Give a detailed account of. • the streets of the city after the eruptions

• the streets of the city after the eruptions

• what was happening to the mountain and the crater

• the way the water acted in the area

• the action of the sea

IV

On May 7 there was another violent eruption with loud detonations, lightning in the clouds, and the visible appearance of incandescent mate­rial pushing up through the summit crater. The talk in Saint-Pierre was of

mass — or individual — evaporation, but there were factions in the city which were wholly against this for political reasons, and they controlled, or were supported by, the press. Elections were upcoming on May 10, and volcano or no it was expected that everyone would remain to vote. A "scientific commission" was formed, possibly with political backing, which reported in Les Colonies that the condition of the volcano did not warrant leaving the city. This had a calming influence. To further soothe the nerves of the populace the provincial governor, who endorsed the •report and who had a politically good reason to discourage evacuation, came with his wife from Fort de France to make a personal inspection tour of the volcano. They never returned.

An article from Les Colonies on the same day declared, "We con­fess that we cannot understand this panic. Where could one be better off than at Saint-Pierre?" (2). It would be more difficult to explain the zeal with which the editor of this paper attacked the impeding but unfortunately unaccomplished exodus from Saint-Pierre, except for the fact that he was politically aligned with several of the men who were seeking office in the upcoming elections.

The wife of the United States Consul at Saint-Pierre wrote to her sister in Boston on the seventh: "My husband assures me that there is no immediate danger, and when there is the least particle of danger, we will leave the place. There is an American schooner in the harbor and she will remain here for at least two weeks. If the volcano becomes very bad, we shall embark at once and go out to sea" (3). The consul and his wife were two of those who died in the wreckage the next morning.

In Les Colonies yet another article bolstered the courage of those who sought to leave the doomed city, the text of an interview with Professor Landes of the Lycee. He was a reputable, but sadly mistak­en, scientist whose final conclusion was: "The Montagne Pelee pre-

sents no more danger to the inhabitants of Sain-Pierre than does Vesu­vius to those of Naples" (4).

A sea captain, Marino Lebofte by name, of the Italian bark Orsoli-na, had seen Vesuvius in eruption and wanted to get out of the port without delay. On the afternoon of May 7 his ship was only half loaded with a cargo of sugar bound for Le Havre, France, but he decided to hoist anchor anyway and be off.

This caused some consternation among the shippers, who threatened to have him jailed, both for breach of contract and for leaving port without clearance papers. They tried to convince him that there was absolutely no danger and to finjsh loading the cargo. After all, Professor Landes had assured everyone that there was nothing to be feared. The captain replied, in essence, that he knew nothing of Mount Pelee, but that if Vesuvius were looking and acting like Pelee he would get out of Naples and that regardless of their arguments, their threats, and the com­forting words of the professor he was going to leave Saint-Pierre. The shippers sent customs officials on board the Orsolina to prevent depar­ture. The captain told them he was putting to sea in less than an hour; if they wished to go along with him they were welcome, but if not it was time they got off. Only when the ship had hoisted anchor did the cus­toms men hail a small craft to take them back to Saint-Pierre.

Ш Suggest how the following could be expressed in Russian:

the visible appearance of incandescent material; were wholly against this; for political reasons; elections were upcoming; with political backing; the condition of the volcano did not warrant leaving the city; they had a calming influence; to further soothe the nerves; the governor endorsed the report; to discourage evacuation; to make a personal inspection tour; they never returned; where could one be

better off; the impeding exodus from Saint-Pierre; politically aligned; immediate danger; the least particle of danger; those who sought to leave the doomed city; a reputable scientist; a sadly mistaken scien­tist; without delay; a cargo bound for France; to hoist anchor and be off; this caused some consternation; to have him jailed; breach of contract; there was nothing to be feared; regardless of their argu­ments; the comforting words; to prevent departure