A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE SCENE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10667, 11 June 1902, Page 1

A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE SCENE.

A MASS OF FIRE AND A PAXL ", OF SMOKE.

'A,'despatch' from' St. Thomas, on May 10, -says: As fnller^zeporte of the Martinique 'disaster 'arrive the catastrophe' grows in horror. It now appears that Ahe/imtnediato cans* of ~the"'terrific.explosion .that blew, 'off the top of ! Mont Pelee crater was the presence'; of a 'large , lake in the heart of .the' pld crater. Jlv. intense and sudden' rise' in temperature 'converted the mast of .water into steam, with the result that bhc whole top of the mountain was -torn away. It is now estimated that the 'loss of life in Martinique- is sixty thousand. •■ ' j A steamer from St. Vincent gives an .account of the,scene. The .steamer left 'S£* Vincent hurriedly on Wednesday, because, of the 'threatening state 'of af■fairs there. A heavy fall of sand from the enter of the volcano there covered the vessel's decks an inch deep. The 'vessel steamed to within a mile of St. Pierre, and witnessed the terrible explosion of Thursday morning. .The explosion seemed to lift the top of the mountain entirely off. At the i same time the land heaved aftd swelled, and a, terrible convulsion took place at sea. The waters rose in a huge threatening mass, a* though they wonld engulf every' living thing- on the ocean. JThen x mass of fire descended upon the city, snd" a pall of smoke covered everything from sight.