Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-08-11
ERUPTION OF ST. PIERRE
Graphic Description by the Vicar
of Martinipne.

"Aque Dy vicar General Parel tn,
whole forming an historic documen
OF great intelligence and particular
ity. A copy Of the original was giyer
~ the writer to Chaplain MacGrail
OF the Dixie. and appears entire il
Century. The qualities Of a trained
observer appear in these pathetic pas
sages:
Thursday, May 8. The Ascension
This date should be written in blood!
Toward four o'clock In the morn.
ing violent thunderstorm, with tor.
rents OF rain, broke over Fort d.
France. Toward eight O'Clock the
horizon in the north. in the direction
OF the volcano, was as black as ink.
The clouds were moving rapidly to-
ward the northwest. The sky WIS
darkening more and more. when sud
denly i heard something like hail
falling on the roofs and the leaves
OF the trees. A great noise rose
from the city. In church, where the
eight o'clock mass was in progress,
terrible panic seized the congrega-
tion, and the priest was left stand
ing alone.
Night had descended on us, and the
crash OF thunder was continuous. The
sea retreated three times for a dis
tance OF several hundred meters. The
boat which was putting out Of 81.
Pierre turned back.
II stepped out on my balcony to take
in the situation, and Immediately 1t
was covered with hail Of stones and
still hot cinders. People stood Ietri.
fled ON their doorsteps. Others ran
wildly here and there through the
streets. All this lnsted for about
quarter OF an hours quarter on an
hour OF terror.
But what was happening at ST.
Pierre? No one dared to think. Tel.
ephonic communication had been cut
on abruptly in the middle OF n word.
Some persons asserted that they had
seen, above the tops OF the mountains
separating us from st. Pierre. a col.
umn OF fire rising into the sky and
spreading outward toward all points
OF the horizon. Boundless anxiety
seized upon us all. At II O'Clock the
Marin set out to reconnoiter. It wit
messed sight appalling beyond imag.
ination. 81. Pierre was nothing but
one vast brazierl When the truth.
like the funeral knell of Martiniaue.
reached us at about one o'clock. cry
OF horror went up not to be desc ribed.
will not try to give a picture Of
such scenes. To write Of them would |
take the pen OF Dante and the ac. |
cents OF Jeremiah.
II learn that boat Is to be sent out |
to rescue the wounded. am fortn- |
nate enough to obtain a place in it,
together with one Of my Wears. The
police and gendhrmes cannot keep back
the crowd struggling to make its way
on board. The expedition is composed |
OF the public prosecutor Of the repub-
lie. and officer, and a platoon OF ma
rines. People refuse to believe in the
realities Of so horrible disaster. They
cling to every hypothesis that may still
make hope possible We say to our.
selves that, at least, a great part of
the population must have had time to
feel
When, about four o'clock In the
afternoon, we turn the last promon-
terry that separates MS from what was
once the magnificent panorama OF st.
Pierre, the first sight that strikes our
yea. at the farther end Of the road
'tead. is Riyiere Blanche, with its
tream Of smoke, throwing itself fu-
'iously, as the day before, into the sea.
Then a little farther out, large
steamer 1.-THE Roraima) In flames. We
iear that II is an American packet.
ust arrived that morning, In time TO
y enveloped in the catastrophe. Two
'ther steamboats, are burning nearer
he shore. Wreckage and the up-
urned keels Of boats strew the road.
tesd. And this is all that is left of
he 30 OF 40 ships anchored here the
lay previous. All along the quays.
or distance OF 200 meters, piles of
lumber are burning. There are smau.
r hres on the hills about the city. yis-
BILE, through the smoke MS far as
'onds Core. But ST. Pierre. that city
his morning alive, full of human
ouls, 10 no morel II Hes consumed
'efore us. In its windng-shect Of
moke and cinders, silent and Gcsolate.
city Of the dead. We strain our
yes for fleeing Inhabitants, for men
eturning to hurry their lost ones. We
se no onel There is no living being
eft in this desert OF desulation. framed
terrifying solitude. In the back.
round, when the cloud of smoke and
inders breaks away, the mountain
M Its slopes, once so green, stand
orth Ike an Alpine landscape They
ook as II they were covered with a
esvy cloak OF snow, and through the
atmosphere rays Of pale
nnshine, wan, and unknown to our
attitudes. illumine this scene with a
ght that seems TO belong to the other
ide Of the grave
with what profound emotion I
aise my hand over these $4,000 victims
lesPihs, In their dread tomb their
~, II ]