The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-03
EYE WITNESS
or DESTRUCTION
SAW THE ERUPTION OF PELEE
FROM A FISHING BOAT
OFF SHORE.
THE NARROW ESCAPE OF TWO
TOURISTS.
Eruption Began with a Burst of White
Smoke Like the Discharge From a
CanuOn-Spread Like a Pail.

NEW YORK, May 26.-Among the
passengers on the ship Caracas which
arrived today from West Indian ports,
was Count Fitzjames. The Count said
he had been stopping at St Pierre, on
his way here from French Guiana, and
that he was waiting for a ship to bring
him northwart on the day of the
eruption he and the Baron de Fonteilhat
went out fishing in a small boat and
were about two miles off shore when
the eruption came.
From the top OF the cone there was
burst of white smoke similar to the
explosion of cannon's charge, and this
was Immediately followed by a rapidly
spreading pail of heavy black smoke,
OVERLAPPING a dense yelOwish cloud.
which settled rapidly over ST. Pierre.
Almost Immediately the air became
exceedingly hot and sitting and soon
| ashes began to fall and spreading
cloud of black, which was impenetrable
to the eye, and covered everything.
The town was obscured completely,
being buried in the black mist. Then
the black cloud gradually rose, and as
| it was dissipated the yellOwish mist
melted into the atmosphere also, and as
! it vanished there leaped into the air
| the flames of burning st. Pierre. The
! fires burned for four or five hours, and
! st. Pierre was no more. The Count
! said it was impossible 10 impart the
! impression the awful spectacle made
upon a witness of it,
ITO see ships in the air" said he, was
to be stunned at the forces playing be-
| fore ones eye. l happened to be look
ing directly at the cable ship GrappleI
when the turmoil reached the ship and
/ saw her raised clear of the water,
should say fifteen feet, and then come
down and sink instantly"
1t became so unbearably hot ever
where the Count and his companion
were that they nd to pull away as
hard as they could. They landed some
distance southwark as soon as they be
lieved they had reached a safe place
ard made their way afOot to Fort d
France. The next day they went bacl
to the ruined town.
The Count brought with him her.
claret glasses fused, twisted ant
fiattened with a suggestion of irides
cence that is found on some burnet
glasses. He took it from a shop in st
Pierre, where it had been with other
on one of a set of wooden shelves. Tn
shelves had fallen in the collapse of tn
buildings walls, and while the Woo
was not burned in the least the glass
ware was all half fused. Near by ol
the floor a little girl had been playing
! with dolls, ana tnefe was a small lOlle
set among the toys. Every piece o
crockery in the toilet set was fused a
was the claret glasses but the corps
of the child was not burned.
The Count also brought with him thre
5 franc pieces, the size of our silve
dollar, which had been literally boiling
as the bubbles on them showed wher
they were not melted, and the letterin
on them was not even effaced. Thes
things and others similar furnishe
clear evidence of the tremendous an
momentary intensity of the heat
The destruction of st. PieTre's popu
lation was instantaneous according I
these indications.