Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1907-01-25
REFUGEES CONDEMN
BRITISH OFFICIALS
Americans DenOunce Sir Alfred Jones
Party at Kingston.
REFUSED TO AID SUFFERERS

REFUSED TO AID SUFFERERS
Women, Children and Wounded Ameri
cans Who Sought Shelter On
Steamer Port Kingston Were Put
Ashore to Make Room For English
Refugees.
New York, Jan. 23.-American refu-
gees from Kingston, Jamaica, arriving
here on board the steamer Prinz Eitel
Friedrich, which sailed from the
stricken city on Thursday afternoon
last, the third day after the earth
quake, were unanimous in condemning
what they termed the inactivity and
utter ineficiency" of the English au-
thOrities on the island during the first
days following the disaster. For three
days, or up TO the day the Prinz Eitel
sailed, they said, there was no sem
blance of order and nothing definite
had been done in the matter of reliev-
ing the sufferings Of many of the
wounded.
The Prinz Eitel's passengers told of
the great relief the arrival of the
American squadron brought to the ter
ror-stricken people and were amazed
to hear of the rupture which has oc-
CURED between Governor Swettenham
and Admiral Davis.
Adopted Resolutions.
The protest of the American refu- |
gees against the conduct and behavior !
of certain officials on the island was
voiced at a mass meeting held on |
board the Prinz Eitel Friedrich Mon |
day, when resolutions were adopted |
and addressed Ito the general public |
and the international press" The
resolutions follow:
I'VE, a company of American refu-
gees Of Kingston, January 14-January
II, 1907, on board the steamship Prinz
Eitel Friedrich, herewith utter en-
phatic condemnation of the conduct
and behavior 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 grounds:
"First-That Captain Parsons de- {
clined to furnish food for one meal to
the small number of Germans. led by
Captain Richard Vahsel, Hamburg 8
American line, who prevented four G
docks from burning on the night of the I
18th, among them the Port Kingston's s
own wharf. i
Women and Children Put Ashore.
"Seco1d-That such American and V
other refugees as the small boats q
manned by Captain Vahsel and others v
gathered and lodged on Monday on T
board the Port Kingston were sum t,
marily ordered ashore at 4 p. m. on a
Tuesday to make room for English
though women and children Y
tearfully pleaded that they had not Il
food nor clothing on shore. C,
"Third-That the wounded of mixed 81
lationalities were taken ashore at the T
same hour and left in a crude situa- &
ion on the railway wharf until cared O,
or by American naval authorities on r.
moved by train to Spanish Town or n
" relatives who found them. re-
"Fourth-That when Father ODono-
an. of Boston; Gavin L. Payne, of In
annapolis, and the Rev. H. F. Aud,
HatbOrO, Pa, took a petition to Sir u
fired Jones and Captain Parsons
rom the refugees, sleeping on trunks,
acks of coffee and the cargo-fouled IL
tanks of the Hamburb-American dock, M
, allow the said refugees to go on n
oard the Port Kingston, then at her M
0ck, and sleep on her clean decks, IN
here they would be safe from recur- ia
mt earthquake shocks, Captain Par OIL
ms refused with great incivility, and lei
ming to the Hamburg dock pa
lowed the party further discourtesy. on
"Fifth-That in the three days. me
ough Sir Alfred Jones and his party tln
board the Port Kingston had all the an
mforts of a large, well equipped sh'
ip, no tender was made either of as
cd, water, coffee, bedding or medical EN-
sistance. De'
"Sixth-That in three days, save for the
e above unpleasant visit of Captain OF
rsons, no official visit was paid
her by the police, military or colon Bss
authorities to the large body # sigr
nerican refugees on the Hamh