Indian newspapers printed just before the day of the great
eruption, and received in foreign countries after the catastrophe,
serve to give a graphic picture of the situation in St. Pierre as it
was before the outer world knew of the threat of danger. To them, and
the letters written and mailed to foreign correspondents before the
fatal day, we owe the clear idea of what was going on.

The Voice of St. Lucia, printed at Castries, had this story on May 8
of the days preceding the destruction of St. Pierre:

"Mount Pelee began to show signs of uneasiness in the last days of
April. On the 3d inst. it began to throw out dense volumes of smoke,
and at midnight belched out flames, accompanied by rumbling noises.
Flames were again visible at half-past five o'clock the next morning,
and similar noises were audible. At the foot of Mount Pelee are the
villages of Precheurs and Ste. Philomene. The inhabitants were thrown
into great consternation by the sights and sounds, and especially by
the darkening of the day by volumes of thick smoke and clouds of
ashes, which were falling. There was an exodus from all over the
district.

"St. Pierre was on the morning of May 3 covered with a layer of ashes
about a quarter of an inch thick, and appeared as if enveloped in a
fog. The mountain was wrapped in the smoke which issued from it. The
greatest anxiety prevailed, and all business was suspended.

"A very anxious morning was passed on the island May 4. Thanks,
however, to a sea breeze, the situation appeared better at eleven
o'clock, but as the breeze died away at sunset, ashes again began to
fall, and the mountain and its environs presented a most dismal
spectacle, causing much alarm as to what the night would bring forth.
Nothing happened, however, and on Monday morning May 5, although
everything was not quite serene, the aspect was decidedly encouraging.
Less excitement was visible.

"At about nine o'clock on the morning of the 6th a private telegram
came from Martinique, stating that the Plissonneau family had
chartered the steamer Topaze, one of the boats of the Compagnie
Girard, and had started for St. Lucia. At about eleven o'clock the
Topaze arrived with Mrs. Plissonneau, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Plissonneau
and three children, Mrs. Pierre Plissonneau and child, and others.

"They report that at noon on Monday a stream of burning lava suddenly
rushed down the southwestern slope of the mountain, and, following the
course of the R