Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-29
SAILED A FIERY SEA
Amidst Rain OF Redhot Dust Rod.
dams Captain Takes His Vessel to a
Safa uo,l,o~

safe Harbor.
| The Norton Line steamer, Etona has ar.
rived In New York from the River PLATE,
via st. Lucia, where she called for coal.
May 10.
AT St Lucia, MSy H." says Captain
Cantell. II went on board the Britisi
steamer Roddam, which had escaped from
the eruption at Martinique three DAYS b.
fore. The state of the ship showed an aw
Iful experience. The Roddam was covere
with fine blush gray ashes of cement-ul.
appearance. In some parts 1t lay two fe
deep on the decks. This matter ha
fallen. in n red-hot state, all over tn
steamer, setting fire to everything burma
Die. When It fell on the men on board 4,
burned off limbs and large pieces Of flesh
rms was proven by finding portions q,
human bodies when the decks wero. clear
ed Of the debris. The rigging. ropes. et,.
were charred and most of the upper works
had been swept overheard or burned
ISkylights were smashed and the cabins
were hlled with volcanic dust.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
II visited the captain Of the Roddam in
the hospital at St Lucia, where he gave
me an occount of his terrible experjenee
ne mad just anchored at St. Pierre. on the
morning of May 8. The captain was tall
ing TO the agent Of the vessel who had
come on board, when he saw what appear-
ed 10 be an enormous black cloud like a
wall with patches of fire in it. approach.
ing the sea from the land With it care
an immense tidal wave of boiling water
accompanied by a loud and terrible noise
He shouted, take shelter" to the crew.
lmediately the steamer was caught and
tossed over on her side, almost capsizng
Darkness fell like a pail and volumes Of
red-hot matter showered down while tho
air was thick with sulphurous fumes and
aust. Inc sea was "A mass of boiling mud
Fire soon broke out in different parts It
the ship. Screams of agony from the i'll
Jured, mingled with the terrible noise or
boiling water and rushing air, together
with the falling fire, caused most hor-
rible confusion.
HARD FIGHT TO ESCAPE
The captain of the Roddam, knowing
that his vessel had steam up and realiz-
ing the necessity for escape. signaled to
start the engines full speed 1t happened
that some of the engineers were near by
The tidal wave which had swept over tho
Rodam had parted the cable and the YES
sci was adrift. 1t was found that the
steering gear had become disabled and for
more than an hour the Rodda M engines
were worked, backing and going ahead.
with the hope of turning her toward the
sea. Once she get near the Rorainla.
| Both vessels were in flames
| Some of those aboard iumped into the
boiling water; some fell dying to the deck
All this time the red hot matter was tall
ing and the water was kissing and steam
ing dense masses of vapor Smoke and
aust tlled the air and poisonous fumes
spread everywhere.
After some time the Roddam's steer
ing gear moved little and enabled tn
captain to head her out to sea. AS The
air cleared the scene on board became
CHASTITY.
The ship steamed on through thi, X.
hot dust. The screams from the I'M .rcd
became more audible. Some rushed fran
tcaly about with their clothes on fire
and large pieces of flesh burned fruru
, arms and bodies; others in their agony lay
writing in the red hot dust.
In about two hours the air became
gradually clear. An investigation of the
casualties showed that. besides the cap
tain, who was frightfully injured, only
two engineers, two sailors and the boat
: swain were able to do duty.
Fire was still burning about the ship
and the rigging was in flames. The cap
tain decided to try TO reach ST. Lucia.
forty-fve miles away. This he succeeded
in doing by 6 o'clock on the evening ot
May s. In the time occupied on this ter
rible voyage the experiences of the sur
vivorS was still worse than that already
gone through The brave captain and his
few men fighting the fire, exhausted and
scalded struggled to do something to as
sist their dying shipmates. while those
below strove to keep up steam.
EIGHTEEN DEAD ON BOARD.
The captain. suffering the greatest
agony, succeeded in navigating his YES
sci to Castries. St. Lucia. with IS dead
bodies on the deck and human limbs scat
tered about a sailor stood by constantly
: wiping the captains injured eyes.
Il think the performance of the Rod
dams captain was most wonderful, in
t view Of his pitiful condition. l do not
understand how he kept up: yet when the