The Grit-advocate., 1902-12-26
RELICS OF ST. PIERRE
HARVARD MUSEUM COLLECTION.
Unique Exhibit of Articles Gathered
FROM the Ruins-Objects Of Daily
Use Melted Together by the Heat
OF Mont Pelee's Eruption.

,, me geological department of the
atai ara University Museum-the Ag-
IsSl museum, as it is best known to
nc thousands who visit it every year
rom all parts of the countrx-will
aooh nave on exhibition the unique
Soiiectlon of relics of the daily life
VI at. Pierre made by DR.. Thomas A.
'assar OF the Harvard department of
ssoiosy during his scientific re
'earches among the still smoking
luins OF the demolished city. Alto
xether the collection numbers some.
shlhg over 300 objects; knives,
iorks, spoons. coins, glassware, plates,
piatters and other familiar articles of
daily utility.
preston of new and rather pictur-
esque policy in a museum of this spe
cial character-namely, that of secur-
ins OBJECTS not only of geological but
at the same time of human interest
showing, as in this case, the bearing
ol the various earth processes-volca-
noes, earthquakes and the like--upon
human life. A complete list of the ar
ticles brought together would very
well reproduce much of the household
lore Mont Pelee finally poured forth
lts threatened storm of steam. vapor
sand, ashes and half molten rock, and
the shelves of the museum thus pre-
sent picture, more real even than
Photographic reproductions of the
wrecked city, Of the horror of a great
volcanic eruption.
tremendous heat, which crumbled
of 4
thick and reduced to level every roof
and wall in the city except the towers
OF the cathedral, has played it's most
curious pranks with the smaller art-
cles of tableware. Three spoons, for
example, are Joined together by their
handles, suggesting some novel yam
nodded into new shapes that recall the
work OF renaissance silversmiths and
in which one can vaguely trace gro.
tesque faces and graceful bodies, and
the effect is heightened by the fact
that the fire has given them an ap.
pearance of extreme age and a sug-
gestion Of the green cooring of Etrus.
can bronze. On the other hand, a
cross from one of the private shrines
OF the city is almost uninjured.
The collection also contains Gu.
rious commentary on the state of mind
of the people who owned and used the
articles which DR.. Jaggar has gath
cred together in the shape of a copy
Of the last issue of Les Colonies, the
newspaper whose fatal optimism did
more perhaps than any other one
thing to keep the people of St. Pierre
from flying before the threatenings of
the volcano. This, of course, was not
found in the ruins, having come as a
gift of a French planter, but copies
are now very rare if not altogether
unobtainable. Speaking Of the vol
cano which on the day following was
to silence and destroy its presses for.
ever, the paper says:
"The departures from st. Pierre are
increasing in number. From morning
till night, and even during the night,
one sees hurrying people. carrying
packages, trunks and children, on their
way to Fonds st. Denis, Morne dor
ange, Carbet and other places. The
steamers of the Compagnie Girard are
never empty. A few figures will give
an idea of this mad flight. The GUS
tomary number of travellers to Fort
de.France by this line is eighty day;
for the last three days the number
has risen to 300 daily.
I'VE confess that we can not under
stand this panic. Where could one be
better off than at st. Pierre?"