Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-30
MONT PfLRE IN ACTION
A Race With the Stream Of Lava
Fortunateachange OF
+. t,as.

The following extract from private let
ter from Barbados. qated. st. Lucia, jan
uary II. describing the latest eruption Of
Mont Pelee issof interest:
st LUCIA. January n, 1908.
I have been to see what remains OF st.
Pierre. and don't want to go again. The
h. M. Company, now that the intercoionial
boat has to remain at st. Vincent owing to
the vaccinations blockade. has been running
excursions round that island to enable peo-
PIE to see the Souffrfere. etc. To carry it
further. they arranged to take a party
from st. Vincent, call at st. Lucia for an
other. and then go on to st. Pierre via Fort
de France.
I'VE left here Sunday morning C25th inst)
at o'clock having on board about 800
people. which Included nearly all the pub
he officers of both places, except the ad-
m1nistrator. We got to Fort de France at
II 80. and had to wait two hours until the
governors permission to land at st. Pierre
could be obtained. That got we steamed
down to ST. Pierre, getting there about
$3.50. Most Of the people landed. and Major
Holder Of the R. N, England; another
young military officer and myself, being
among the first boatload, started for the
entrance north OF st. Pierre, our object
being to get good view Of the cone OF
Peiee, which Is thin pinnacle of rock.
rising some 800 feet (when we first saw it,
above the tip of the crater. The volcano had
been practically quiescent for some weeks,
merely emitting puffs Of smoke, SO we ap-
pretended no danger.
Having satisfied our curiosity and the
signal gun for our return to the steamer
having been been fired, we strolled leis-
urely back to the landing place at the ex-
IRENE south of St. Pierre, getting there
about pm We found most of the peo-
pie had gone ON board, but there were still
about $50 ashore.
A Sudden Eruption.
"All Of sudden Major Holder exclaimed;
Here's an eruption!' and on looking up to
the volcano we were horrified to see the
caulifower, or brains rolling down on us
at a terrific rate, and the crater all in
fiames when visible. You can imagine the
scene that ensued. There was Immediately
a rush for the boats. Seeing that 1t was
useless for me to attempt to get place,
and remembering the fate of the Roraime
1 started off south as fast as my short legs
would take me. But could not resist the
temptation, like Lots wife, to look back,
only to see that the cloud had reached the
sea to the north, and was still advancing.
AS the volcano is four miles in direct line
from St. Pierre, the cloud had reached
there in something considerably under three
minutes, so you can imagine the velocity.
However, on looking back, saw Maj Hod-
der struggling to assist a Mr.. Dillingham; Ga
civil surveyor of the r. N, just from
home) go carry his wife, SO I waited to
help, ana then OH We petteQ again. My
God You should have seen on that road!
One minute mounting to two or three hun
dred feet, the next In the sea. half drag
gfng, half carrying that poor woman along!
The road was strewn with trees and bould-
ers from the previous eruptions.
Eventually, that is, in something under
half an hour. we got to the village of Car
bet, about three miles from st. Pierre,
from whence we could still see st. Pierre
and the volcano.
A Marrow Escape.
'"To our relief, we. saw the wind had
driven back the eruption cloud; that it had
not reached the steamer or landing place,
and that the wind was carrying it north
ward to sea. OF course, We were then in a
pickle how to get back to the steamer, but
at last we got negro to man a canoe,
and we sent off some of the people who
had followed us to the steamer let them
know where we were. B.@
Eventually after picking up all the
stragglers along the shore. the captain
steamed UP and sent a boat for us, and We
got on board a little after pm. I believe
the scene on the steamer was awful, for
even Dr. Denneky gave up hope. The
sailors refused to man the boats to bring
the people from the shore, and volunteers
had to be called for from the Englishmen
on board and so the people got off. One
of the sailors jumped overheard, and on
being picked up wanted to fight the cap
tain and then every one else, and on ex-
amining him the doctor said he had gone
mad