There was no life visible. Suddenly
we realized that we might have to fight for our lives as the Roddam's
people had done.
"We were about four miles off the northern end of the island when
suddenly there shot up in the air to a tremendous height a column of
smoke. The sky darkened and the smoke seemed to swirl down upon us. In
fact, it spread all around, darkening the atmosphere as far as we could
see. I called Chief Engineer Farrish to the deck.
"'Do you see that over there?' I asked, pointing to the eruption, for
it was the second eruption of Mont Pelee. He saw it all right. Captain
Freeman's story was fresh in my mind.
"'Well, Farrish, rush your engines as they have never been rushed
before,' I said to him. He went below, and soon we began to burn coal
and pile up the feathers in our forefoot.
"I was on watch with Second Officer Gibbs. At once we began to furl
awnings and make secure against fire. The crew were all showing an
anxious spirit, and everybody on board, including the four passengers,
were serious and apprehensive.
"We began to cut through the water at almost twelve knots. Ordinarily we
make ten knots. We could see no more of the land contour, but everything
seemed to be enveloped in a great cloud. There was no fire visible, but
the lava dust rained down upon us steadily. In less than an hour there
were two inches of it upon our deck.
"The air smelled like phosphorus. No one dared to look up to try to
locate the sun, because one's eyes would fill with lava dust.
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