New-York tribune., 1906-12-29
WRECKED CREW IN PORT.
officers Of PrIn2essin Victoria L1tise
Tell of Disaster.

With the arrival yesterday of the Hamburg
American steamer Sarnia from Kingston it was
learned that the grounding Of the Prinzessin
Victoria Luise on the Port Royal reef. near
Kingston, two weeks ago was not caused by
Captain Brunswig's refusal to take on a pilot
when he tried to enter Kingston Harbor. All
the ships officers and three passengers on that
Ill fated steamer declared yesterday that Captain
Brunswig had displayed torches and other sig
mails indicating that he wanted a pilot to come
aboard and take him in. Getting no response
from shore, the Prlnzessin's captain decided 70
stand off for the night and run in by daylight.
According to of the officers. Captain
Brunswig had two red range lights which. when
on a dead line, left his position clear and war
ranted his going ahead provided he picked UP
lighthouse a ledge of rocks TO port. He
evidently did not maintain his two range lights,
for his steamer running head-on for the
lighthouse when she grounded
Those who arrived yesterday on the Sarnia
repeated the cabled story of how the passengers
were landed on December II and how Captain
Brunswtg had taken his life
F, Q. Schroeder, Captain Brunswig's personal
steward, said yesterday that from the captains
GOODNESS after the Prinzessin crunched on the
his life.
Captain Brunswig was the bridge when we
struck said Schroeder. He never showed by
his manner that he was alarmed and assured
the passengers calmly that there was no cause
for fear He left the bridge after we struck
ana went below 10 the engine room. When he
saw how hopeleSsly fast the rocks the vessel
was he ordered the third officer TO go ashore in a
small boat and inform the agents of what had
happened. We never saw him alive after that
Chief officer Fahsel went to his room to consult
with him and found him lying in a pool of blood
with bullet hole in his head. y short bar
relied hunting rife with which he shot himself
lay by his side
I followed the chief officer into the room and
we Immediately removed the body to the cap
talns bathroom We locked the room, and no
one knew until Gil the passengers were ashore
that the captain was dead. After all had landed
we hoisted at halfmast the German ensign
from the jackstaff aft. and all on shore knew
what that meant.
The crew remained aboard for two DAYS. On the
second day the Prinzessin listed to port smash
ing all the port windows and filling the dining
decorations We're ruined. and below the flood was
much SilVerware Nearly all the stewards
stripped of their clothing and dtved after the
silver. We got big pile Of it and shipped It to
the New York Office of the line. There is much
more silver on the saloon floor that we could not
ger. large portrait of Prnzessin Victoria
Lutse, after whom the steamer was named was
cut out of its frame hy one of the officers and
sent to New York
The Sarnia brought one hundred and ten mem
perS or the crew Of the Prinzessin and three of
her passengers. She also had on board three
men who were travelling as supercargoes on the
roundered off Grand Cayman Island, one hundred
and twenty miles southwest Of Jamaica The
life savers