Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-22

ing that his vessel had steam up, and |
instantly realizing the necessity of
ESCAPE, rushed to tho engine room
annunciator and signaled below to
start the engine at full speed The
anxious moments, increased by lis
sufferings from burns and agony of
mind, were relieved by the vibration
Of the engines and the reply from
below. 1t happened, fortunately, that
although the crew had been rung off
from duty at the engines some of the
egineers were nearby
''The terrible tidal wave which had
swept over the Roddam and nearly
capsized her had parted the cable and
the vessel was adrift. When the engines
started it was found that the steering
gear had become disabled in some
manner and could not be worked. For
more than an hour the Roddam's
engines were worked, backing or going
ahead, with the hope of bringing her
head toward the sea and away from the
land. Once she got dangerously near
the steamer Roraima. Both vessels
were in flames
"Some of those aboard jumped into
the boiling water: some fell dying to
| the deck. All this time the red hot
| deposit from the volcano was falling
and the water was kissing and steam
| ing dense masses of yapor. Smoke and
dust filled the air and poisonous fumes
spread about.
After some little time the Rod
DAMS steering gear moved little and
enabled the captain to head her out to
sea. With considerable difficulty he
managed to steer her little distance
from the land. As the air cleared the
scene on board the Roddam became all
the more CHASTITY. The ship steamed
on through thick, hot dust. The
screams from the injured became more
| audible Some rushed frantically about
with their clothes on fire and large
pieces of flesh burned from their arms !;
others in their agony lay writhing in
the red hot dust
Sin about two hours the air became
1 gradually clear. An investigation of
the casualties on board showed that
besides the captain, who was fright
fully injured, only two engineers, two
sailors and the boatswain were able to
do duty.
Fire was still burning about the
ship and the rigging was in flames.
The captain decided to try to reach
the Island of St. Lucia, 40 miles dis
tant. This he succeeded in doing by g
p. M, May sth. The steamer was diff
cult to handle owing to the partially
disabled steering gear, which could
not be made to work properly.
In the time occupied on this ter.
rible voyage the experience of the sur
vivors was still worse than those
already gone through. The brave
captain and his few men fighting the
fire, exhausted and scalded, struggled
| and wprlSad tn do soInethino to assist
their dying shipmates. Those working
below strivei to keep up the steam.
"The captain, suffering agony, sue
ceeded in navigating his vessel safely
to the port of Castries, st. Lucia, witt
: IS dead bodies lying on the deck anc
human limbs scattered about. A sailo
stood by constantly wiping the cap
tain's injured eyes. | think the per
formance of the captain was wonderful
and the more so when | saw his pitifu
! condition. / do not understand hov
7 he kept up; yet when the steame
: arrived at st. Lucia and medical assist
ance was procured this brave maj
asked the doctors to attend to th'
8 Others first, and refused to be treate'
until this was done,
! "A sight of the captain S face woul'
frighten anyone not prepared to see it
rive sailed from st. Lucia on tn
4 morning of May 11th and at p. M
passed Martinique. The weather wa
perfectly clear, and we had goo
view of that part of the island whicI
Q had suffered by the volcanic eruption
The formation of the island is altete
and the whole northern part, where st
-, Pierre once stood, is covered with
4 mass of ashes and lava.