No. 679.
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Rives.
Consulate-General of the United States,
Port au Prince Hayti, November 19, 1888. (Received December
1.)
No. 116.]
Sir: Owing to the death of one of the seamen on
board of the steamer Haytian Republic, captured by
the Haytian war vessel on the 21st ultimo, and new an international
question, and being aware that the settlement of such case may be after an
interval of more or less time, also fearing that so many men being clustered
on board of a ship so near the land sickness may take root, as the heat is
unusually severe this fall, after consultation with Captain Ramsay, of the
United States ship Boston, and with Dr. J. B. Terres,
our vice-consul-general, on these points, I determined, since the presence
of the crew was not essential here, to obtain for them passage by the first
outgoing ship to the United States, and to-day have done so, booking them on
the Dutch steamer Prins Frederick Henricks, at the
reduced rate of $30 each, and have drawn a draft on the Treasury Department
for $720, the passage for the twenty-four
[Page 959]
seamen. Captain Compton will remain in Port au Prince
with the agent of the company.
I inclose herein, marked A and B, copies of letters received by me from
Captain Compton, telling of the death of one his crew. I also transmit,
marked C, copy of the names of the seamen shipped, as taken directly from
the shipping articles made out in the State and county of New York, E. W.
Kingsbury, United States shipping commissioner.
I have, etc.,
John E. W. Thompson,
Consul-General.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 116.]
Captain Compton to
Mr. Thompson.
Sir: It is my painful duty to report to you the
death of seaman Neil Olsen, who died last night at 8.20 p.m. of fever,
after an illness of four days. Everything was done for him that was
possible on board, and he appeared to be getting better until yesterday,
when he was taken with a relapse and died unconscious. I had sent for a
doctor by pilot in the afternoon, but none came, and I have had uo
communication with any agent since Monday.
Please notify me what you wish to have done with the dead man’s
effects.
Respectfully, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 116.]
Captain Compton to
Mr. Thompson.
Sir: I respectfully request that you call the
attention of the commander of the Boston to our
situation at this moment. We are here and allowed no communication with
the shore. Can send no letters on shore, nor allowed to send a boat on
shore.
One man is dead with fever, and the chances are that others will go the
same way.
If I have done anything against the laws I am willing to take my
punishment, but it seems hard that my whole crew should lay here and die
like dogs without any assistance, and an American man-of-war in the
harbor.
Therefore I request that this guard be taken off the ship, and that we be
towed to the outer harbor, where the lives of my crew will be in less
danger.
Respectfully, etc.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 116.]
List of seamen of steam-ship Haytian
Republic.
- W. Smith.
- L. A. Cates.
- Edward Haley.
- John A. Nelson.
- L. Larsen.
- Martin J. Larsen.
- Charles Hinricks.
- C. B. Malcom.
- A. J. Blaisdell.
- J. G. Percy.
- William Cushing.
- James L. Donavan.
- William Grant.
- James E. Whitten.
- Thomas Kane.
- Joseph Kelley.
- James Healey.
- S. N. Simmons.
- William Curvillay.
- John Francis.
- A. J. Smallwood.
- J. C. Roberts.
- Augustus Cobbam.
- James Moore.
- Patrick Grant.
