The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1902-05-10

OF her crew was yesterday reported
This officer. from his bed In the hos
pital at ST. Lucia. can give only that
little which he witnessed and was
told. His story gives in substance
the following:
The volcano back Of the city.
which was known to the natives az
sangremone. but to the white popu-
Iaiion as Mount PeIee. had no, been
feared. as IL had been regarded as
extinct. II was clothed IN verdure
% It's crHter's edge. Not since 1851
had there been any signs 81 unrest.
On the morning o. May there
had been signs % an eruption, but
they were at first very slight on
the morning 81 the following day
smoke lowered over the head 81 Pc
lee. and many people sought places
~ shedier farther away from the
city. II Il believed some Of these
may have escaped. The signs Of
eruptive violence. however. subsidized
In a great degree and those who had
He'd began 20 return in small num-
bers- Then came that terrible Tues
day.
From a Witness
cone OF our boats was at tho
wharf" said the officer. when the
FIRST sign % the eruption occurred
IL had on board the man who told
me Of the scenes he saw. This man
was one ~ those who died after
reaching the ship. lie told me the
FIRST sign. as noticed at st. Pierre.
was a slight Fumbling then all 81 a
sudden voilsy Of stones was huri-
81 from the crater 81 Pslse. This
was followed BY other discharges az
rapidly aR musketry fire and con-
stanfiy Increasing tn sound. until at
last the whole mountain top seemed
torn loose and the detunatiOna we're
merged into one continuous roar.
There was a moment Of suspense Ina
which people rushed from their
homes and could be seen running 10
and fro. Then came an awful cloud
thrown high into the air. and day
light disappeared behind ash-iaden
clouds. riven only az intervals by
the fiery tracks or the molten mass
81.
The last this man saw Of that
terrible scene was an Understandable
rush Of terror stricken men. women
and children running through the
murky gloom and sitting air some
with heads covered IN the vain att
tempt 10 shield themselves from that
deluRa 81 fire. while over the DOOM
ed city iurid CLEANS ~ light cleft the
darkness as the roofs Of buildings
burst forth in blaze. A. the boat
pulled away from the wharf. crowd
ed with more than " would hold,
aRonlzlnE screams for aid we're watt
ed 10 them through the ever-increas-
ing blacknesa
Died at the osrs
THE ashes fell 80 fast. the waves
became heavy with q covering Of
dust. a maas Of fire fell upon the
boats crew. and three men died At
the oars Their comrades did not
cheek the terrible strain Of rowing
for ilfe 20 throw the bodies overheard
and Tighten the load. Past the burn
ing wreck of q vessel. supposed 10
the Morse Of Portland. Me-. the mon
rUWei. lighted by its blazing rnagts
and reached our vessel when we
were already under way. do not
believe there lives a man who can
tell the scenes In that city more com
pletely han this. believe I talked
70 the last living witness ~ the hor-
rors Of that place. When these men
clambered on board. others Of our
crew were jumping overheard to eB-
cape what seemed imminent death
on her decks In n hundred places
where sDattering drops ~ fire fell on
our ship, there burst little spots OF
faues. have no distinct rec0lIec-
lion Of giving or receiving any or
ders We were All In one grand
aght 10 save enough OF the planks
beneath US % get away from that
terrible furnace Of smoke and ash
en"