Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-01-24
American Refugees Arriving From
Kingston, Charge 0aicEals There
with Gross Neglect.
navy WAS VERY WELCOME
No Effort Was Made to Render A.
slstanee to Even the Women
Of the Party by OF.
flclaia

Akhk hGlV \ uOoAay VA bNtSeN SA@S S~~-----
Or Prinz Eitel Friedrich which sailed
from the stricken city on Thursday
afternoon last, the third day after the
earthquake, were unanimous in con
demning what they termed tho "inac-
kivity and utter inefficiency' Of the
English authorities on the island dur
ing the first days following the dis
aster Far three days, they said,
there was no semblance Of order and
nothing definite done in the matter OF
relieving the sufferings Of many OF
the wounded.
It was asserted that men and women
who sought shelter on board the Brit
fish steamship Port Kingston, which
was chartered for Sir Alfred Jones
party from England, were put ashore
and that the plea Of the American re-
fugees that the women Of their party
be allowed at least the privilege
Of sleeping on the open decks Of the
Port Kingston was refused with great
inciyility." The wounded who had
been taken on board the same steamer
for an asylum were put ashore the day
following ehe earthquake Tuesday.
and were left on the railway wharf
until cared for by the American ma
val authorities arrived on Thursday.
The Prinz BItel's passengers told OF
the great relief the arrival Of the
American squadron brought to the ter
Tor-stricken people and were amazed
to hear Of the rupture which had oc-
CURED between Governor Swettenham
and Admiral Davis
The protest Of the American refu-
gees against the conduct and behay-
Tor Of certain officials on the island,
was voiced at mass meeting held on
board the Prinz Eitel Friedrich Mon
day when resolutions were adopted
and addressed to the general public
an the international press. The reso-
buttons follow:
1--WE, herewith, utter emphatic con-
domination Of the conduct and behav-
for in that period Of certain officials
Of rank, specifically, Captain Parsons,
commander of the British steamship
Port Kingston, lying in the harbor OF
kingston, and aboard which was Sir
Alfred Jones, his superior and other
officials, basing our contentious on the
following counts:
First, That Captain Parsons de-
CIined to furnish food for one meal to
the small number of Germans, led by
Captain Richard Vahsel, Hamburg
American line, who prevented four
docks from burning on the night OF
the 14th, among the Port Kingston's
own wharf.
Second, That such American and
other refugees as the small boats man
med by Captain Vahsel and others,
gathered and logged on Monday on
board the Port Kingston were sum
marily ordered ashore at 4 p. m, Tues.
day to make room for English refu-
gees, though women and children tear
fully pleaded that they had no food
nor clothing on shore.
Third, That the wounded Of mixed
nationalities we're taken ashore at the
same hour and left In crude situation
until cared for by American naval au-
thoritles on Thursday, except such
as were removed by train to Spanish
Town, or by relatives who found them.
Fourth, That when Father 0'Don-
Ovan of Boston, Gavin Of Indianapolis
and the Rev H. F. Aud Of Hatboro,
Pa, took a petition to Sir Alfred
Jones and Captain Parsons from the
fefugees, sleeping on trunks, sacks Of
coffee and the cargo fouled planks Of
me neutrality-suspicious. dock, to allow
the said refugees to so on board the
Port Kingston then at her dock and
sleep on her celan, bare decks, where
they would be safe from recurrent
earthquake shocks Captain Parsons re-
fused with great incivillty and COM
ing to the Hamburg-Amerlcan dock
showed the party further dIscourtesy.
Fifth, That in the three days,
though Sir Alfred Jones and his party
on board the Port Kingston had all the
comforts Of q large, welleQuipped ship
no tender was made ether Of food,
water, coffee bedding or medical At