Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-05-23
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON: FRIDAY EVENING" NAY o. 1902

Pierre at s o'clock that morning, wher
the hail of stones, steam and boiling
mud began. The Roddam had steam
up, and the moment the hail began
Capt. Freeman gave the order to steam
out of the harbor at full speed. Ter.
ror reigned on the ship. Hot lava
was falling on her decks, pouring into
the water alongside. while the whole
island in front seemed wrapped in fire.
The waters of the roadstead were leap.
ing in the throes OF some terrible SUBJ
terranean convulsion. Hot water
splashed upon the sailors burning
them. One by one the men fell dead
on the decks. scalded and burned,
until ten were gone. In their terror
seven men ran to the sides of the ship
and leaped overheard. Far out to sea
the deluge OF fire was was falling into
the water. 1t seemed as though the
Roddam would never get beyond the
range OF the deadly downpour. Those
on the ship had seen all the other
ships go down right before their eyes.
Two had gone down within few cable
lengths OF where the Roddam lay, one
vanishing as though jerked downward
by some Titanic force beneath the
waters.
The saddest reflection upon the
dreadful loss OF life in Martinique's
great disaster is that it might so
easily have been avoided. Warning
was ample. On May minor erup-
ton killed twsnty-three people by hot
lava. But the Governor sent a COM
mission to investigate, which pre-
pared reassuring report. No move
for safety was made, ships came un-
warned and stayed unheeding. The
three days intervening before the
final disaster, filled as they were with
ominous warnings and portents. would
have permitted the removal of every
human being from the danger zone.
The investigation at st. Pierre
shows that many bodies were instantly
cremated by the heat OF the eruption.
Strange freaks were performed by
the deluge. bodies being burned to a
crisp and shoes remaining uninjured.
On the body OF a woman, burned to
a crisp, was found a silk handkerchief
almost uninjured.
A few houses woro found nearly in
tact near the River Roxilane.
The occupants were dead, as though
killed by lightning or suffocated.
Looters have entered st. Pierre and
robbed the ruins and bodies of the
dead.
Some houses were destroyed as
though by cyclone, showing little
marks of fire.
The flood of lava stopped within
200 feet OF the village OF LIE Carbet,
saving it.
Brass bedsteads were twisted like
paper by the force of the elements.
Trees were found uprooted, twisted
and bent.
The dead were lying nearly all face
downward.
Apparently nearly all the people Of
ST. Pierre died by suffocation.
Flocks Of scavenger birds are swarm.
ing over the water. The harbor is in.
tested with sharks, attracted by the
dead bodies.
Some victims were little burned.
Some were found sitting in chairs as
natural as though still living.
What astonished the party most was
the comparatively small number of
bodies found. 1t is known that some
10000 perished. Evidently thousands
OF bodies were cremated by the red hot
flood which was poured upon the town.
The tremendous force of the VOL
canic avalanche was shown by the fact
that the strong houses of stone were
leveled like pasteboard.
Some OF these had stood half q GEN.
tury. The place was as city swept
by cyclone OF fire. The deluge must
have swept upon the town with resist
less force.