St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-21
An Eye Witness of St. Pierre's Doom.

Georgia, has been obliged to resign.
An Eye Witness of St. Pierre's Doom.
The Boston Herald OF the 10th con-
tanned thisinteresting story of ST. Plerre's
doom by large property owner there
who saw his estates ruined but escaped
with his family;
"Mt. Peee had given warning Of the
destruction that was to come but we
who had looked upon the volcano as
harmless, did not believe that it would
do more than spout fire and steam, as it
had done on other occasions. 1t was
little before O'Clock on the morning Of
May that the end came.
was in one OF the fields OF my estate
when the ground trembled under my feet,
not as it does when the earth quakes,
but as though a terrible struggle was
going on within the mountain. A terror
came upon me, but | could not explain
my fear.
AS stood still Mt. Pelee seemed to
shudder and a moaning sound ISSUED
from its crater. 1t was quite dark, the
sun bling obscurtd by ashes and fine vo!.
canic dust. The air was deaf about me
so dead that the floating dust seeming
ly was not disturbed.
Then there was a rending, crashing
grinding noise, which can only describe
ssounding as though every bit machn
erv in the world had suddenly
broken down. 1t was deafenlng
ing, and the flash of light that accom-
panied it was binding moreso than an,
lightning have ever seen.
1t was like a terrific hurricane, ant
where, fraction OF a second before, Their
had been a perfect calm | teIt myseI
drawn into a vortex, and had to brac
myself firmly. 1t was like a great eS
press train rushing by and ! was draw.
bv its'fotce.
The mysterious force levelled row {
strong trees, tearing them up by the root
aud leaving bare a space OF ground l
wards wide and more than 100 yard
long.
Transfxed l stood, not knowing
what direction to flee. | looked towar
Mt. Peee, and above its apex formed
great black cloud which reached high
= tie air. 1t literally fell upon the city
j. St. Pierre. 1t moved with rapldll
that made it impossible for anything
escape it.
From the cloud came explosions Thu
: sounded as though all of the nayies
y the world were in titanic combat. L12h
e ming played in and out in broad fork
g the result being that intense darkne
e was followed by light that seemed
II be of magnifying power,
y That St. Pierre was doomed | kne'
t but | was prevented from seeing t
destruction by spur of the bill that sh
IF of the view of the city.
It lii impossible for me to tell how To-
d | stood there. Probably it was only
T. few seconds, but so vivid were my /
s ptessons that it now seems as though
l. stood as a spectator for many minutes
- When | recovered possession OF l
II senses ran to my house and collect
" the members of my family, all OF wht
were panic-stricken. hurried them
a the seashore, where we boarded SIN
H. steamship, in which we made the t
as in safety tor Fort de France.
CT knew that there was no flame
the first wave that was sent down up
IS, St. Pierre. 1t was a heavy gas, like
at damp, and it must have asphyxlated
B. inhabitants before they were touched
NV the fire " hich quickly followed. As
VS. drew out to sea in the small steamst
,al Mt. Pelee was in the throes OF ter1
as CONFUSION. New craters seemed to
in opening all about the summit and Ii
Ly, was flowing in broad streams in ev
he direction. NV estate was ruined w
use we were still in sight OF it.
Many women who have lived in
mt Pierre haye escaped only to know
he they are lefl widowed and child!
M This is because many OF the veal
ne men sent their wives away, w
de. they remained in St. Pierre to att
YER to their business affairs,