his body
the captain is safe, as is also tho
ships agent, though he is badly
scorched.
All the shipping in the port was
destroyed, the West Indian and
Panama Telegraph Company's repair
ing steamer going first, then the
Quebec liner Roraima, Capt. Muggah
of the latter waving his hand in fare
well to the Roddam as she sank with
a terrific explosion.
1t is impossible TO obtain full list
of the vessels lost. The cable repair
ship Grappler was lost with all on
board, as was also the French vessel
Tsmaya. There were eighteen or
twenty vessels in the roadstead at
the time OF the disaster.
ST. THOMAS, d. w. l., May lO.-As
fuller reports Of the Martinique disas-
ter arrive, the catastrophe grows in
horror. 1t now appears that the i'm
IL
that blew off the top of the Mt. Pelee
crater and overwhelmed the town Of
St. Pierre in fiery ruin was the pres
ence of large lake in the heart of the
old crater. The intense and sudden
rise of temperature converted the
mass of water into steam, with the
result that the whole top of the noun
tain was blown away. 1t is now ssti-
mated that the loss of life n Martin
ique is 10000
A schooner from the island Of ST.
Vincent. which reached Dominica to-
day, gives a graphic account Of the
scene Tne schooner left St. Vincent
hurried!y o.. "Wednesday because OF
the threatening state OF matters there.
A heavy fall CT sand from the volcano
on St. Vincent covered the vessels
decks an inch deep. Straming to
within q mile of St. Pierre, the crew
of the St. Vincent vessel witnessed on
Thursday morning at 8 o'clock ter
rife explosion from Mt. Pelse. The
explosion seemed to lift the cap Of the
mountain completely off. At the
same time the land heaved and swell
ed and a terrible convulsion took
place at sea. The waters rose in a
huge, threatening mass as though
they would enguli every living thing
on the ocean. Then a mass of fire
descended on the doomed city and q
pail of smoke covered the catastrophe
from sight.
The captain of the St. Vincent YES
sci says that the British cable ship
Grappler was the first to take Are,
1t was lying nearly opposite the
volcano. The survivors OF the Rora.
imia's crew, eight in number, tell q
, similar story Molten lava fell ir
showers on their vessel. Tho sailor,
say that earthquake shocks had beer
| felt at intervals for several days be-
fore the great disaster on Thursday
The upheaval Of the waters seemed tt
pick the steamer up, throw it At tht
sky, and then drop it into the sesth
| ing waters. The steamer was dashet
! to pieces. The eight sailors rescued
were thrown into the water. where
they clung to pieces of wreckage
! All the crews OF the e1Snteeu NcSsoi
in tho harbor were 30 suddenly sur
prised that they had barely time t.
jump into the sea. There most o
them perished. 1t was impossible t.
escape from the pitiless rain OF fir
and only thirty were saved. Th
French cruiser Suchet picked then
up. The inhabitants of St. Pierre
along with the thousands who ha'
flocksd into the town from the sur
rounding districts. rushed down t
the harbor looking for means @
escape by sea. There, as in the cas-
of tie memorable disaster in Lisbo
in l77a. they perishsd miserably. a
escape being cut off.
Stand Like a Stone Wall