The Dutch newspaper Het Centrum daily edition dated 12 July 1911 republished a telegram from the correspondent at London of the German newspaper Lokal-Anzeiger. This correspondent received from New York a tiding dealing with the fate of the former Italian cruiser Umbria (1) sold by consul Grosstück at Berlin to the Haitian government. She was not far from Port-au-Prince left behind while in a leaking states. The Allemannia of the Hamburg-America Line brought this news with her to New York without any doubts in good faith. The correspondent doubted however what happened with the cruiser remembering the rumours that president Simon of Haiti was nothing more as a stooge of the former president of Venezuela Castro and that the latter was the real buyer of the ship.(2) Castro landed in the meantime at the West coast of Venezuela and there were no telegraphic signals received dealing with an eventual shipwreck. The captain of the Allemannia told a quite funny story. The president of Haiti renamed the cruiser in President Simon and official tidings was she called the Dreadnought of Haiti. When Simon wanted to celebrate his newest acquisition for his fleet which further more existed only of aged coaliers and tugs invited he his bravest generals and the whole army of about 1,000 men all dressed in something resembling uniforms. The personnel yacht of the president escorted the fleet, the fortress of Port-au-Prince saluted the fleet and the dreadnought begun her first voyage with the new admiral. The latter was a former captain on a fruit freighter and one of his superiors until recently manager on a milk plant. After nearly 30 miles struck she suddenly something causing a leak. Water filled the engine room and she stranded shortly afterwards on a sandbank. The whole army was in panic and the yacht did everything to come near for saving the men on board. After two hours was the president and staff safely on board of the yacht. The bowsprit if the yacht was smashed and everyone begged the president to go back to Port-au-Prince, something he did while leaving his soldiers in the dreadnought behind promising to send help. At that moment arrived the Allemannia taking all soldiers on board and bringing them to the capital city. The dreadnought was apparently still lying on the sandbank. Later telegraphed Harold’s from Port-au-Prince that she was salvaged by a steamship of the Hamburg America Line and towed to Port-au-Prince. Other Dutch newspapers published a similar accounts.
The newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 7 November1911 published also a topic dealing with the landing of Castro at Venezuela. The steam boat with his war stores on board was seized by the new president of Haiti Leconte when she was used as the troop transport Antonio Simon by the former president Simon and during which revolt the engines failed. This troop transport was as the newspaper recalled the famous Consul Grosstück and renamed by Antonio Simon with his own name pretending she was property of the Haitian government and to hand over to Castro for his invasion. The Rotterdamsch nieuwsblad dated 19 June supplied more details dealing with Konsul Grosstück. American newspapers claimed that in the Behrenstrasse 64 at Berlin, Germany an arsenal was located delivering weapons to revolutionaries of all countries including torpedo boats, aircraft and airships. Grosstück was consul for Ecuador and told that he bought from the Italian government the condemned cruiser Umbria. He ordered her to be thoroughly repaired and fitted out and sold her to the Haitian government. She was armed with 21 heavy guns. Some days ago she visited Las Palmas but still flying German colours while she was his property until delivery at Haiti. Her visit at Las Pasmas caused the silly rumours that she was sold to Castro. He received in the night of Thursday a telegram she arrived safely at Port-au-Prince and was today to hand over to the Haitian government and to be paid for. Her crew consisted just of Germans who all served within the navy. However his statement was still not confirmed and apparently was men in Haiti still anxious that Castro was indeed on board. From Washington was telegraphed that several warships were send out to observe the mysterious ship believing that Castro was on board. If so they intended to board the ship, taken Castro prisoner and send him back to Europe. Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlands-Indië dated 12 July confirmed her name Consul Grosstück during the sell and that in official papers she was called the Dreadnought of Haiti despite being renamed by Simon.
Notes
1. The Italian cruiser Umbria was laid down at the yard of Orlando, Livorno on 1 August 1888, launched on 23 April 1891, completed on 16 February 1894, discarded in July 1909 while becoming property of Haiti in 1911. She had a displacement of 2,245(standard)-2,411 (full load) tons and as dimensions 80,00 (between perpendiculars)-8,48 (over all) x 12,0 x 5,35 metres. The engines and 4 cylindrical boilers supplied 7,104 hp allowing a speed of 18,8 knots, with a speed of 10 knots and a coal bunker capacity of 430 tons was her range 2,100 nautical miles. The crew numbered 213-278 men. The armour consisted of a 50mm thick sloping deck and the conning tower was also protected by 50mm. The armament consisted originally of 4x1-15m,2cm guns, 6x1-12cm guns, 1x1-7,5cm gun, 7x1-5,7cm guns, 9x1-3,7cm guns and 2-45cm torpedo tubes in the beam. She was of the Umbria-class with as sister ships Lombardia, Etruria, Liguria, Elba and Puglia. http://www.navypedia.org/ships/italy/it_cr_umbria.htm said that she was sold in 1911 to Haiti, rechristened Ferrier bust sunk underway caused by an inexperienced crew. http://oceania.pbworks.com/w/page/8464919/INS%20Umbria-1894 said that she was sold in 1911 to Haiti, rechristened Ferrier and lost. http://www.gwpda.org/naval/fdzz0001.htm no details dealing with her fate.
Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906-1911 said that she was bough in 1911 from Italy, rechristened Ferrier and sunk caused by an inexperienced crew.
Fellow researcher Ekkehard Rbermann confirmed she was in Haitian service since July 1911 and renamed Antoine Simon, beached in the Bay of Goave, towed to Kingston where she was provisionally repaired for her return to Port-au-Prince and afterwards was she renamed Ferrier. In spring 1912 went she to Charleston for repairs where her crew mutinied. She returned to her homeport with a changed armament into 6-12cm breech loaders, laid up, renamed Hayti in 1921 and sold finally in 1921 to be broken up.
2. José Cipriano Castro Ruize (12 October 1858 Capacho, Táchira, Venezuela - 4 December 1924 San Juan, Puerto Rico) president of Venezuela in 20 October 1899-19 December 1908.
