New-York tribune., 1911-03-06
Soldiers Refuse to Give Aid.

an accident.
Soldiers Refuse to Give Aid
While there was plenty Of sea water
around the south and east end OF the
city. there were no facilities for throw
ing il on the flames, and Captain Nyboer
decided to 60 ashore and cut off the
progress OF the flames by tearing down
buildings. He has a crew Of ninety-six
but took ashore with him only forty
men. He stripped his ship of all avail
able ropes. blocks, saws, hatchets and
crowbars, and got ashore before the fire
had gained alarming headway.
As he landed Captain Nyboer was met
by gangs Of drunken soldiers and told
that his help was not necessary. There
were six generals running around the
city excitedly. One Of them was told by
the sailors from the Prns Willem | to
bring up a few pieces Of artillery and
shoot a pathway through the town that
might cut off the progress Of the flames
The general refused, and told the sailors
they had better go back to their ship.
Finding his help not wanted, Captain
Nyboer and his men went back to their
vessel. but an hour later were called
ashore by Johannes Jacobsen, the port
agent Of the Royal Dutch lie. Nr.
Jacobsen told Captain Nyboer that there
were plenty of Dutch subjects in the city
whose lives and property needed pro-
lection, and pleaded with him to fight
the fire.
There was further displeasure exhib-
tied by the Haytian soldiers. but the
Dutch skipper and his men attacked the
buildings. and the fronts Of houses fell
before the tackle Of the Dutch sailOrmen.
With axe and crowbar they toppled over
walls. Roofs caved in dangerously close
to them with crashes that drove the idle
soldiers to safe distances.
Fought Fire Twenty.four Hours.
Friendly foreigners warned Captain
NybOer that explosives and highly in
nammable material were stored in some
of the buildings along the route of the
proposed destruction, but it mattered
little 10 the Dutch firetighters. In one
suspicious building the sailors found
forty barrels Of rum, which they rolled
ont beyond the fire lines, much to tho
delight Of the soldiers 1t was said by
several passengers that the attack Of
tbe soldiers upon the forty barrels was
The only work done by them during the
entire connagration
The finding of the rum was an un-
fortunate incident. for thereafter the SOL
diers ran about looting homes and fight
ing among themselves. All were armed
with some sort Of weapon. but when the
Prins Willcm / left Aux Cayes 30 seri-
Gus casualties had been reported.
Captain Nyboer and his men worked
steadily from noon on February 20 until
noon the next DAY, when their efforts
had succeeded in checking the easterly
spread Of the fire. While tearing down
one Of the houscs on the morning of
February II the skipper and twelve Of
his men we're trapped and had to force
their way through the flames. Several
of the sailors were slightly burned, lut
not a man quit work until Captain
Nyboer ordered all TO return to the ship
Although the skipper and lis fire
fighters had had no sleep for some thirty
hours, they Immediately resumed their
duties aboard ship. and took the Prins
Wilcm to Port-au-Prince, where they
arrived the next morning.
The news Of the heroic fight made by
Captain Nyboer had reached the Hay
tian capital before him, and n commit
zee from President Simon invited him to
the palace. where he received testi-
monial from the government The
President in appreciation OF ms ser
viccs. gave him costly gold watch and
chain and a small gold compass for "A
charm.