Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-29
the matches removed and the men began
lightering the cargo.

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lightering the cargo.
The vessel is new one, about $50
feet in length and drawing 241s feet of
water. She has had stormy voyage
on what is practically her first trip.
She was built last year and on this
trip encountered heavy weather lost
both small boats and was swept by the
seas Hanging on one set of davits on
the starboard side is small boat pur-
chased at st. Lucia. This boat was
formerly on the ill-fated Assam, a.
steamship which foundered short
time ago of Cape Henlopen. The small
boat carried 10 survivors of the steam
ship and of this number five died from
exposure before rescuers could reach
them. The boat was taken to ST. Lucia
and sold.
Capt Whymple is one of the few
masters who has reached this port
withouta a consignment of rum on board
his vessel. Usually all foreign vessels
carry brandies, runs or cordials.
The Whitgrift is the first vessel to
arrive in this port from the vicinity of
the eruptons. She is now at anchor
in the Delaware River channel opposite
Pigeon Point and is laden with nitrate
of soda from Iquique, Chill. for the
du Pont Co. The total amount is
| 1880 tons, part of which is to be un-
loaded here in bags on cars on floats,
which will be placed on the tracks of
| the w. q N. railroad and taken to the
plant of the powdermakers. The vessel
will then proceed up the river to
Thompson's s Point, where the remainder
of the cargo will be lightered and
placed ashore. The lightering of the
vessel is under contract with Capt.
Dalzell Of Philadelphia, who began the
work today.
That the vessel had been in the
vicinity of the volcanic eruptions and
| touched at st. Lucia gave rise to many
surmises and it was claimed that she
| had refugees on board, who were
escaping from the volcano encrusted
| territory. When the vessel arrived
opposite the pier Customs Inspector
Peter b. Ayars, Contractor Dalzell and
several men with number of reporters
boarded the vessel from the tug Laaur
b of the p. q r. railway.
LETTf FROM cnnsUL MACALLIsTER.
Consul Macallster has written the
| following letter to tho editor of the
Sunday Star:
We have been having considerable excite
4 ment over the volcanic eruption at Mar.
| Unique about 130 miles away, which broke
ont three days ago, causing great fear and
loss of life and property. Yesterday, May
| 7th, the volcano at st. Vincent, about 9O
miles west from here, broke out in terrific
sounded as if in the harbor here and was
supposed at first to be the firing of very
heavy guns at the fort. Heavy rumbllngs
succeeded, and very soon dense black
cloud appeared in the direction of st. Vim
| baCtos. At O'Clock it became dark here and
by O'Clock it was as dark as the darkest
midnight, although the sun was more than
| I'm hour from its setting. About 4.3O the
sand and dust began to fall very rapidly.
singing and binding like small hail or Q
sand storm. This continued all night and
today at u O'Clock the air is filed with the
dust the sun is partly obscured and the dust
stirred by the wind is like heavy fog, max
ing breathing difficult, which. with tine heat,
renders everything oppressive. Until rain
falls we will suffer and there is no sign Of
such relief.
| enclose clippings from the papers and
latest kilograms from st. Vincent. | am
pressed to get others in the ship about to
leave. also send you by parcel post tin
can containing some OF the dust which
gathered from the hotel porch myself. You
will find in an envelope some OF the sand OIL
dust as it fell during the first half hour-tht
loose portion was gathered later Everything
looks ghastly because of the deposits.
Judge that the dust is about an inch in deptt
all over Barbados, probably more. Mrs
Macalister and myself are we'll. A strone
sulphurous vapor accompanied the falling o
the dust and ashes, and as every window hac
to be kept tightly closed, the heat was op
preasive. You will zee more particulars By
the clippings--also, IN account of a similar
eruption in 1872. Please show the dust Il
our friends. Mrs. Macallister Joins me il
kind remembrance to all our friends.
Truly yours, S. A. Macallister.
The newspaper clippings referred tc
give details of the disaster.