FRAME STRUCTURli CRUSHED BY WEIGHT OF ASHES 



taken at various times and it was found 

 to consist of dust and fine sand or gran- 

 ules. At 12 midnight the thunder and 

 lightning diminished, but it continued 

 intermittently until the storm (if this 

 term may be used) ceased, on June 8. 



The morning of the 7th dawned with 

 volcanic matter falling, and it continued, 

 although gradually diminishing until 9.10 

 a. m., when it ceased. We then believed 

 that the eruption was over. All of this 

 time no one knew where the eruption 

 had occurred, for, owing to the excessive 

 static, no work could be done by the 

 wireless. About five inches of ashes had 

 formed, and all streams and wells were 

 fouled and choked, so water was fur- 

 nished the inhabitants of St. Paul by the 

 Manning and by the schooner Metha 

 Nelson, anchored near by. 



At noon ashes commenced to fall again, 

 steadily increasing in density until at i 

 p. m. it was impossible to see beyond a 

 distance of 50 feet. At 2 p. m. pitch 

 darkness had set in, heavily static dis- 

 turbances were observed, and our wire- 

 less was dumb. All ashes of the previous 

 day had been removed, yet decks, masts, 

 and yards were again heavily laden, as 

 were also the ship's boats. The ashes 

 now were fine dust and flakes of a yel- 

 lowish color. Sulphurous fumes were 

 at times in the air, and many thought 

 and spoke of the destruction of Pom- 



peii. Avalanches of ashes on the neigh- 

 boring hills could be heard, and these 

 sent forth clouds of sufifocating dust. 

 Men often collided in working about the 

 decks, the feeble glow of the electric 

 lights and lanterns failing to dispel the 

 awful darkness. The crew kept con- 

 stantly at work with shovels, and streams 

 of water from the fire mains were play- 

 ing incessantly on the deck in what at 

 times seemed a vain effort to clear the 

 ship of its deadly burden. The bells of 

 the Greek church in the near-by village 

 boomed out in the blackness, and there 

 were few if any of its followers who did 

 not grope their way to the call to prayer. 

 I might state at this point that I believe 

 the catastrophe appeared more terrible 

 at St. Paul than at the near-by settle- 

 ments, because of the suffocating clouds 

 of volcanic debris that swept down from 

 the hills close to the town, adding to the 

 fall from above. 



At 10 a. m. the people of the village 

 had sought shelter in the warehouse on 

 the wharf and on the Manning — about 

 835 souls — and others were added later 

 from vessels, the salmon cannery, and 

 the people of Woody Island. 



Shortly before 1 1 a. m. Lieut. W. K. 

 Thompson, of the Manning, informed 

 me that several men were cut off in the 

 cannery about one-half mile distant be- 

 low our dock. He stated that he had a 



825 



