Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20


fell out and the whole structure became as
grotesque. as Lord Dudley described 1t. as
a wrecked dolls house. Mr.. Jesse Collins
stumbled on the moving earth, but was
quickly pic..ed up by his nearest nefghbor
without harm
the binding dust and smoke which began
to arise. A boat was obtained, and by way
OF the sea Sir Alfred and his party safely
reached their ship the Port Kingston.
Fire had started on the wharf quite near
and fresh wind was blowing the flames
toward the vessel. With no steam power
available the ship seemed bound to fall
victim to enemy deadly and trreslstl-
BILE the earthquake itself. To make mat
tiers worse. one boiler was under repair. but
the crew soon restored this to temporary
working order. The fires under the boilers
were reighted and not single minute was
lost in one supreme effort to make the
ship master of her own destiny.
Boats Were Lowered.
II ever Sir Alfred Jones was In danger
of losing heart 1t was at the moment when
Capt Parsons gave orders for the star
board boats to be lowered and made ready
for the emergency now so near. and for
leaving the ship to her fate If 1t became
necessary. The steam, however, steadily
advanced and the chief engineer soon re-
ported that there was sufficient accumu-
lated energy to move the ship. The crew
were at their posts in a moment, and as
the last link with the shore was broken
the vessel was backed out into the main
channel and then moved to the railway
wharf. which had not caught fire.
All on board soon began to see something
of the awful human sacrifice demanded by
tie earthquake and fire.
Prompt steps to give aid were taken.
Many of the injured In the nearby streets
were brought to the wharf, but only those
cases in which there hope of saving
life were brought on board the Port Kings
ton. While space allowed, none of these
was refused. When the decks became
Congested with suffering people Sir Alfred
Jones obtained the of adjoining
wharf. Here in the open, and under cover
when cover could be found, the crew i'm
provised beds. and every one who was able
Joined in caring for the suffering.
DR.. Evans, the ships doctor, worked all
through Monday night. The supply of
anesthetics having been lost in the chaos
OF the town. amputations were carried out
under the most difficult circumstances and
with the greatest pain to- those operated
on Sheets and pillow cases belonging to
the ship were torn up to make bandages.
The ships stores, medical and other.
were similarly requisitioned,' and every
possession of the Elder Dempster Com
pany was called into use to relieve the
overwhelming scene of distress. The
death roll among those carried to the ship
was considerable, and at the earliest
CLEAN of daylight the bodies were removed
In carts.
st. Georges Cross Afloat.
Another large body of English visitors
to the island were at the Constant Spring
Hotel six miles outside of Kingston.
Others were spending the day at Span
ish Town an old capital Those in
Kingston sought the ship. but all others
drove in carriages walked great dis
tances to get back to the hotel. The
structure was badly injured, and the whole
front of the west wing, standing clear.
threatened to fall at any moment. But
it still remains. with the flagstaff above
II and the cross of ST. George floating In
the breeze.
the tennis lawns, some in chairs and
others on rugs and mattresses spread on
the grass. The earth was in a state of
perpetual tremor, and every few hours the
violence of these quakings became so
marked that every one feared the worst.
The English and American guests met
the danger usually without a word but
the black servants and nurses filled the
air with their bemoanings and lamenta-
lions. They prayed:
Good Lord, have mercy on us; Christ,
have mercy u.s.
one woman who had by heavy brides
persuaded servants to rescue all her pos
sessions from the hotel, suddenly diScov-
cred that her powder puff was missing.
Even in earthquake she could not FOR
get personal adornment; and. with start
ling callousness. she bribed the black
servants to re-enter the wrecked build
ing and get the powder puff from her
dressing table
with the Royal Mail line. was here with
Mr. Gerald Loder, newly arrived from
Panama. Sir James was in the street at
the time OF the earthquake, and was Killed
by the falling walls of shop. Capt. Con-
stantine local agent of the Royal Mail Com
pany was also killed. while his wife was
dangerously injured standing at her dress
ing able in her room. five miles away
But with these exceptions probably all
the English visitors have escaped harm in
the most miraculous way We of the
steamer Port Kingston were spread over
every quarter of the town. in shops and
houses that are now masses of ruins Yet
all escaped. usually without scratch.
Ours have been indeed charmed lives, and
every one is now a firm believer in his
good luck or is convinced that a violent
death is not his fate. l am.
Cigar Shop Looted.
The only looting 1 have seen is in the case
of the Montpelier cigar factory Here
der the eyes and with the hearty good will
of the native policemen, women and chill
dren were clambering the debris and
coming away with as many a dozen
boxes OF cigars each, only to lose share
of their plumber to their fellows of less
venturcsome enterprise.
Elsewhere the natives were sQuatting
outside their wrecked tenements smoking
and in condition OF sublime resignati ton,
waiting for the government and the white
man generally to handle the situation.
Nature is so bountiful in this land of eter-
nal sunshine that mans wants are few
and are provided more often than not by
wages earned by the wife The governor
has asked for laborerS 10 clear the streets.
and though the pay offered is three times
as much as they could earn in normal
times the men seem more than dis
posed TO wait and see what will happen
next. They are lying about in idleness
among the ruins.
Meanwhile a large portion of the white
residents have left for the country districts.
ha has written Sir l.