New-York tribune., 1910-11-06
SH|PWRECKED CREW HERE
Were on the Crown Prince, Lost
in West Indian Hurricane.
THRILLING TALE IN LOG
Ali but One of So Men Escaped
When Ship Struck Cuban
Reef Stern On.

The Ward liner EsperanZa brought 10
port from Havana yesterday Captain Peter
johnson and thirty-ive officers and men
Of the British steamer Crown Prince, which
went TO pieces on the western end or Cupa
fn the recent West Indian hurricane. Only
one of the crew, a fireman named tord'
was drowned, though the experiences OF
the others on a 5,0e0-ton steamer carrying
coffee cargo worth 100000 rival the
best tales of tropic shipwreck in the hey-
day of the wooden schooner.
The log, faithfully kept by r. z. Wilson
the first officer, tells the tale. On October
y while passing Little Cayman Island, the
vessel experienced heavy southeasterly
winds The next day the wind shifted to
The southwest end became a gale. sweep
ing the decks and carrying away the avn
sng gear. On Saturday, October Is, the gale
Increased and the Crown Prince passed
white. threelegged schooner water logged
and abandoned, whose canvas whipped IN
ribbons from her masts.
Fairly Sunday morning q hurricane was
blouing. enveloping the snip in such squalls
Of snrav toward evening that 1t was i'm
POSSIBLE 70 see, speak or hear on deck
Al $50 that night, after tumbhng about
helplessly all day, she struck a reef on
IIollandis Point, Corrientes Bay, stern on.
The barometer on board registered 21S
shortly after the vessel struck" said
Mr Wilson. f'5ust as the engineers sot
clear of the engine room. the after deck
broke across with q, noise like giant gun
The second and third engineers and three
apprentices made for the lifeboat It was
dashed 10 pieces by g wave before they
could reach IT.
Godfrey, the third engineer, was washed
aft 20 the main rigging. Although injured,
he managed to crawl along the derricks 10
The top Of the engine room deckhouse. As
he gained the top Of the house the after
part of the ship burst across almost at his
feet 1t left a great chasn, through which
the waves washed with a roar, twisting the
iron work about like paper.
we were still on the bridge, in the
shelter of the iron wheelhouse, and grad
uauy al hands collected there and hung
on until morning The roll was called. and
II wss found that Ford was missing
The wind was abating then, and in the
dawn the coral shore appeared two hun
dred yards away. An apprentice named
Patton fought his way through the surf
with g line and with this TO aid them
Pianos and Christian, two sailors, got
larger line ashore, tying the ship to a, tree.
Before night all hands were safely ashore,
besides six cats, monkey and a dog.
Tuesday was spent getting stores from
the ship by means Of a breeches buoy.
Many Of the men were cut and bruised by
the sharp coral. The body of Ford was
found six miles TO the eastward on Wednes-
day, and buried. BY this time the Crown
Prince had broken up completely, coffee
from her hold streWing the beach knee
deep
Captain Johnson and the chief engineer
set out on foot through the jungle that
afternoon fer Point Antonio thirty-flve
miles away, where, after literally walking
their shoes off their feet. they obtained a
small schooner. in which they returned and
took all hands 70 Havana. Godfrey was
placed IN Mercedes Hospital. in Havana.
suffering from q sprained back and the
rest OF the crew came 10 New York on the
first available steamer.