New charts will need to be made for future navigation. The changes
in sea levels were not confined to the immediate centre of volcanic
activity, but extended as far north as Porto Rico, and it was believed
that the seismic wave would be found to have altered the ocean bed round
Jamaica. Vessels plying between St. Thomas, Martinique, St. Lucia and
other islands found it necessary to heave the lead while many miles at
sea.
It is estimated that the sea had encroached from ten feet to two miles
along the coast of St. Vincent near Georgetown, and that a section on
the north of the island had dropped into the sea. Soundings showed
seven fathoms where before the eruption there were thirty-six fathoms of
water. Vessels that endeavored to approach St. Vincent toward the north
reported that it was impossible to get nearer than eight miles to
the scene of the catastrophe, and that at that distance the ocean was
seriously perturbed as from a submarine volcano, boiling and hissing
continually.
In this connection the remarkable experience reported by the officers
of the Danish steamship Nordby, on the day preceding the eruption, is of
much interest, as seeming to show great convulsions of the sea bottom
at a point several hundred miles from Martinique. The following is the
story told by Captain Eric Lillien-skjold:
THE STRANGE EXPERIENCE OF THE "NORDBY"
"On May 5th," the captain said, "we touched at St. Michael's for water.
We had had an easy voyage from Girgenti, in Sicily, and we wanted to
finish an easy run here.
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