The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-05-19
ID4t 1pf ~ Y
'0UTOFDEATH'SJANS
Captain Of the Roddamt Tehs
Of Mont Pelee's Eruption.
The TERRIBLE RAIN OF FIRE.

The TERRIBLE RAIN OF FIRE.
After the Disaster Only Five Of tho
Ships Crew Were FIT For Duty.
These, Led by the Heroic Cap
tain, Ran Vessel to Safety.
NEW YORK, May 19.-The Norton
line steamer Etona has just arrived
here from the River Plate via st. Lu-
cia, where she called for bunker coal
on May 10.
Eat st. Lucia on May H." says Cap
tain Cantell, Il went on beard of the
British steamer Roddam, from London,
! which had escaped from the terrible
! volcanic eruption at Martinique three
: days before. The state of the ship was
enough to show that those on board
must have undergone an awful expe-
rience. The Roddam was covered with
mass of fine blush gray dust or ashes
of cementlike appearance. In some
parts it lay two feet deep on the decks
This matter had fallen in redhot state
all over the steamer, setting fire to
everything it struck that was burnable,
and when 1t fell on the men on board
1t burned off limbs and large pieces of
flesh. This was shown by finding por-
lions Of human remains when the decks
were cleared of the debris. The rig
ging ropes, tarpaulins, sails, awnings,
etc, were charred or burned, and most
of the upper stanchions and spars had
been swept overheard or destroyed by
the fire. skylights weretkmashed and
cabins were filled with volcanic dust.
The scene of ruin was deplorable.
Il visited the captain Of the Roddam
in the hospital at St. Lucia, where he
gave me an account of his terrible ex-
perience. He had just arrived and an.
chored at st. Pierre, Martinique, on
the morning of Thursday, May 8. The
captain was standing near the accom-
mediation ladder talking to the vessels
agent, who had come on board, when
he saw what appeared to be an enor-
nous black cloud, like q wall with
patches of fire in it, approaching the
sea from the land. With it came an
immense tidal wave of boiling water,
accompanied by loud and terrible
noise He shouted, Take shelterv to
the crew.
Immediately the steamer was caught
and tossed over on her side, almost
capsizng. Darkness fell like a pail,
and volumes of redhot matter showered
down, while the air was thick with sui
phurOus fumes and dust. The sea was
a confused mass Of boiling mud. Fire
soon broke out in different parts of
the ship. Screams. groans and shouts
of agony from the injured people, min
gled with the terrible noise of boiling
water and rushing air, together with
the falling fire, caused most horr- =
bic confusion and frlghtful din. This
shock lasted for few minutes.
''The captain of the Roddam, know.
Ing that his vessel had steam up and
instantly realizing the necessity Of es.
cape, rushed to the engine room annun-
ciator and slgnaled below to start the
engines at full speed. The anxious mo-
lnents, increased by his sufferings from
burns and agony of Mind were reliev.
ed by the vibration of the engines and
The reply from below. 1t happened, for.
that, although the crew had
oeen rung off from duty at the engines,
some of the engineers We're near by.
The terrific tidal wave which had
swept over the Roddam and nearly
her had parted the cable, and
he vessel was adrift. When the en-.
sines started, it was found that the
steering gear had become disabled in
'ome manner and could not be worked.
For more than an hour the Roddam's
engines were worked, backing and 60
ny ahead with the hope of bringing
ler head toward the sea and away
rom the land. Once she got danger
'nsly near the steamer Roraima. Both
'essels were in flames. Some of those
Hoard jumped into the boiling water:
some fell dying to the deck. All this
ime the redhotsnIatter was falling and
he water was Kissing and steaming
tense masses of vapor Smoke and
lust filled the air, and poisonous fumes
pread about.
AFTER some time the Roddam's
steering gear moved little and ena-
lied the captain to head her out to sea,
md, with considerable difficulty, he
managed TO steer her a little distance
rOli the land. As the air cleared the
scene on board the i'll fated Roddam
'ecame all the more CHASTITY. The ship
teamed on through thick hot dust. The
creams from the injured became more
ndible. Some rushed frantically about
With their clothes on fire and large
'ieces of flesh burned from their
rms. Others in their agony laid with.
ng in the rcdhot dust.
"ln about two hours the air became
gradually clear. An investigat ton Of
he casualties on board showed that be.
ides the captain, who was frightfully
Injured. only two engineers, two sailors
nd the boatswain were able to do
uty.
"F'ire was still burning about the
hip and the rigging was in flames,
he captain decided t. try to reach the
sland of St. Lucia, forty-tve miles dis
ant. This he succeeded in doing by 6
'clock on the evening of May 8. The
teamer was difficult to handle owing
0 the partly disabled steering gear,
which could not be made to work prop
rly. In the time occupied on this terri.
lie voyage the experience of the surviv-
RS was still worse than that already
one through. The brave captain and
lis few men fighting the fire, exhaust