EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. 



221 



in a whirlwind of fire. It appeared to them that 

 what burst from the volcano was highly heated 

 gas, carrying with it immense quantities of white- 

 hot volcanic ash. After the vessel reached the 

 harbor of Castries, St. Lucia, a survivor gave 

 the following account of his experience : " No 

 human being could stand against that terrific 

 deluge of molten ashes. Even those who reached 

 the cabin or the hold did not escape, almost every 

 nook and cranny of the ship being filled with the 

 blazing dust. Capt. Freeman sought shelter in 

 the chart-room, but, the port-holes being open, the 

 fire streamed in and burned him horribly on the 

 face and hands. The heat was awful, for the 

 mass of ashes that poured into the ship all aglow 

 retained their heat, and it was only with the 

 greatest difficulty and caution that it was pos- 

 sible to move about." 



From such testimony as could be gathered, it 

 appears that a fissure opened on the side of the 

 mountain overlooking the city and belched out 

 lava, superheated steam, and poisonous gases. 

 This rolled in a great cloud like a hurricane 

 down upon the doomed city, and in three minutes, 

 as estimated by some, every living creature, ex- 

 cept the man in the underground cell, was dead. 



From Martinique the Dixie proceeded to St. 

 Vincent, where more of her supplies were issued 

 to those who had been driven from their homes. 

 Here not so many lives were lost as in Marti- 



have been no hurricane blast of steam or gas 

 charged with burning dust sweeping down upon 

 any part of the island, as in Martinique. The 

 words of a survivor show how most of those who 

 were killed died: "A dark cloud came from La 

 Soufriere about 4 p. M., and a fine leaden powder 

 filled the air, penetrating the doors and windows 

 of the houses. People breathed it, and it was so 

 hot it burned the flesh. The people in the houses 

 began to cry out and struggle, shouting for water ; 

 and, placing their hands on their stomachs, they 

 gasped, fainted, and died. The hot powder burned 

 into the flesh wherever it touched." 



The eruptions appear to have been heard at 

 Maracaibo, Venezuela, 830 miles away. The Uni- 

 ted States consul at that place reported that on 

 the morning of the eruption of Mont Pelee he 

 heard a noise as of cannonading. Eruptions of 

 both volcanoes continued through the summer. 

 Soufri&re was reported in eruption on Oct. 8, caus- 

 ing even greater distress in the island than that 

 which prevailed before. Large areas of land that 

 were considered outside the volcanic zone were 

 buried in sand. Dust continued to fall in Bar- 

 bados, with a very strong smell of sulfur, for 

 several days, producing a deposit about an eighth 

 of an inch in depth. Again on Oct. 15 and 16 

 La Soufriere increased its area of destruction. 



The eruption of Mont Pelee continued through 

 August. On the night of Aug. 28 a magnificent 



IX QUEZALTENANOO, GUATEMALA, RUINED BY THE EARTHQUAKE. 



nique, as there was no large city within the zone 

 of destruction, and those who were within the 

 zone, unlike the people of Martinique, sought 

 refuge at the first mutterings of the volcano. 

 Nevertheless, the destruction was terrible, due to 

 dust, lapilli, and stones, which rained down upon 

 everything while yet hot. But there appears to 



display of lightning was seen issuing above the 

 mountain. It seemed to shoot out from the moun- 

 tain in all directions, zigzagging and flickering 

 flashes alternating with or accompanied by red- 

 dish globes of fire, which ascended and exploded 

 and shot out stars and long rays. Two days 

 later there was another disastrous eruption of 



