The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-01-29
SURVIVORS DENOUNCE
OFFICIALS or JAMAICA
Declare BONDS of Blood and
Language a MockeTy."
INHUMANITY OF SWETTENHAM
Americans Adopt Resolutions of Con-
demnation at Their Treatment
Injured Driven From Vessel to-
Make Room For English.

Make Room For English.
New York City.-Charging the
British of Kingston, Jamaica, with
gross incivility and inhumanity DUR
ing the reign of terror following the
earthquake and confagration in the
stricken city, lip Americans, mostly
tourists, came into port on the steam
ship Prinz Ethel Friedrich.
The ship with the refugees on
board, about forty women, sixty men
and dozen children, left Kingston
before the break between Governor
Swettenham and Rear-Admiral Davis.
.yBut none of the refugees was sur
prised by the news of the sudden de-
parture of the American warShips
due to the behavior of the British
colonial Governor.
1t was not the story of the earth
quake itself that the Americans were
: bursting to tell as soon as the ship
reached Quarantine, but it was the
story of the action of the British Of
ficials of the island and of the treat
ment melted out to them as Ameri-
cans. This treatment caused them to
draw up resolutions declaring the
much talked of bonds of blood and
language when tested to be a mock
cry and diplomatic phantom"
These resolutions were drawn UP
at meeting of the passengers on the
ship. The meeting was presided over
by Percival Gable, hotel man Of
Norristown, Pa. The refugees con-
demned thoroughly and comprehen-
sively not only Sir Alexander SWEET
tenham, Governor of Jamaica, but
also Sir Alfred. Jones, Managing Di-
rector of the Imperial West Indian
Steamship Company, and Captain
Parsons of the steamship Port Kings
ton of that line. OF the two latter
many of the refugees had difficulty in
speaking without an explosion. In
explanation they cited these facts:
From the morning after the earth
quake until the Prinz Eitel mercifu1ly
brought them away, eighty men, forty
women and some twelve children
were herded together on the open
pier of the Hamburg-American Line,
without food, without water even,
in want and agony. Looking only
across to the next slip they could see
the Port Kingston, and on this ship
Sir Alfred Jones and Captain Parsons
were entertaining with every comfort
such of their British friends as were
disposed to share their hospitality.
The Americans sent to the ship a
modest request for food and water.
They asked that Sir Alfred and his
Captain allow the women and chill
dren to sleep at night on the bare
decks of the Port Kingston. The
Englishmen denied these requests.
In some cases it was solemnly as
serted that the wounded and dying,
of American and other nationalities,
were elected from their places of
shelter and left exposed in the open
air without medical assistance, in
order that Enlishwomen and men
who were unhurt, might be more
comfortably quartered.
These statements as to the British
reply to the request are not the sum-
ming up of loose talk. They come
from Father O'Donovan, the brave
priest who was the courage and the
consolation of the whole company
during those two days of need, and
from his companions on the commit
tee which went seeking succor where
none was to be obtained.
From this same little American re-
lief committee comes also the infor-
nation that the intervention of the
American sailors, if such it may be
called, was not unsolicited, as might
have been supposed from the letter of
Governor Swettenham and from other
earlier data, but was the response to
a request of the Jamaican Colonial
Secretary, Mr.. Anderson, who was
consulted by representative of Adj
miral Davis on the arrival of the
American fleet.
Nor is this all. 1t appears from
the statements of the priest, who is
the Rev. John O'Donovan, of Boston,
and of August w. Caldwell, of this
city, that the American sailors were
definitely assigned to relief and police
work, and that these assignments re-
ceived the assent of Governor SWEET
tenham until the latter began sending
to Admiral Davis remarkable series
OF contradictory messages, which
ended in the request for withdrawal
Of the American landing parties.
More than this. On Wednesday,
when the need was most acute, some
of the Americans went foraging for
food. They returned to report that
one of the most interesting sights
they had seen was Governor Swetten-
ham riding around in his state coach
and pair. attended by red-and-gold
liveried servants, pointing out the
interesting sights" of the earth
quake to party of ladies.
Early dispatches as to the number
Of dead are found to be correct. That
one thousand persisted is the estimate
made, and it is practically official.
The property loss is estimated at
$3O,OO0,O0O, with about one-fifth in
sured.