The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-07-03
WEST INDIES HORROR.
Thrilling Stories Related by St.
Pierre Survivors.
ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN FREEMAN.

ship Roddam, Who Saw the Entire
Destruction of the City, Describes
xfe Awful Scenes In the Earbor.
Graphic Narrative of First officer
Scott of the Roraima.
Lying in the hospital at st. Lucia,
British West Indies Captain Freeman
of the British steamer Roddam told
the following story, which is copy
righted By William r. Hearst, Of the
destruction of the city of St Pierre to
a correspondent of the New York
American and Journal on May II:
The steamer RoddaGs of which am
captain, left st. Lucia at midnight Of
May and was off St Pierre, Marti-
nique. at s O'Clock on the morning Of
the 9Th. noticed that the volcano,
Mo4t Pelee. was smoking and crept
slowly in toward the bay. finding there
among Others, the steamer Rorai,s,a,
the telegraph repairing steamer Crap
pier and four sailing vessels
went to anchorage between and
8 and had hardly moored when the
side Of the volcano opened out With q
terrible explosion. A wall OF FIRE swept
over the town and the bay The Rod
dam was struck broadside by the burn-
inc mass. The shock to the ship was
terrible. nearly capsizing her.
Hearing the awful report Of the ex-
plosion and seeing the great wall of
flames approaching the steamer. thoss
on deck sought shelter wherever it was
possible, jumping into the cabin, the
forecastle and even into the hold
was in the chartroom. but the burning
embers were borne by SO swift a move
ment Of the air that they were swept
IN through the door and portfolios, suf-
locating and scorching me badly.
l was terribly burned by these EN-
bers about the face and hands. but
managed to reach the deck. AS soon
as it was possible when there ! mus
tered the few survivors who seemed
able to move. ordered them to slip the
anchor, leaped for the bridge and rang
the engineer for full speed astern
But the men on deck could not work
the steering gear because it was jam
med by the debris from the volcano
We accordingly went ahead and astern
until the gear was free. but in this run
ming backward and forward it was
two hours after the first shock before
we were clear of the bay.
One OF the most terrifying conditions
WIS that, the atmosphere being charg-
ed with ashes, it was totally dark
The sun was completely obscured, and
the air was only Illuminated from the
flames of the volcano and those of the
burning town aid shipping.
AS we backed out we passed close to
the Roraina, which was one mass OF
flames. The steam was rushing from
the engine room, and the scraa ms OF
those on board were terrible to hear
The cries for help were all in vain, for
we could Go nothing but save my own
ship. When I last saw the Roraima.
she was settling down by the stern.
That was about 10 O'Clock in the morn
ing
When the Roddam was safely out of
the harbor of St Pierre and its des-
olation and horrors. I made for st.
Lucia. Arriving here, and when the
ship was safe, mustered the survivors
as well as was able and searched for
the dead and injured Some I found
In the saloon, whaFe they had vainly
sought for safet5, but cabins were full
of burning embers that had blown in
through the portfolios.
Through these the fire swept as
through tunnels and burned the vic
tins where they lay or stood, leaving
a circular imprint Of scorched and
burned flesh. brought ten on deck
who were thus burned. Two of them
We're dead. The others survived, al
though in a dreadful state Of torture
from their burns. Their screams of
agony were heartrending.
Out of total oe twenty-three on
BOARD the Roddam, which includes the
captain and the crew, ten are dead and
several are in the hospital.
The ship was covered from stem to
stern with tons Of powdered lava.
which retained it's heat for hours after
1t had fallen. In many cases it was
practically incandescent, and to move
about the deck in this burning mass
was not only difficult, but absolutely
perilous
I am only now able to begin thor
0ughlysto clear and search the ship for
any damage done by this volcanic rain
and TO see if there are any corpses In
out Of the way places For instance,
this morning I found one body in the
peak Of the forecastle. The body was
horribly burned, and the sailor had evi-
IDENTIFY crept in there in his agony to
die.
On the arrival of the Roddam at st.
Lucia the ship presented an appalling
appearance. Dead and calcined bodies
lay about the deck, which was also