Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-06-05
SNAPPED MONT PELEE.
How a Woman Photographed
the West Indian Tragedy.


the West Indian Tragedy.
HOT ASHES WE'RE STILL FALLING
Mrs. H. Merrill of New York Believes
Her Camera Was the First Focus
ed on the Burning Ruins and Mont
PeIee = Snapped Her. Camera Six
Times.
49,
This is the personal narrative of
Mrs. n. Merrill of 100 East Seventy
third street, New York city. who saw
st. Pierre under it's shroud of ashes
the day after Mont Pelee destroyed 1t,
says the New York World. She took
photographs Of the ruins and the
mountain, still in eruption, from the
deck of the Korona, sister ship of the
Roraima, which latter was burned by
hot lava in the harbor. The buildings
Of st. Pierre, the warehouses and the
docks were still aflame when the pho
tographs We're taken. Lava was flow
ing in steady streams down the slope
into the sea. Mrs. Merrill, notwith-
standing her difficulties, for the hot
ashes were still falling from Mont
Pelee, snapped her camera six times.
Mrs. Merrill left New York in the
early spring to visit friends at Bar
bados.
II took passage on the Korona,
which was to have touched at st.
Pierre on May 8, the day of the ex-
plosion Of Mont Pelee," she said. 1--WE
escaped with our lives by lucky
chance. The ship remained at Barba-
dos instead Of proceeding according to
schedule to ST. Pierre, to take on an
extra cargo of sugar. When 1 learned
this, l decided to spend another pleas
ant day at Barbados. On the morning
of May we heard sounds as if of ter
rife cannonading.
"'In the AFTERNOON / was out with a
coaching party. The sky was suddenly
overcast, and it grew darker and dark
er until by O'clock we were in total
darkness. 1t was 1erker than any
night-absolute darkness if you can
comprehend it. During the night a fine
volcanic dust was sifted from the
clouds and FELL in binding and choking
quantities. 1t is fine, gray, fourlike
powder of heavy weight. 1t is really
good for brushing the teeth and looks
like tooth powder with charcoal mixed
with it. 1t covered Barbados and was
thick upon the deck of the ship when
we sailed the next morning.
1.-THE sky had cleared, and, although
Captain Carey of the Korona knew
there had been volcanic eruption, he
did not know it was Mont Pelee. We
headed for ST. Pierre, which lay on our
regular route, to pick up the mails and
take on passengers.
Fifty miles away the dust from
| Mont Pelee continued to descend, but
| in lighter quantities. Soon we caught
sight of the great cloud Of steam and
smoke hanging above the crater Of the
volcano. We arrived in front of st.
| Pierre in the morning of May 8, the
| day after the eruption. A thick pail of
smoke still hung over the place, and
the ruins We're still burning: We enter
ed the barber for closer view and got
| believe, within half mile of the
| Roraima and the other shipping that
had been destroyed.
1.-The Roraima was lying in shallow
water and was still smoldering Not
living soul was seen about the har
| Dor, but bodies We're floating every
| where in the water. When the first
officer of the Korona saw that ship
of his own line had been destroyed anG
that most of his brother officers haG
persisted, he burst into tears. The crew
of our ship had many friends among
the dead of the Roraima.
Lava was still pouring from the side
Of the mountain, and / saw little
valley in which hundreds of people
had lived completely filled with river
of the burning matter. The aspect Of
the scene was whitish, and the noun
tain and the town were covered with {
cloak of ashes that looked like snow
in the sunshine.
"a great cloud Of white vapor stood
over the active mouth of the volcano
The desolation was complete, and ther,
was not sign Of a living thing as fal
as the eye could reach. had been il
Martinique before. st. Pierre was /,
beautiful little city, and when remem
bered how cheerful and bright it hat
all been the day before could not hell
weeping.
Captain Carey soon discovered tina
he could do nothing, and we made ou
way to Fort-de- France where we ar
rived early in the afternoon. Between
st. Pierre and Fort-de- France we pick
ed up six negroes in a dugout. The,
had been inland and had escaped II
the shore and taken to the canoe
When we got within hailing distanc
of them, we heard their cries for hell
in their French patois. They had bee
burned and had endured much suffer
ing. We landed them at Fort-de
France, and they We're taken to tn
hospital there. At Fort-de- France w
took aboard First Officer Scott and AS