The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
TOOK C%RONJETOST. HELENA
.~,,yspoRr ON WHICH TIE GENERAL
SayIKD VOW AT NEW ORLEANS.

IN. ship says Croajs Asked How
,s. craft was steered when There Was
=. land 10 60 By-Crsiser Niobe's Cans
r,.i,.d on the Transport All the Time.
>yv ORLEANS. May 26.-The British trans
,or, Milwaukee reached here last night from
~, I.land OF 81. Helena. The Milwaukee car
,ad , cargo Of mules to Cape Town and from
n, ,nun went TO 81. Helena with Gen. and
&C.. ,,ouie and other Boer prisoners. She was
unnamed by the British cruiser Niobe.
An the Beers spoke fairly good English
- ono n, the ships officers. with the excep-
,,on Of Gen. Cronjs. who was able to speak barely
half a dozen WORDS
r,a General spent most Of his time In the
.,a,,uents allotted himself and wife and main
ned a stolid silence during the trip. That
,,o,,s bore out tho idea that the Beers are a
s,r,le. unaffected people who live their lives
~, in their native land. rarely ever visiting
o,hsr countries was shown by the fact,that
r,oote one day asked Capt. Webster:
aTov do YOU 90 from one port TO another With
M land 10 steer by2"
Mrs Cronje is described as being a homely
woman and. like her husband simple ana uhai-
,s,,..d in her tastes. The General and his stan
when on deck spent most OF their time watch-
inc the Nlobe. They would talk for hours about
Zinc ship and her armament. CronJe apparently
spev nothing about navigation and was not
,sr.ed in naval usages but no had wonderful
knowledge Of guns. .
None thing that impressed every one on board
,mo Nilu aukee was the extremely courteous
and kind treatment Cronjs extended his sub
ordinate officers. He was most SOLICITORS re-
sarding their welfare and each day wouldlh-
ouIre Of the ships surgeon as TO what physical
condition his staff officers and soldiers were IN
hiring the entire voyage the cruiser Niobe
kent her guns trained on the Milwaukee. and
one Of the crew laid
Il believe that II We had steered two points
ont Of our cour SO the Niobe would have sunk us "
When asked why 1t was that the Niobe kept her
guns trained on the Milwaukee and II was sug-
0esred that the warship was much speedier
than the transport and could have run her
down II she had attempted to escape. 1t was
said that it appeared a. II the officers OF the
Niohe feared a conspiracy.
The officers in reply to the question whether
there we're any Americans or English among
the Boer prisoners on the Milwaukee said
that there we're not. They were all Trans
yaa,ors with the exception OF a few Germans
snd Austrians.- Among the Boer officers was
A Col. Shields, an Austrian by birth. and who
A. one time held a commission In the Austrian
Army.
On arriving at ST, Helena Gen. CronJe was
sent under an escort from the members Of the
Ilnparlal Guard to one Of the military fortresses
known as Deadwood Camp. The apartments
where Gen. Cronje and wife and the officers
composing the members Of his stan are impris-
oned, judging from exterior Appearances. we're
very comfortable and. as one OF the crew said.
very safe" The fortress stands in the centre
OF the section Of the island known as The
Military Reservation" and is surrounded by the
quarters OF the officers and the barracks OF
the soldiers comprising the guard.
Ironje it ia said appeared to be downcast
and when removed from the ship was even more
s,oical In demeanor than while on the ship
The members OF the crew OF the Milwaukee al
sgreed that the Beers were as orderly a set Of
men as they had ever known. They had The
freedom OF the entire vessel from early morning
til 10 o'clock at night and they never In any
manner attempted to break the regulations Of
the ship. They would remain in groups dis
cussing their condition and Specializing on
various phases Of the wsr for hours. and al
times conversed in English. but when any one
Of the ships officers or any OF the men or on
GERS of the Imperial Guard would go near them
they would begin speaking in their own tongue.
The Milwaukee will load here with horses for
South Africa destined for the British Army.