Washington sentinel., 1854-03-26
From tho New York 1oarnal Of Commerce.

EMIcRANT SnIPs.--A ship cleansed by the
fumes of Charcoal before leaving port NAV
bring into her destined harbor one Of the foul.
est diseases, viz, shipieyer, generated and in
duced by foul air, filth, and tho exhalations Of
thousand miserable human bodies, confined
tween decks" under closed matches on board
| an einigrant ship.
In the first place, let us suggest, that middle
tiers OF berths be entirely done away with and
prevented by the strong arm Of the law and
public opinion.
Secondly, as it is well known to the medical
faculty and to men Of modern science that
sympathy SO intimately connects and blends
all creation that to see is to suffer and often
to become infected, each tier of berths should
be divided off by board partitions of tongued
and grooved material, about 81 feet from the
berths, and closed in front, with the exception
of the door, which should not reach tic upper
deck within four or six inches. Lights should
likewise be allowed throughout the whole of
the night ] am well aware that the present
system Of extinguishing fire at certain hour is
intended for the safety of passengers and yes
sell but lanterns can be screwed on the cross
beams Of the upper deck, the light enclosed with
fine but strong wire gauze, and in place OF its
being the third mates duty to overlook the
steerage, two competent persons belonging to
the vessel should keep continual watch, turn
and turn, see to cleanliness of each apartment,
and preserve order among the inmates. hold
it as next to impossible to prevent crime, prosti
tuition, drunkenness, &C., among such congre-
cation, but much more should be done than is
at the present.
The scenes enacted on board many emigrant
vessels more than vie with the worst haunts Of
misery and wretchedness in the most dissolute
parts of the city of New York.
Here are unmarried men, women, and in fact
all concerned, huddled together en- masse, in
discriminatory. There are thousands who
yearly land upon our shores, entirely ignorant
and innocent when they left home, wholly
few weeks Of life in the steerage Of an EN- grant
vessel have been made, charitably speaking,
only fit recipients of lunatc asylum, but in
truth made for us composition ignorance,
disease, bestiality, prostitution, and equality,
occasioned by our own sordid avarice aud neg.
lect Verify, it is time to be on the move.
well remember the old Bellevue Hospital in
1882, and remark made by one of its officers,
(while my father with myself "then q boy"
made an examination Of and Esport thereon
for the board Of health J "Would Some kind
hand find barrel of powder, would find a
match to explode it;" but that was as bright
and shining light to the steerage of an emf
grant vessel in our day. But above all, so far
as ameiiorating their condition is concerned,
more thorough ventilation is thegrand desidera.
tum to be attained; and think that wind.sail,
can be so constructed as to furnish fresh
supply of air into the vessel at all times. and
air.tubesin thenpper deck which can be opened
and shut at pleasure to admit Of all foul vapors
being. forced out by the current of fresh air
forced in. In fact if this description is INSULT,
cient will publicly furnish competent draw.
ings Tor the purpose, as herein set forth.
FL. R. SHERRELL,
49, Civil Engineer.
30 Nassau street, New York.