Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-19
Volcanic Ashes from Mount Pelee Falls
Two Feet Thick on the Decks.
MANY OF SAILORS ARE ROASTED ALIVE
Fragments Of Bodies strewn Over Vessel,
Which is Oharred Wreck.
CAPTAIN AND MEN IN JAWS OF DEATH
Nerve and Heroism of the Surviving
seamen startIes Even n Hard
ened Veteran of Ocean
Life,
SCENES or AGONY ARE DEPICTED


NEW YORK, May is.--The Norton Line
steamer, Etona, arrived here today from
tho River Platte via st. Lucia, where It
called for bunker coal on May 10.
at st. Lucia on May H." says Captain
Cantell, II went en- board the British
steamer, Roddnm, which had escaped from
the terrible volcanic eruption at Martini
que three days before. The state Of the
ship was enough to show that those on board
must have undergone an awful experience.
Roddam was covered with a mass OF hne
.biuish gray dust, or ashes OF cement-like
appearance On some parts It laid two
feet deep on the decks.
''This matter had fallen In red hot state
all over the steamer. setting hre to every
thing II struck that was burnabie, and when
IL fell on the men on board burned on
limbs and large pieces of flesh. This was
shown by finding portions OF human re-
mains when the decks were cleared Of the
debris, The rigging, ropes tarpauiins, sails,
awnings. etc., were charred or burned and
most OF the upper stanchions and sparB had
been swept overheard or destroyed by nre.
6kyights were smashed and cabins were
nlled with volcanic dust. The scene OF
ruin was deplorable.
Captain Tells His story,
"I visited the captain OF Roddani In the
hospital at st. Lucia, where he gave me
an account OF his terrible experience, He
had just arrived and anchored at 81, Pierre.
Martinique, on the morning Of Thursday,
May s.
The captain was standing near the Ao-
icommodation ladder talking TO the agent OF
the vessel, who had come on board, when
he hot ha
black cloud, like a wall with patches of
FIRE in It approaching the sea from the land.
With II came immense tidal wave of
boiling water, accompanied by n loud and
terrible noise. He shouted take shelter"
to the crew. Immediately the steamer was
caught and tossed on Its sido, almost cap
sizing.
Darkness fell like pail and volumes Of
red hot matter showered down, while the
mir was thick with sulphurious fumes and
dust. The sea was a confused mass Of boil
ing mud.
Din of Terror.
Fire broke out In various parts Of the
ship, screams. groans and shouts OF agony
from the injured people, mingled with the
terrible noise Of boiling water and rushing
air, together with the falling OF nre, caused
most horrible confusion and frightful din,
nlb HuoCh lhetco low minutes,
THE captain OF Roddam, knowing that his
vessel had steam up, and instantly realiEing
the necessity Of escape, rushed to the
engine room annuneiator and signaled be-
low to start the engine at full speed The
anxious moments, Increased by his suffer-
ingS from burns and agony Of mind, were
relieved by the vibration Of the engines
and the reply from below. It happened.
fortunately, that although the crew had
been rung of from duty at the engines,
some OF the engineers were near at hand.
The terrible tidal wave which had swept
over Roddam and nearly capsized It had
parted the cable and the vessel was adrift
When the engines started It was found
that the steering gear had become disabled
in some manner and could not be worked.
Both Vessels In Flames.
For more than an hour Roddam's en-
gines were worked. backing and going
ahead, with the hope OF bringing the head
toward the sea and away from the land.
Once 1t got dangerously near the steamer
Roraima. Both vessels were In flames
All of those on board jumped into the
boiling water, others fell dead to the deck.
All this time the fire was falling and the
water was Kissing and dense masses of
steaming vapor rose Smoke and dust
nlled the air and poisonous fumes added
their oppression to the appalling situation.
"After some time Roddam's steering gear
moved q little and enabled the captain to
head It out to sea. and with considerable
diniculty he managed to steer It little dis
tance from the land.
GAS the air cleared the scene on board
the Inflated Roddam became all the more
CHASTITY. The ship steamed on through
thick hot dust. The screams from the in
h.,
ifantically about with their clothes on nrs
and large pieces OF flesh burned from their
arms; others in their agony laid wrIthins
In the redhot dust.
Crew is Disabled.
''In about two hours the air became
gradually clear. An investigation Of the
casualties on board showed that. besides
the captain, who was frighttully injured
only two engineers. two sailors and the
boatswain were able TO do duty.
Fire was still burning about the shiI
and the rigging was in flames. The cap
tain decided TO try to reach the island Of
st. Lucia. forty-nve miles distant. This hS
succeeded in doing by o'clock In the even
Ing Of May g. The steamer was difncult q
handle owing to the partially disabled
steering gear. which could not be made tS
work properly.
I'm the time occupied on this terrible
voyage the experience Of the survivors wa'
still worse than that already gone through
The brave captain and his few men. hght
Ing the hre, exhausted and sealded strug
gled and worked trying TO do something q
assist their dying shipmatss. Those work
Ing below strived to keep up the steam.
Captains startIinG Heroism.
"Ths captain. suffering the greatest ag
ony. succeeded In navigating his yesse
safely to the port Of castries. 81. Lucia
with eighteen dead bodies lying on thu
sleek and human limbs scattered about.
sailor stood by constantly wiping the cap
lain's injured eyes.
II think the performance OF Roddam'
saptain was most wonderful. and the NOR
20 when l saw his pitiful condition. d.