The Springfield herald., 1902-12-26
RELICS OF ST. PIERRE
HARVARD MUSEUM COLLECTION.
Unique Exhibit of Articles Gathered
From the Ruins-Objccts of Daily
Use Melted Together by the Heat
of Mont Pelee's ERUPTION.

The geological department of the
Harvard University Museum-the Ag-
assiz museum. as 1t is best known to
the thousands who visit it every year
from all parts of the country-will
soon have on exhibition the unique
collection of relics of the daily life
of st. Pierre made by DR.. Thomas A.
Jaggar of the Harvard department OF
geology during his scientific re.
searches among the still smoking
ruins of the demolished city. Alto
gether the collection numbers some
thing over 800 objects; knives,
forks. spoons, coins, glassware, plates,
platters and other familiar articles Of
daily utility.
The collection at Harvard is an ex-
preston of new and rather pictur-
esque policy in a museum of this spe-
cial character-namely, that of secur-
ing objects not only of geological but
at the same time OF human interest,
showing, as in this case. the bearing
of 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
life of st. Pierre on the very day be-
fore Mont Pelee finally poured forth
its 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 q great
volcanic eruption.
A tremendous heat, which crumbled
cemented walls often more than yard
thick and reduced to a level every roof
and wall in the city except the towers
of the cathedral, has played its most
curious pranks with the smaller arti.
cles of tableware. Three spoons, for
example. are Joined together by their
handles. suggesting some novel yam
kee notion" Other pieces have been
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 n sug
gestion of the green coloring of Etrus
can bronze. On the other hand, q
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 oi
the volcano. This, of course, was moi
found in the ruins, having come as u
gift of 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 theil
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 800 daily.
I'VE confess that we can not under
stand :hIs panic. Where could one be
better off than at st. Pierre?"