Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-15
SAW NUNS BURN.
Convict Relates Graphic Story of De-
struction Of St. Pierre.

struction Of St. Pierre.
Fort de France, May 15.-Pierre Ba-
chere, the prisoner who was found
semi-suffocated but still alive in the
dungeon of the city prison of st.
Pierre has recovered sufficiently to de-
scribe what he could see OF the erup-
ton and the destruction of the town
from the small grated window which
was the only opening in his cell.
81 was just eating by breakfast
that morning" he said, when the
rumbling which l had heard beneath
my cell for three or four days prev
iously stopped suddenly. do not
know why, but l felt frightened, as
though something fearful were to hap
pen. Then the whole place became
black, sort of violet black, and |
heard screams all through the prison.
Il could not help feeling that there
was disaster near and l screamed
to the jailers to come and unlock my
cell, but l could not make anyone
hear The little window in my cell
looked out on the back of the convent,
where 200 girls and large number of
nuns always We're, but there was a
high wall between my cell and the
convent.
Sees Lurid Glow in Sky.
'.The violet darkness grew blacker
and blacker until it was almost as dark
as though it were night, and then sud
denly the whole place was lighted up
with a curious glow. sometimes red,
sometimes green, but generally red. l
put my little table against the cell win
dow and hanging on by the bars at
tempted to look out, but could not see
anything because of the brick wall in
front of me.
"While looked, however, a huge
red hot stone crashed down just in
front of my window. right on the top
Nof the wall, knocking it down. The
heat from this stone was most intense
and made my post at the window fear
full to endure, but the sight was such
that could not turn away.
Right in front OF me where the
brick wall had stood saw the large
convent, and l could see that molten
matter had come down the hill and run
into the grounds Of the convent,
realized then that there must have
been an eruption OF Mount Pelee. nc
my horror I discovered that the lava
had completely eacircled the convent
with it's first rush and that all the girls
and sisters who were in the building
We're doomed.
Sees the Convent Ruined.
while looked | saw another stone,
| even larger that the one which had
| fallen near my cell window and brok
en- down the wall, strike on the con
vent roof and crash through its three
stories, evidently plunging through tt
| the ground. had not seen any OF the
sisters until that time and | suppose
they had depended for safety in the
| building, seeking shelter from the rail-
| of hot ashes which | could see falling
Scarcely minute passed by afte,
this huge stone crashed through whel
| | saw the poor girls focking out in the
| utmost terror. Their actions looked a!
though they were screaming in ar
agony of fright, but could not hear
sound owing to the Kissing of the
lava and the roar of the volcanic dis
charge. AS the girls came running oui
| I saw that they carried with them bod
les of those who had been injured b.
! the crashing of the stone through the
building. Some they carried out wer
dead, while | could see that other
were only injured
"The sisters came running out, toe
bringing appliances for helping tn
i injured, but those who had hurried GU
of the building We're driven in agai
by the binding ashes and the fume
which could see rise from the lava.
Lava Encircles the Convent.
"a pit had been dug on the insid
of the wall in order that none of tn
!, girls should be able to climb UP fror
! the inside, and this acted as q sol
:. of moat in which the lava floated, an
} thus made complete circle arount
the convent. rendering escape imposs
BILE, even it is had been possible to liv
in the rain of hot stones and ashe
from the mountain.
Again, as looked, ] saw anothe