The Minneapolis journal., 1902-05-10
Story OF N. Rivette, Civil Function
tionary in St. Pierre Who Sur
vived the Awful Disaster
Of Thursday.

St. Thomas, D. w. l., May 10.--All the
survivors landed from the Souchet at
Fort de france are mulatlos anu
mixed bloods.'' Despite their natural
volubility, they are still too much awed
to tell freely what they saw ana neara.
TO questions the poor fellows reply in eX-
clamtions half prayer and half lmpreca-
tion. 49,. .GE.-'
lie bon Dieu-but, no; he wasn't there!
1t was simply this, m 'sieu, the mountain
exploded and cast out hell upon us!
Story of the Eruption.
A mixed -blood named Rivette, who was
some sort OF civil functionary IN SAINT
Pierre, contrived to discuss the disaster
more nationally than his comrades.
There was a suspicion of trouble from
Mount Pelee,'' he said, .'as far back as
Tuesday of last week. We did not notice
anything in town, but some OF the p!ant-
ers living up near the mountaln-lt IS
only five miles. north of us-told our mer-
chants that rumblings had been heard un-
der the ground along the mountain SIDE
When these reports were repeated the
next day and later, we all began to look
out for an eruption. Not that we were
frightened, not at all. Except few
gentlemen that owned estates lmmedlate-
ly about Mount Pelee and were worried
lest they would lose their crops and tnelr
or lava-except these few, no one IN SAINT
Pierre had any other idea but that the
ERUPTION when it came, would prove a
novel spectacle.
pufs OF Smoke and Ashes.
"And when the eruption actually did
begin, and the first puts of smoke were
followed by little showers OF ashes, we
all hurried up to our upper town along
the south side of the harbor to enjoy
the sight We were delighted and CRATE
full to Providence for this splendld enter
tainment that every one could see.
THE next morning the ashes grew
thicker. and north wind dritted them
down towards us. AS they began talllng
and powdering the green tree tops del
icate gray white, as the ladies' heaas are
powdered in the old portraits IN the pal
ace at Fort-de- France, our children pre-
tended that the snow was falling. Ice
land!' .Iceland!' the little ones screamed.
But though the white powder was harm-
less enough, it became too thick for COM
fort. It blew in our eyes, slfted down
our necks, and was carried into our
houses. The goods in the shops were
ruined, the children and sick people were
getting half suffocated Some persons
pere frightened by Sunday morning ano
they got ready to leave on the hrst
vessel going southwark. Indeed, mum
SopSSAe'AAS
invalids in their household or young
children, sailed down to Fort de- France,
and a number of the poorer people that
could get away started into the interior
"wednesday night the eruption in
! creased somewhat, but not enough to ter
| rify u.s. We could see now the shoots OF
flame that the grandmothers had spoke1
Of and sometimes a river of golden lava
would surge over the side of the crate1
and throw sparks high into the air.
Every vessel that could be induced te
20 down the coast was filled with passen
gers, and the country roads were crowded
with carts. Yet big vessels stayed OF
the roadstead. nearly dozen OF them,
should say Several flying the American
flag. a large English steamer, and thu
telegraph company's steamer that was a
work Just off St. Pierre. The captains
evidently thought that if the eruption
grew dangerous they could hoist ancho
and sail off.
-. Flood of Molten Lava.
"These vessels will not sail away agall
in this world. It was soon after o'clocl
in the morning and things were as l hav'
been telling you, only the coming OF tn
sun had made us more cheerful, thoug]
he looked like pale red moon through tn
powdery sky just above US. 1t was jus