The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-30


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through the water as far as her anchor
cable would permit. Then she seemed to
rise by the bow, and when she settled
back she sank almost before the force
of the explosion had spent itself.
THE Roraima was all a mass of
flames for several seconds. We could
see the poor wretches aboard of her
rushing about in a vain attempt to es-
cape from the fire that enveloped them.
Capt. Muggah-or at least l suppose it
was he-made an attempt to give or
ders to the maddened crew. Then he
staggered to the railing and fell over
board.
''The Roddam was also overcome.
Her gangway was over the side. Her
upper works were wrecked, but by he
roic effort those on board were able to
let go the anchor. and, after many at
tempts, the ship began to move. She
literally crawled away. II was a SPLEEN
did display of courage. At least three
hours elapsed after the explosion be-
fore the Roddam cleared the harbor.
Not IA Cry Was Heard.
ION shore all was aflame. The city
burned with terrible roar. We real
lied that the inhabitants had all died.
as not one was to be seen making an
attempt " tSNdpt. NOl cry was
heard, save from the ships that were
in the harbor
Our own condition was desperate in
the extreme. The heat was intense
We were able to keep our faces above
the surface of the water for a second
at time at the most. We would take
a mouthful of air and then sink into
the water to stay there until forced to
come to the surface again. This only
a v,,iv A
we were able to float by the side of the
boat dipping only occasionally.
When we could sustain the heat
that filled the air we clambered back
into the boat and rowed back to Car
bet. AT Carbet we found the village
absolutely deserted.
Understandable Horrors.
ut is impossible to describe. even in
the most faint manner, the horrors Of
st. Pierre. There will be some things
that can be explained and many more
that cannot be explained by anything
known to modern reason.
1t happened that one of the first
bodies found by the party with which
we entered st. Pierre on Monday was
that of pretty little girl. about
years old. She sat in a lifelike posi-
ton by the side of box containing
her toys. But how explain the fact
that the house in which il was found
was in absolute ruins, and, instead
of being under the debris, the body
was on top of it all? 1t was as though
the little girl and her box of toys
had been lifted into the air, and, af-
ter the building had fallen into ruins.
been dropped back to earth.
so it was in the streets. The ex-
plosion happened just before o'clock.
was feast day. Mass was called
for o'clock, and many were on their
way to the Cathedral. All of these
had been lifted into the air, and af-
ter the ruins had fallen the bodies
dropped back.
Peculiar Effects of the Explosion.
when melinite expIodes in the
hands of man ii is always the case
that his clothes are blown from his
body. So ii was at st. Pierre All
of the bodies were naked save for
the shoes. Moreover. the clothing had
not been burned off, as has been so
often reported. The only bodies touch
ed by fire were those that remained
where the houses burned after the ex-
plosion.
1--WE saw great stones that seemed
to be marvels of strength, but when
touched by the toe of a boot they
crumbled into impalpable dust |
picked up a bar of iron. 1t was about
an inch and a half thick and three
feet long. 1t had been manufactured
square and then twisted so as to give
it greater strength. The fire that
came down from Mount Pele had taken
from the iron all of its strength, and
had left it so that when | twisted
it it fell into fragments, like so much
broom straw
Back of the Cathedral was the sa-
vannah. Great trees had been torn by
the roots, leaving a hole twenty feet
deep and thirty to forty feet across.
Then this hole had been filled by the
ashes that poured down from the vol
cano. Trees were cut off as though
by mighty knife in the hands of a
giant reaper. Everywhere were banks
of cinders and ashes.
Significant Attitudes of the victims.
when the Baron and 1 first went
into the ruined city we were too awe
struck to speak. Then I found tongue
and l called to him. His name echoed
back to us from a score of standing
walls. All about US were bodies. On
few faces was to be seen that peace
which l have seen mentioned by 9TH
ers. / believe that almost all had time
to realize what was upon them, but
they did not have time to suffer. Their
arms were outstretched. The hands |
were open and the fingers were spread. |
1t was a common gesture, and | be- |
lieve that 1t was the act OF men and |
women who threw up their arms to |
ward off a blow which they knew was |
descending upon them
There was another fact which has |
not been remarked upon as II deserves. |
/ know that the explosion OF Mont Pc |
lee was not accompanied by anything |
like an earthquake, for the reason that |
when we entered St. Pierre we found |
the fountains all flowing. just as
though nothing had happened They /
continued 70 flow, and are flowing still. |
unless destroyed by the later explo-
slOns.
No Flow of Lava from Mount PeIee.
There was no how OF lava II was