The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-26
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RELICS FROM ST. PIERRE. :
Harvard Museum Possesses Household Articles
Of Great Interest from the Destroyed City.
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,,,. Mass. October 1s.--The geo
i'r''s sS.oarment of the Harvard
IN ~ r-.useun-the AEassiz museum,
irrA :, tnown to the thousands who's
- year from all parts Of the
-rIlI soon have on exhibition the
saip .,,l,ctlon OF relics Of the daily
g !. Pierre. made by Or. Thomas
n II the Harvard department Of
'sD- .u,lne his scientific researches
pM ~ stIll smoking ruins Of the de-
irJ .,tr Altogether the collection
sAs''l .omethlnr over 800 objects;
go -s, spoons. coins. glassware.
'a ,,.,tera and other familiar articles
~ ". rtnlty. some of them were picked
~ M ruins by DR.. Jaggar himself,
4. greater number. practically a gift
II 4. French colonial government to
s,,s,rd museum. were selected by him
mass OF similar material gathered
rrench soldiery during the days
..,.,v following the full horror OF
a'- ..s.ronhe and stored for safe keep
ass ~ government vaults at Fort de
IN II tne hN'N
'sHIs ,ollectIon at Harvard is an ex-
ils new and rather picturesque
Pew museum of this special chas-
rsnely. that of securing objects
aH ,.;v II geologlcal but at the same
~ human interest, showing, as In
< 4 sse. The bearing of the various earth
es--yolcanoes.. .earthduakes ana Lhe
snon human life. A complete list
4. srticiles brought together would
~ ,a reproduce much OF the house
III NJ Of 81. Pierre on the very day
4 y, Mont pelee finally poured forth its
1900 storm of steam. vapor, sand,
i Y, end half molten rock and the
H.. n the museum thus present a pic
more real even than Photographic
k.s.snrtions OF the wrecked city, of the
7,,os n A great volcanic eruption. EX-
4 l, tor the volcanic dust, however. with
I .,,h many Of them are plastered the
.lsas articles show rather the effects OF
,,snsendous heat to which they were
fsI,stes than OF the volcanic eruptions
IN oecaslOned II.
N K tbe personal character of the col
4alon that makes It OF more than ordinary
6erest. Here are the forks, knives and
tSss FOR example, that were used on
Z, breakfast tables of the city, even while
Il great volcano considered dead for half
Inntury, was ominously drawing breath
ihe final destruction. Some OF them
i I'm separate; others melted together,
Skisd In masses. stained In various cOlors
4 III oxidation Of iron, silver, copper, or
I'm metal. and by the overflow of the
tldv sandy stream whose component
4 f.s were as many as the elements stores,
t'sts and humanity Itself all mixed to-
1iG-that made up the life of the streets
N which they were scattered by the
j. - u ~ fhA fu1Ifnrr ~
M and walls. Glass vessels, pitchers,
Nh lars, and other objects whose use
4 low only be guessed at, are fused and
Il .cgether by the heat; cGndlesticks are
trI melted and bent TO one side by their
M weight; coins are welded together In
6is.fimnate chunks of metal IN which
hr twenty bits Of copper or silver stin
be recognizable but can not be sep
5sted one from another. There are pitch
\ sugar bowls, Jars and platters, many
\ them Of solid silver and still bearing the
fnogram Of families now completely
Ned out Of existence; plates still coy
N With the fine gray dust Of the erup-
10, some welded together and others sep
tts and stu unbroken. although Il is
tNssary to handle them with extreme
7ltaey; q cross fallen from private
tnsl and anally one Of the two s. Amer
~ gold pieces that proved at once the
Esence Of American money and the
ttdty Of gold coin
EAe Tremendous heat. which crumble1
insnied, walls often more than a yard
n ana reduced to a level every roof
II Wsll IN the city except the towers Of
cathedral, has PLAYED its most curious
nn With the smaller articles of table
6t Infee spoons, for example, are
4 led iogether by their handles, suggesting
~ loVel Yankee notion" Other pieces
IN oeen moulded into new shapes that
4 NV Y. lne work Of Renaissance silversmlths,
\ " Wnlch one can vaguely trace grotes-
lIces and graceful bodies; and the
4Ns Is heightened by the fact that the
sas gwen them an appearance of ex.
III age ana suggestion Of the green
49, OF Etruscan bronze On the other
fI cross from one Of the private
~ ~ al ~ ne city. Is almost uninjured
I y nllectlon also contains curious
I sls w on the state Of mind of the
KIN VINO owned and used the articles
tx Or Jaggar has gathered together
a SuePe OF a copy OF the last issue of
i r Iivlon ss' the newspaper whose fatal
4 ,h,a. ulu more perhaps than any other
iag 70 Keep the people Of st. Pierre
ging before the threatenlngs OF tho
M" ms, OF course, was. not found
kssb lulus, having come as a gift of n
n ~ pn.antef' but copies are now very
4 u nv nv altogether unobtainable. Speak
fIsr %e volcano which on tho day fol
~, t N 10 silence and destroy It's
{Tbs soreyef, the paper says:
~ departures from st. Pierre are In
II, "a number. From morning Tin
2 2rsD sao even during the night. one secs
Il xxi sSii people carrying packages. trunks,
fs Nlmareh. on their way ia Ponds ~,
IN n NM dOrange, Carbet, and other
isI a., INC steamers of the Comparnle
/ s,rs ne never empty. A few hrures
bona sns an Idea Of this mad flight. The
kpcs " NUMBER of travellers to Fort dc
y tnis line Is eighty day; for