The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-02-11
The Story of a orea. Catastrophe.

"Oh, that / had never seen the island
of Martinique !" With these words
Frank r. Robertson introduced one Of
the finest lectures ever heard upon the
rostrum Of Assembly hall, and before
he finished the tale OF St. Pierre's awful
doom, his hearers fully understood the
meaning OF his opening words. Mr..
Robertson was member Of the commits
sion appointed by President Roosevelt
to carry food and offerings Of the Amer
lean public to the people of Martinique
after the volcanic eruption OF Mt. Pelee
last year, and in his lecture he described
what he saw with his own eyes, Illus
trating IT with dissolving Photographic
views taken upon the spot. When on
the sea bound for Martinique, Mr.. Rob-
ersons ship put into the barber OF st.
Thomas, In the Danish West Indies,
and the lecturer took occasion to show
a few not very desirable specimens OF
these people who may soma day be fell
low American citizens.
When the party finally arrived at
Martinique and cast anchor In the har-
Dor Of Fort de France, which is fourteen
and one-half miles from Mt. Pelee, the
ship was surrounded by boats manned
by negroes. Supposing them to be fam
ished refugees the Americans offered
them food, but to their surprise the ma
tives replied by Offering to sell the
relief expedition all the food they want
ed at three times the regular price.
This was afterward explained by the
fact that of the people of st. Pierre,
who would naturally be destitute, hard
ly one was left alive. From Fort de
France the party went to st. Pierre,
the scene OF the catastrophe.
Here the lecturer called attention to
the islands distinction Of being the
birthplace Of Josephine, who afterward
became the wife Of Napoleon the Great.
Her tragic life lent melancholy inter-
est to these scenes of her childhood.
A scene was thrown showing the
beautiful city Of st. Pierre nesting be-
side the rugged hills and shadowed by
the gloomy peak of Pelee four and one
half miles away. This city, surrounded
by the most luxuriant tropical scenery
In the world, was also reputed as the
gayest and most immoral spot on the
face Of the earth. Without moments
warning, like the crack OF doom, Mt.
Pelee exploded and thirty-one thousand
people we're killed In the twinkling OF
an eye. So terrific was the report that
II was heard from four to six hundred
miles away. In succession of scenes
Mr.. Robertson showed the fearful desola-
tion that was wrought. Graves were
laid open, the skeletons brought to
light. Long streets once prosperous
with business, now nothing but heaps
of scattered stone and brick. The dead,
Astounding everywhere, decaying under
the hot sun, had to be put In piles and
burnt. Nothing but ruin, desolation
and death. or the thousands there,
but one man, murderer in dungeon,
escaped instant death and he, at sight
Of the awful ruins, went mad. In con-
| cluding the lecturer described his own
thrilling escape from death when at
tempting to scale Mt. Pelee. A sudden
shower of lava came down upon them,
they ran for the oceans edge, jumped
in and finally reached their boat, but
not until badly burned. The last scene
a colored picture OF Mt. Pelee In erup-
tion-with its lurid flames and rolling
smoke thrown heaven high, the de-
scription OF its terrible rumble and roar
and the memory OF the ruin 1t had
wrought, indelibly fixed upon the aud
fence the only name fitting 1t, In its
truest and most awful sense, veritable
hell upon earth.