The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-21
The AWFUL EXPERIENCE
ora Survivor OF thc ST. Pierre Vol
CanO Disaster.

James TAYLOR. vino was one Of the
officers OF the Roraima, the Quebec
line steamship that was destroyed in
the harbor of St. Pierre, gives gra-
phic story OF the tragedy OF last Thurs
day, says q dispatch to The New York
Herald from St. Kits. Island OF st.
Christopher, B. ". l.
We experienced the greatest diili-
Guilty in getting into port. said he.
"Appalling sounds were issuing from
the mountains behind the town, which
was ShrCuded in darkness. All the
passengers were upand some were try
ing 10 obtain photographs.
Suddenly I heard Tremendous
explosion. Ashes began to fall thicker
upon the deck and could see black
cloud sweeping down upon up. l
dived below, and, dragging with me
Samuel Thomas. gangWav man ana
fellow countrEman. sprang intoa room,
shutting the door to keep out the heat
that was already unbearable.
The ship rocked and I expected
every moment that it would sink.
Outside / heard voice pleading for
the door to be opened. 1t was Scott,
the first officer, and l opened the door
and dragged him into the room.
1T soon became unbea1bly hot
and l went on deck. All about were
living the dead and dying. Little
children were moaning for water. l
did what l could for them. l obtain
ed water. but when it was held to
their swollen lips they were unable to
swallow, because of the ashes which
clogged their throatS. One little chap
took water in this method and rlnsed
out the ashes, but even then could
not swallow, so badly was his throat
burned. He sank back unconscious
and few minutes later was dead.
''All aft the ship was ah1e. and
from the land came draughts Of terri
bic heat. At last. when l could stand
it no longer l sprang overheard. The
water was hot enough to parboll me,
but wave soon swept in from the
ocean, bringing with it cool water.
Il was caught in the receding wave,
which was of tidal velocity. and was
carried out to sea. Then on the re-
turn of the second wave was wash
ed against an overturned Sloop, to
which clung. A few minutes later,
I was Joined by another man, whom l
learned was Captain Muggah, Of the
Roraima. He was in dreadful agony
and kept begging piteously to be put
on board his ship.
picking up some wreckage and a
tool chest, and five others who join
ed me. succeeded in forming a rude
raft. on which we placed the captain.
Seeing an upturned boat, l asked one
of the five to swim out to it and bring
it over so that Captain Muggah might
have an opportunity to live. The
man succeeded in getting the boat
righted, but instead of returning he
picked up two Of his countrymen and
went away in the direction OF Fort de
France.
Seeing the Roddam, which had ar.
rived in port soon after we anchored.
making for the Roraima. l said good
by to Captain Muggah and swan to the
Roddam. Before l could reach her
she burst into flames and put out to
sea. l finally reached the Roraima
about half past o'clock in the after
noon and later was taken off by the
cruiser Suchet."
Samuel Thomas, the gansway man,
whose life was saved by Taylor, de,
scribes a woman who was burned tC
death while she held her baby in hei
arms, protecting i: with her own body
from the fire that filed the air. The
child was alive long after its mother
! had ceased to suffer.