The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-13
THOUSAND PEOPLE
DIE UNDER A RAIN OF FIRE.
Pierre overwhelmed by a Volcanic Eruption Which
Sweeps Homes and Inhabitants From the Face
of the Earth.

rived here in the forenoon Of the sixth
and furnished the above details. The
men remained at Martinique.
The same afternoon, later. t~elegraphic
communication was interrupted with both
the islands of Martinique and St. Vincent
During the afternoon OF the SJh, the
British steamer Roddam. which had left
st. Lucia at midnight for Martinique,
crawled slowly into the Castries harbor,
unrecogniZable. gray with ashes, her
rigging dismantled and sails and avn
ings hanging about, torn. and charred.
Captain Whatter reported that having
just cast anchor off St. Pierre at 5 q. m.
in fine weather succeeding an awful
thunderstorm during the night, he was
talking to the ships agent, Joseph
Plizzono. who was in a boat alongside,
when he saw a thunderous cloud OF
smoke and glowing cinders rushing with
terrific rapidity over the town and port,
completely in an instant. envelOping the
former in a sheet Of fame and raining
fire on board. The agent had just time
to climb on board when his boat disap-
peared. Several of the crew OF the
Roddam We're quickly scOrched to death.
BY superhuman efforts, having steam up,
the cable was slipped and the steamer
backed away from the shore and nine
hours later, managed to reach Castries.
Ten Of the Roddam's men We're lying
dead, contorted and burned out of hu-
man semblance, among the black Gin
ders which covered the ships deck to a
depth of six inches. Two more of the
crew have since died.
A HEROIC CAPTAIN.
The survivors of the RoGdam's crew
were loud in their praises of the heroic
conduct of their captain in steering in
his vessel out Of danger 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 cap
tain is safe as is also the ships agent,
though he is badly scorched.
Mr.. Plizzono is believed here to be the
sole survivor of the forty thousand in
there, for the town and the shipping of
the port have been utterly destroyed,
the West Indian and Panama Telegraph
Company's repairing steamer Grappler
going first. then the Quebec Liner
ROraima. Captain Mugs, of the latter.
waving his hand in farewell to the Rod
dam as his vessel sank with a terrific
explosion.
ALL THE SEA FRONT ABLAZE.
The British Royal Mail steamer Esk,
which called off Martinique at 10 p. ~.
hast night reports standing off shore five
miles. sounding her whistle and sending
up rockets. She received no answer.
The whole sea front was blazing for
miles. The Esk sent a boat ashore. but
it could not land on account Of the ter
rifle heat, which was accompanied by
loud explosions. Not a living soul APP
peared ashore after the boat had .lited
for two hours. Fire and ashes fell all
over the steamer.
In the afternoon a French coasting
steamer arrived here from Fort de
France, seeking assistance, as all the
country was burnt up. the stock dying.
all the plantations were charred. the
colored people were f1ocking in the towns
and famine was feared. The steamer
was loaded with food of all sorts. and
was sent back to Martinique at 6 p. m.
The captain of this vessel reported tina
some thirty persons left st. Pierre by the
6 O clock boat Thursday morning for
Fort de France, and consequently, were
saved.
A BARRIER OF FIRE.
All attempts to get to ST. Pierre are
barred by ire. The closest observance
possible showed houses still burning and
streets streWn With charred bodies. 1t is
certain that the whole town and neigh
boring country for miles were utterly
destroyed and it is feared here that few
II any, of the inhabitants escaped.
The volcano of he Island of st. Vim
cent has burst out in sympathetic erup-
ton. \ steamer which returned from
there last night reports that the north
ern third of the island was in flames and
cut eff from assistance by a continuous
stream of burning lava, ashes falling in
heavy showers as far as one hundred and
nifty miles away. Kingston. the capital
OF st. Vincent. is safe, but people here
are very anxious as to the fate Of that
island.
dominica and St. Lucia have very ac-
1--WE geysers. but they show no departure
ffom normal conditions.
Food stuffs of all kinds are urgently
wanted.