The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-06-04

Cd on the huruluG hnlns anu H"hi
PeIee - snapped Her calpsra sir
Times.
This Is the personal narrative q
Mrs. r. Merrill of 100 East seventg
third street. Sew York city. who saw
ST Pierre under ~ sbroud ~ ashes
the dag after Mont Pelec destroyed u,
says the Sew York World She took
pbotOgra phs Of the ruins and the
mountain. stu "a eruption. from the
deck 0f the Koroua. sister ship u the
Rorsima. which latter was burned BY
bot lava IN the harbor. The buildings
Of s. Pierre. the warehouses and the
decks were still aname when the pho.
tographs we're taken Lava was how-
ing IN steady streams down tho slope
into the sea Mrs Merrill hOtwith-
standing her difficulties. for the hot
ashes were stlll falling from Mont
Pelee. snapped her camera six times.
Mrs Merrill left New York Ga the
early spring 70 visit friends at Bar.
bAdOs
Il took passage on the Korona,
NMAhM MNN ~ NNNf ANA'AAfA ~ ~
Pierre on May s. the day Of the eX.
plosion Of Mont Peiee." she said. I'VE
escaped with our lives by lucky
chance. The ship remained al Barba
dos instead ~ proceeding according 20
schedule 20 ST. Pierre. 70 take on an
extra cargo ~ sugar when learned
'his I decided 10 spend another pleas
Ant day al Barbados. On the morning
OF May we heard sounds as II Of ter.
rihc cannonading
In the afternoon I was out with n
coaching party The sky was suddenly
overcast. aud Il grew darker and dark
or until by O'Clock we were In total
darkness II was darker than any
night absolute darkness, n you can
comprehend a. During the night a One
volcanic dust was hfted from the
clouds and fell in binding and choking
quantities. II II n nne gray, hOurlikc
powder Of heavy weight II Is really
good FOR brushing the teeth aud looks
like tooth powder with charcoal mixed
with H. II covered Barbados and was
thick uDon the deck of the ship when
we eali,d the next morning.
"The sky had clenrcd. and, although
Captain Carey OF the Koroua knew
there had been a volcanic eruption, he
did not know II was Mont Pelee. We
headed for ST. Pierre. which lay on our
regular route, to picl. up the nails and
take on passengers
FIFTY miles away the dust from
Mont pclee continued 20 descend but
IN lighter quantities Soon we caught
sight OF the great cloud Of steam aud
smoke hanging above the crater of the
volcano. We arrived in front of ST.
Pierre ln the morning Of May o, the
day after the eruption A thick pan Of
smoke stll hung over the place and
the ruins were stlll burning. We enter.
cd the harbor Tor a closer view aud got,
! believe, within a half mile Of the
Rornima and the other shipping that
had been destroyed.
"The Roraimu wus lying IN shallow
water and was stlll smoldering. Not
living soul was seen about the har-
bor. but bodies were floating every
where in the water. When the first
officer OF the korona saw that a ship
OF his own line had been destroyed and
that most Of his brother officers had
perish,d. lac burst into tears. The crew
of our ship had many friends among
the dead OF the Roruma
Lava was sull pouring from the side
Of the mountain, ana I saw little
valley IN which hundreds of people
had lived completely nllod with a river
OF the burning matter, The aspect OF
the scene was whit,sh, ana the noun.
tain and the town were covered with a
oloa, u ashes that looked Ike snow
In the sunshine,
"a great cloud OF white yopor stood
over the active mouth OF the volcano
The dcsolatlou was complete, and there
was not a Sign Of a living thing as far
ns the eye could reach | had been in
Martinique before. 81. Pierre was 4
beautiful little city, aud when remem
bcrcd how cheerful and bright Il had
all been the day before / could not he'll
weeping
captain carey soon discovered that
he could 10 nothing ana We made ouI
way to Furt-de- France. where we ar
rived early in the afternoon. Between
81 Picrre and Fort de France We pick
ed up six negroes in dugout They
nuN hiin lllNllh anu NNN fNNhlth u
the shore and taken 90 the canoe
When we got within haiing distance
OF them. we heard their cries FOR hell
IN their French patois They had beer
burned and had endured much suffer
Ing We landed them at Forlde
France. aud they were taken 10 Tho
hospital there At Fort. de France ",
took aboard First Ofiioer Scott and As
slstant purser Thompson Of the Rorui
ma aud brought them to New York
THE pictures that ! took were Oh
taiued IN the harbor OF St. Pierre, and
believe that mine was the FIRST Gamer,
that was focused on the scene
Chains For the smart Girl.