Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-22
ING STORIES OF
1THE GREAT DISASTER
Ia by Men of Boats That
Nd in New York City
In the Volcanic Belt.
lHRE COATED WITH ASHES
Fears for the Safety of
st. Lucia.
Ated Near IA Volcano Said to be
,But which May become Active
BY of the Steamship Roddam's
Through Kissing, steaming Water
Ipge Tidal Wave.

Through Kissing, Steaming water
Hpge Tidal Wave.
York, May Is. Two steam
Etona and the Horace, which
|l here this morning, were the
7&Ssels to reach New York from
Islands since the de-
In OF st. Pierre.
ehips touched at st. Lucia and
6xfhrough the stream OF sand and
I#hich enveloped the Caribbean
Il undreds of miles in the vicinity
a3&blcano. The Horace brings word
ie visitation of st. Pierre is
upon by the superstitious
S|Es as a judgment of God.
Lie in st. Lucia, said an officer
G%Nessel, ~ heard several OF the
lks telling one another that they
3d the destruction of st. Pierre
4 punishment sent by the
lily on account of the wicked
the city. don't know about
4ivine retribution, but / do know
&}E Pierre was a bad place. 1t
Little Paris, only worse. A great
persons from Paris visited tho
Rlad all forms of vice seemed to
zTee reign there. "
8Horace, which carries cargo of
Il grom Brazil, stopped at st. Lucia
iH;night of May 9th, leaving early
ID following day, two days after
Iruption of Mount Pelee. Although
raw have been kept busy scrubbing
|H1p, the decks and every part of
I]8sel showed the effects of the
aI|storm through which it had
n All about the decks ashes
be seen working out of the
fB and crevices where the brooms
Ii men had not reached.
d paint was blistered, and in the
Iii portions of the ship the white
\ lboked as il it might have been
III melted and then coated over
Efhe sitting ashes. In the life
4 and elsewhere we're little mounds
1lcanic dust, caked in hard masses
be- dew and the sun. Capt. Byrnes
u large jar filled with the ashes
Md fallen upon the deck as the
Bme away from st. Lucia, passing
Vincent.
iii of the officers Of the Horace de-
S55d the storm of ashes through
III they passed as being like a
III snowstorm with the thermometer
"a Negroes.
n hurt our eyes and choked us, "
Vntinued, "and the air was SO filled
lithe fine dust that we could not
hHlf a mile ahead. The most
SHing picture of all | saw was
II FREEMAN, who escaped with his
Hthei Roddam, from st. Pierre. As
Nv bim in st. Lucia he scarcely
ia like man, he was burned and
'ted b badly. He sat with his
ksiiuported on pillows, and said tc
HNiIgly that there WASH t enough
on one of his arms to bait fish.
Hnry Chastenet,. q native of st.
W. vas the only passenger on the
There is a volcano in St Lucia, =
lid, n but it is said to be practi,
y extinct. That is what they sale
lit Mount Pelee; that is what thcy
l,yed about the sulphur Pit on St
Iient but we all know what ha:
,Sould yon see anything of the ter
tcutburst on Martinique from St
Avn ba was oSkn1
only the hideous bursts OF angr.
tflanne, he replied, which woult
5far up into the black clouds lik,
sudden burst from mighty bias
lace. Then would come darkness
a wrenching and shaking of tht
u, with noises that sounded as i
hhe powers of the universe wer,
lggling under your feet .
apt Cantell Of the Etona, bring
3 thrilling details.
'At ST Lucia May 1lth. y say
" Cantell, Il went on board tn
2mer Roddam. The state of th
twas enough to show that those ol
! dsmust have undergone an awfu
Renee. The Roddam was covered
\ d mass of fine BLUSH gray dust o
ef cement-like appearance. Ii
sparts it was two feet deep on tn
ats. This had fallen in u red ho
y all over the steamer, setting fir
oveything it struck that was burn
and when it fell on the men o
ltd burned off limbs and large piece
&sh,
,Rprtions of human remains wer
# hen the decks were cleared 4
hefigging, ropes, tarpaulins, sail
faWisings were charred, and most {
fupper stanchions and spars ha
swept overheard or destroyed h
3. Skylights were smashed an
ms we're filled with volcanic dust
d soehe of ruin was deplorable.
Nyisited the captain of the Roddai
,7he hospital at st. Lucia, where h
/, IAN account Of his terrible es
sence, He had jusS arrived an
'hored at st Pierre on the mornin
DAY Sth. The captain was standin
Il the ladder talking to the agent {
y vessel, who had come on boarc
idn he saw what appeared to he a
dmous cloud, like a wall wit
llshes of fire in it, approaching the SO
on the land. With it came an in
lseStidal wave of boiling waite,
t}fnpanied by loud and terrib,
be. He shouted Take shcltor! /
crew.
Immediately the steamer was caugt
tossed over on her side, almci
liking. Darkness fell like a pa
volumes Of red-hot matter showere
"a, while the air was thick wit
ohprous fumes and dust. The sc
confused boiling mass.
T ke soon broke out in differel
III the ship. Screams, groans an
Ets8 of agony from the injured
lied with the terrible noise
ling water and rushing air, togeth,
II the falling fire, caused horrib
0 o&sion and frightful din. This shoe
yNi few minutes.
Nhe captain of the Roddam. kney