“The Bridgetown Gazette”

Date

6-22-1812

Newspaper

Virginia Herald

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 4 and 5

Newspaper Location

Fredricksburg, Virginia

Serial Number

1126

Abstract

Report of May 4, 1812 volcanic eruption at St. Vincents.

Transcript

The Bridgetown Gazette Extraordinary, of the 6th ult. contains the following melancholy account of the Volcanic Eruption of Mount Souffshere, in this land of St. Vincente. On Monday, the 4th of May, a loud explosion of the volcanic mountain took place, followed by an immense column of thick sulphurous smoke, which suddenly burst over the vicinity of the crater, and in the course of a minute discharged vast quantities of volcanic matter. The whole surface became covered with ashes, which presented an alarming appearance; & the noise which proceeded from the bowels of the mountain, threw the whole neighborhood into the utmost consternation. But this is not all:--the amazing scene remains yet to be told!-The eruption, continuing with increased violence, presented on Thursday night and yesterday morning one of the most awful sights human imagination can form an idea of. The mountain burst forth in a most tremendous blaze, throwing up large spouts of fire and burning stones, accompanied with the most frightful thundering noise-at the same time sending down its sides torrents of burning matter, and scattering in the air large pieces of rock, which in their descent made a dreadful ravage among the cattle, &c. Some idea may be formed by this awful conflagration, when stated, that showers of volcanic particles continued pouring for several hours all over the island, accompanied at intervals with violent shocks of earthquakes; and at times, from the dreadful aperture of the mountain were shot rocks of enormous size, which, in their fatal fall, have done the most calamitous injury;--and such has been the destructive impetuosity of the liquid fire, that its baneful effects are of the most serious nature. The brilliancy of the flames; which majestically rose from the mouth of the crater, had a most sublime and awful effect, and the burning stones which darted in the air, resembled the stars in a rocket-The vivid flashes of lighting which shot forth with a noise far exceeding the heaviest artillery, resembled in color and brightness what is usually seen in a tempest; and the curling sheers of smoke so obscured the sky that yester morning, until ten o'clock; was nearly involved in nocturnal darkness. So dreadful was these appearances, that our terrors added new horrors to the scene;--the whole island was in a state of trepidation, and the people, filled with supplication and dread precipitately retreated from their home to places of shelter. "About noon yesterday, the wind blew from the south east, the Sun made its appearance, and the whole Heavens began to brighten. The eruption, we find, has abated considerably in its violence, but, we understand, the leeward and windward plantations are covered all over with torrents of melted matter. "We have not been able as yet to ascertain correctly the extent of damage done, or the number of lives lost; but the principal rivers of the island (those particularly within the influence of the volcano) are all dried up.-The negro provision grounds, for miles around, are completely destroyed and the pastures, on the windward and leeward side of the island are so covered over with ashes and vitrified pieces of stone, that there [unreadable] left a bit of ground, in appearance, for the cattle to feed upon. Every [unreadable] should instantly be resorted to, to repress the calamities likely to ensue from so distressing a catastrophe; and we trust, the Legislature [unreadable] immediately adopt such measures as will ensure the importance of dry [unreadable text] for the call of the [unreadable text]. Accounts from the [unreadable text] reached town, they report that part of the island [unreadable text] nothing [unreadable text] of desolation. The stupendous block [unreadable text] fallen to the ground, and the range of the mountain on the windward side split open-from which lasted [unreadable] of lava construing [unreadable text] every tree and shrub that impeded its way; and the surface of the hills and vallies in that quarter, covered all over, several inches thick, with a sort of volcanic matter, resembling the [unreadable] that is thrown from a Smith's [unreadable]. The noise from the mountain has been so violently felt there, that to give an idea of it, one may imagine a mixed sound made up of the raging of a tempest-the murmur of a troubled sea-and the roaring of thunder and artillery confused altogether.

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