The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-27
MONT PEL6E ERUPTION
Graphic Description by Owner
Of Estate Near st. Pierre.
SUN oBsoURED BY VOLCANIC DUST

NJ. Albert. who Escaped Though Only
u Mile Away From the Crater,
Tells How He Rescued His Family
and Later Jaw His Property Over
run with Lava.
NJ. Albert. the owner and manager of
the Lagarrane estate, which lies about
q mile northeast of the crater of Mont
Pelee, recently arrived at Port of Spain.
Trinidad. with his family on the steam
ship Canada from Martinique. He
tells a story of a marvellous escape
from the death that swept st. Pierre
out of existence. says the New York
Herald's special correspondent. He
says:
"Mont Pelee had given warning of
the destruction that was to come, but
we, who had looked upon the volcano
as harmless. did not believe that it
would do more than spout fire and
steam, as it had done on other occa-
sions. 1t was a little before 8 o'clock
on the morning Of May 8 that the end
came. l was in one of the fields of
my estate when the ground trembled
under my feet, not as it does when the
earth quakes. but as though a terrible
struggle was going on within the noun
tain. A terror came upon me, but !
could not explain my fear.
LAS l stood still Mont Pelee seemed
to shudder, and a moaning sound is-
sued from it's crater. 1t was quite
dark. the sun being obscured by ashes
and fine volcanic dust. The air was
dead about me. SO dead that the float
ing dust seemingly was not disturbed.
Then there was a rending. crashing.
grinding noise, which can only de-
scribe as sounding as though every bit
of machinery in the world had sudden
ly broken down. 1t was d%eafening,
and the fash of light that accompanied
it was binding, more so than any light
ming l have ever seen.
"It was like u terrible hurricane. and
there had been a perfect calm l felt
myself drawn into Il vortex. and l had
to brace myself firmly. ItSwas like a
great express train rushing by. and l
was drawn by it's force. The mysteri-
u force leveled d row of strong trees.
tearing them up by the roots and leav.
ing bare Il space of ground Is yards
wide and more than 100 yards long.
''Transfixed. l stood. not knowing in
what direction to flee. l looked toward
Mont Pelee. and above it's. apex formed
a great black cloud which reached high
in the air. 1t literally fell upon the city
of St. Pierre. 1t moved with a rapidity
that made it impossible for anything to
escape it. From the cloud came
blossoms that sounded as though all the
navies of the world were in titanic
in broad forks. the result being that in
tense darkness was followed by light
that seemed to be Of magnifying pow
er. That st. Pierre was doomed !
knew. but l was prevented from seeing
the destruction by u spur of the hill
that shut off the view of the city. 1t is
impossible for me to tell how long I
stood there inert. Probably it vas only
a few seconds. but so vivid were my
impressions that it now seems as
though ! stood as a spectator for many
minutes, When l recovered possession
of my senses l ran to my house and
collected the members of the family.
all of whom were panic stricken. l
hurried them to the %seashore. where we
boarded a small steamship. in which,
we made the trip in safety to Fort-de-
France.
Il know that there was no flame in
the first wav chat was sent down upon
st. Pierre. 1t was a heavy gas. like
firedamp. and it must have a%sphyxiat-
cd the inhabitants before they were
touched by the fire. which quickly fol-
lowed. AS we drew out to sea in the
small steamship Mont Pelee was in the
throes of a terrible CONFUSION. New
craters seemed to be opening all about
the summit. and lava was flowing in
broad streams in every direction. My
estate was ruined while we were still
in sight of it.
"AIany women who have lived in St.
Pierre have escaped only to know that
they are left widowed and childless.
This is because many of the Weather
meN Sent their wives AWAY while thew