THE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12000, 24 June 1902, Page 5

THE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS.

RECOGNITION OF BRAVERY. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright. London, June 22. The Board of Trade has awarded Captain Freeman, of the steamer Roddam, a piece of plate in recognition of his gallantry in extricating his vessel during the Martinique eruptions.

It was announced some time ago that the captain of the Rod dam had succumbed to his injuries, bat this appears to have been an error. It will be remembered that the Roddam was at St. Pierre on the morning of the eruption. In the afternoon she managed to crawl slowly into Castries Harbour. She was quite unrecognisable, being gray with ashes, while her rigging was dismantled and her sails and awnings were hanging torn and charred. The captain reported tbat ho had just anchored off St. Pierre at 8 o'clock in the morning in fine weather following upon an awful thunderstorm in the night, and was talking to the ship's agent, Mr. Joseph Plissono, who was In a boat alongside, when he saw a tremendous cloud of smoke glowing with live cinders rushing with terrific rapidity over the town and port. The former in an instant was completely enveloped in a sheet of flame, which rained fire on board the steamer. The agent had just time to climb on board when his boat disappeared. Several men of the Roddam's crew were quickly scorched to death. By almost superhuman efforts the captain managed to slip the cable, ajid steam being still up the vessel backed out from the shore and arrived at Castries nine hours later. Ten of the Roddam's men were lying dead, having been burned out of all human semblance, among the black cinders which covered the deck to a depth of s x inches. Tw_o more have since died. The burning cinders continued to fall upon the ship for six miles after she was under way. The captain, although burned all over ire body, escaped with his life, as did also 'he agent. The latter, however, was badly scorched.