Volcanic Disturbances in West Indies 



2 57 



The shock was felt as far as the vil- 

 lage of Deux Choux, eight kilometers 

 to the east, and Mont Vert, six kilo- 

 meters south, where Father Alte Roche 

 was thrown down. 



According to Engineer Evans, there 

 was a great horizontal disturbance of 

 the water, caused by the aerial force. 

 This struck the port quarter of the 

 Roraima, her head being on shore. 

 She keeled to the starboard, so that the 

 bridge got under water and water came 

 into the hold through the fiddlers. The 

 wave lifted the Roddam so that her 

 anchor chain broke, and she was enabled 

 to escape. It also took James Taylor, 

 of the Roraima, out to sea, and its re- 

 turn movement brought him back to a 

 buoy, from which he was rescued. This 

 return wave bit little triangular pieces 

 out of the beach. 



The direction of the force was radial 

 apparently from a center. In the south 

 ■end of the city objects were blown south- 

 ward by force from the north, the north 

 and south ends of buildings blown in. 

 The Roraimi, at buoy, was struck by 

 force from north ; the Grappler, at mouth 

 of the Riviere Peres, off the north edge 

 of the city, was destroyed by force from 

 the east ; trees in the vicinity of the 

 Riviere Mare were blown by force from 

 the southeast; bamboo and foliage slopes 

 of the eastern cliff toward Morne Rouge 

 were bent by force from the west, the 

 Jardin des Plantes destroyed by force 

 from west of north. 



The Center of Force. — This seems to 

 have been near the north end of the city 

 where destruction was greatest, the ef- 

 fects decreasing radially in all directions. 

 Among the evidences of force are the 

 fact that in the northern part of St Pierre 

 the buildings were absolutely pulverized. 

 Not a vestige was left of the little vil- 

 lage of Fond Core, north of the city. 

 It is said that not a piece could be found 

 of the great rum factory, with its heavy 

 iron machinery and castings. 



Return Force. — A return force is evi- 



denced by the south end of buildings 

 blown northward and by the testimony 

 of witnesses. Father Alte Roche, three 

 miles south, who was knocked down and 

 gasping for air, says ' ' a breeze sprung 

 up from the south and revived me." 

 Engineer Evans says that the force had 

 the strength of a hurricane, and noted 

 that it went out and came back. All who 

 felt it testified that they were pushed 

 down by the air. No evidence of verti- 

 cal earthquake or Assuring was noticed 

 or is recorded in the phenomena of the 

 surrounding country. The buildings, 

 bridges, and earth embankments within 

 a mile of the zone of disaster show no 

 disturbance. People similarly located 

 testify that there was no earthquake. 

 Is there any other explanation of this 

 force than explosion ? 



Exhaustion of Air. — Many witnesses 

 on the perimeter of disaster testified that 

 they were not suffocated by ashes or 

 detectable gases, " but could get no air 

 to breathe." This language, or words 

 to its effect, is the testimony of every 

 witness, from the intelligent ship offi- 

 cers to the humble negro or peasant. 

 Engineer Evans stated that he could 

 get no air to breathe on deck after the 

 explosion until he got below. 



Foreman Evans, of Raibaud estate, 

 said : "It was not hard to breathe until 

 all was nearly over ; then we felt as if 

 we could get no air. ' ' 



Noises. — Evans insisted that there was 

 no noise at all when St Pierre was de- 

 stroyed, other than a deafening roar. 

 Some describe hissing noises like roar- 

 ing silk. I have heard no evidence of 

 a resounding explosion, but the testi- 

 mony concerning noises was not thor- 

 oughly inquired for. 



Conflagration. — All witnesses testify 

 to the sudden and instantaneous confla- 

 gration of the city. Father Alte Roche 

 noticed that it swept rapidly from north 

 to south. In parts of the city all com- 

 bustible material was destroyed, but in 

 the center and southern parts many 



