Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-22

her husband, did most of the talking.
I'VE know Sir James Alexander SWEET
tenham very WE'LL said Mrs. Craig. He
is nervous, irascible. stubborn and prone
to fly off on a tangent. Personally and
socially he is a delightful gentleman. But
1 think that his action was somewhat in
fiucnced by the desire to stand we'll with
Sir Alfred Jones, who dominates Kingston.
An incident preceding the earthquake will
illustrate my meaning.
II desire it understood that the Jamai-
cans are fond of Americans, but the En-
glsh residents as rule are Jealous of us
and do not pretend to love Yankees. -
The night before the. earthquake we
were present at dinner to Sir Alfred
Jones party of thirty, in the Constant
Spring Hotel, which Sir Alfred owns. BY
the bye, he also owns the other English
hotel, the Myrtle Bank. During the dinner
Lord Fit-maurice, one of Sir Alfred's party,
made a speech in which he took occasion to
say some sighting things about Ameri-
cans.
Too Many Yankees.
HE said that one of the regrettable
things observed by him was the prevalence
of Yankees on the island He did hope his
English friends would retain control of the
business interests. He said, also, that
what distressed him most vas to see the
Hotel Titehield at Port Antonio managed
BY AN American and filed with Yankees.
Lord Fitzmaurice's friends applauded
his remarks The Jamaicans present and
the spriBkling of Americans did not appre-
ciate them. 81
Next day Sir James FERGUSON was killed
in the earthquake. We ascertained what
was the proba BILE cause of his death. He
was said to be sleeping on a billiard table
in a cafe when the ceiling fell and crushed
him. All tho other members of the party
were out in boats on the bay and were
about returning to attend dinner being
spread on the upper balcony of the hotel,
facing the bay, when the crash came. Had
the quake come half an hour later many,
II not all, of the party would have persisted.
But the narrowness of the escape OF the
aristocratic ladies and gentlemen of the
party did not seem to soften tLeir natures,
for they subsequently acted in a most
heartless manner. Immediat ely afeer the
people recovered from the first shock of
the dreadful catastrophe, which had de-
stroyed their town and killed hundreds Of
their relatives and friends. they carried the
wounded to the Port Kingston. Sir Alfred's
own vessel. in which he and his party Of
lords. ladies and gentlemen ca to Kings
ton. 1t lay at the Hamburg American
wharf.
II was an eyewitness to mut that
am going to tell you, for l had taken refuge
on the Admiral Sampson. which lay on the
other side of the same pier. The rest was
told me by reputable refugees who were
known to me. - :. e.
Revelry Amid Suffering and Death.
3 The quake occurred shertiy after 8
oscf6ek.ins the afternoon or Monday. BY 4
o'clock they were carrying the wounded
ahnard the Port Kingston. There the ships
surgeon was doing all that mortal man
could do. He was SO pressed that he en-
listed a couple of young Englishmen and
set them to work saving of limbs. That
Is an actual fact. And the anaestehtics
gave out before the work was half finished,
SO that the amputations had to go on while
the poor wretches were perfectly conscious.
Their shrieks were heartrending.
And through it all Sir Alfred and his
fine ladies and gentlemen wined and dined
and made merry. That night the surgeon
and his amateur assistants worked every
minute. Many died under the knife and
saw, and their bodies were removed to a
raft tied astern the vessel.
In the morning some of the ladies' COM
planned to Sir Alfred that the shrieks and
groans of the sufferers disturbed their rest.
In order to please them, Sir Alfred Or
dered every stranger, well or injured. re-
moved from the vessel His surgeon plead
ed with him, but to no purpose. and we
saw the poor victims of the earthquake
carried from the vessel and laid in lines
upon the wharf. 1t was dreadful sight.
The sufferers were denied food by Sir AL
fred and even the volunteer nurses and
surgeons were refused a cup of tea and a
bit of dry-bread from the ships stores.
The two young Englishn1en who had
rlrA1 f-r hi -ix
surgeon of the Port Kingston staggered
over to the gangplank Of the fruiter and
begged for just a cup of tea. They were
disheveled, blood-stained and ready to
drop.
Come aboard, boys said Capt Hen
sell of the Admiral Sampson. Come
aboard. 1t makes no difference If you have
money e not. You can eat here while the
food hangs out, and we will take you free
to Boston If you want to CO.
= And they sailed with us Tuesday night,
and were loudest in condemnation of the
heartlessness of their British brethren.
Woman in Distress Turned Away.
Il saw woman-a woman who had en-
joyed position of wealth and distinction
-stagger to the side of the Port Richmond
and beg for a crust of bread. She was re-
pulsed. Our captain-God bless him!-took
her in and cared for her.
And so 1t went. None of the members
of Sir Alfreds party lifted a hand to aid
the sufferers. Not a sympathetic or kindly
or generous deed can be ascribed to them.
The Americans were generosity itself. The
Jamaicans blessed them.
Il shall never forget the terror of the first
shocks. 1 had lain down for a nap, and
wore only a silk kimona. / had only stock
ings on my feet. My husband sat in a chair
by one of the windows. reading. He got up
and walked toward the inner room to get
a paper knife. He thus saved his life, for
the next instant there was a crash like the
bursting of big gun, the house rocked
and the entire front fell out. The chair in
which Mr.. Craig had been sitting fell into
the street and was covered with debris
II was thrown out of bed and partly
crawled under. remembering that in Japan
the natives crouch under tables for pro-
lection during earthquakes. Nevertheless
was struck on the shoulder and arm by
a falling beam and painfully injured
My husband was also bruised. When ]
realized that the trembling had ceased and
our lftes were spared I seized Mr. Craip,S