The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-07-03

was with great difficulty that we few
survivors managed to keep the flames
down. The ropes, awnings and tarpau-
Inns were completely burned up.
I witnessed the entire destruction
Of st. Pierre. The flames enveloped
the town in every quarter with such
rapidity that it was impossible that
any person could be saved. All this
time the mountain was roaring and
shaking, and in the intervals between
these terrifying sounds l could hear the
cries Of despair and agony from the
thousands who were perishing.
These cries added to the terror of the
scene, but it Is impossible to describe
its horror or the dreadful sensations it
produced. It was like witnessing the
end Of the world.
First Officer Ellery S. Scott Of the
steamship Roraima also tells the fol
lowing thrilling story Of the destruc-
ton Of ST. Pierre; it is also copyright
ed by w. r. Hearst:
It was about daylight on the morn
ing Of May when we sighted the is
land of Martinique. We had run
through a thunderstorm ahead for st.
Pierre and at 6 o'clock were at our
anchorage off the Place Berth land
ing. When the agent with lighters
and steyedores, came alongside, he
told US that Pelee had been acting ugly
ever since Saturday and that there had
l1oo,, 1,x,;4C :, hoe, xyxy Fell re hot cond m
dust over St. Pierre itself. However,
the volcano seemed to have quieted
down, and we got the steyedores to
work smartly.
There were about eighteen other
steamers and coasting craft anchored
as we were in the open harbor, one Of
them being the Tamaya, a bark from
the French port Nantes, her captain
being called AIoritz or Maurice. Then
there were four other large sailing yes
sells. The British steamer Roddam put
into the berth next to ours and let drop
her anchor. Then something happen
ed. There was a shaking in the air,
so that felt as though some one had
jostled me-
was looking a : Pelee, and every
soul on board looked too.
can describe what saw, of course,
but my first thought was that the end
of the world would look just like that.
1t was just as though the mountain
had been blown up by all the dyna-
mite in the world First Of all great
pillar of flame rushed straight up in
the air, then it opened out wider than
the mountain itself and came roaring
down out Of the sky upon u.s. Some of
us. with Morley, second officer, rushed
to the forecastle head to heave the an
Choir. | heard the captain shouting OR
ders and / saw McTear, the engineer.
drop below. AS we reached the ships
head the fiery cloud was upon us. Red
hot stones. scalding mud and real
splashes of fame dropped and clatter-
ed all over the ship.
There was another roar, and with it
all the water in the harbor seemed to
gather up and rush upon the shipping.
Every craft heeled over to the great
tidal wave and seemed to careen and
sink. When the wave struck us, It
flooded US fore and aft, sweeping
away the masts, funnel, all the boats
save one and all the rattle Of the deck.
There was yentilator at hand, and
to save myself seized it and was
nearly killed thereby, being driven
into it by the force of the wave. A
couple Of stevedores pulled me out Of
the ventilator and dragged me into the
steerage. There I remained, half dead,
for quite time, during which the ship
rolled and the fire and rocks battered
the decks. Now and then a charred
and shrieking sailor rolled down the
hatchway and died as he came so
that quite a pile Of corpses lay over
me.
and clambered to the deck and began
turning a hand toward saving the il.
jured, who were lying all about, though
even then small, redhot stones and
mud were falling.
All this time the sea was rolling like
the heaviest kind Of ground swell, Pc
lee was roaring, and the air was full
St Pierre, the sight was terrifying.
The town was gone, and in its place
was a long stretch Of gray, smoking,
flaming dust. All about us the ships
were sunk or afame. and between us
and them and the shore dead bodies
foated singly and In groups.
Some hours after-I didn't know how
long it was then, but I've since been
told it was at 3 o'clock in the afternoon
the French cruiser Suchet steamed
In and rescued seventeen Of us more
dead than alive. We were carried to
Eo1.td q. Lrrn MOO q nd nut In tho hacr,itol