The New York herald., 1869-05-16
THE FEVER SHIP.

ParalleP'-"Cruel and BarDarOus COnouct'
Of the Carpentcr-The British Emigration
Authorities Censured.
The special committee, appointed by the Commits
sioners OF Emigration to investigate the alleged out
RACES and sunerings on board the 'fever ship
James Foster Jr, which arrived at this port on the
7th OF March last, have presented to the Commits
sioners the following report embOdying the results
of their labOrs, together with report Of the test
mony taken before the committee, and which was
published In full in the HERALD while the examina-
tion was In progress. II will be seen that the
mittee are fully convinced Of the enormity of the
offences committed by the delinquent officers Of the
ship, the neglect OF her owners and OF the British
emigration authorities, as well az Of the lamentable
results OF all these combined evils as developed
among the unfortunate passengers.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL CoxMIrrgE OF THE CON-
MIssIoNERs OF EMIGRATION, OF THE INvEsTIGA-
TION INTO THE CAUSES OF COMPLAINT AGAINST
THE SHIP JAMES FOSTER, JR.
In pursuance Of Q resolution OF the Commission
ers OF Emigration OF the State Of New York, dated
March H. 1869, whereby the undersigned were ap-
publicly maze OF Ill usage OF passengers by the snip
James Foster Jr., on her voyage from Liverpool,
England to the port OF New YORK. your committee
commenced forthwith an examination OF the per.
sons that seemed most capable OF giving reliable In
complaint, however, having been made against
the owners Of the ship by John Carey, one OF the
passengers, your committee proceeded to q formal
as should present themselves in virtue Of the power
vested In the Commissioners Of Emigration by chap
ter S57 Session Laws, 1S6s p. 2o4o, entitled IAN act
for the more efectual protection OF Emigrants ar.
riving at the port OF New York;
Your committee held four slttings at Castle Gar
den, WILTON March l3, Is, rs and 20, 1869, and
f0llOws:-R0bert Blackmofe, Patrick Careney
Michael Callaghan, Abraham Meyer, Bartholomew
Tobn, James Burke, Grinith Richards. Peter Scon-
Ter. Hermann Brandt Jacob Trem, WithmOe Morgan
and Thomas Roundey Due notice Of the proceed.
ings having been gwen to the owners OF the Ship
they were represented at the sttings of your com.
mittee by Mr. Charles Marshall. one OF the firm OF
Charles u. Marshall \ Co.. and bv Thomas II. Hub
bard, ESQ.,, OF counsel; and on the third and fourth
sttings Mr.. George Putnam Smith, OF counsel for
certain Of the passengers. attended on their behalf
and took part In the proceedings.
Your committee report the following facts as the
result Of their Investigations
The ship James Foster, Jr., of the Black Ball line
1,42S tons burden, left the river Mersey Liverpool
England, on her voyage to New YORK, on the 18th
OF December. 1868 The passengers mad been for the
most part taken on board on the 18th 14Ih De-
cember and from that time till the 10th December
the ship lay at anchor. The number Of steerage
passengers on board was 146 Or these fourteen had
shipped as passenger cooks, contracting, In con-
sideratlon OF reduction OF passage money, to per-
form certain duties on board. The actual number
of the crew was thirty, although the fourteen pas
sengers seem to have been passed Off before the
emigration officers In Liverpool as ordinary seamen,
thus apparently swelling the n number a Of the crew
strong first mate; John McVety, second mate;
penter and boatswain; Edward Monument,
surgeon: The quantity nn,;t OF provisions which M
voyage is set forth in the copy contract annexed to
this report. The sum paid by each steerage pas
senger was "a The passengers who shipped as
passenger cooks" paid only f2 5s. each. IN con-
sderatOn Of which reduction they agreed Ito clean
below decks and cook for the passengers" The
ship anchored in New York harbor on the 7th day Of
March, 1862 the voyage having lasted seventy eight
days, being passage Of unusual Duration the aver
age time consumed in winter passages not exceed
ing f0rty-hve days. The weather for the greater
part OF the voyage was rough, with head winds.
The ship had been but short time at sea before
which your committee believe TO be of late years
without parallel. The captain seems to have
Pee me g nssso S tSe bis ssD du and
OF the passengers to inferior officers. The crew,
composed mostly OF landsmen, unused to the sea,
nary work OF the ship and soon became wholly
exhausted from fatigue. To supply this deficiency
nary seamen, duty which they had never agreed to
perorm and even the passengers, who mad paid full
aa oe e To- a. GI e
make SAIL In fact 70 perform all SAILORS duty,
except go al0ft.
pork W as good the beef was middling the -four was
occasionally sour the meal was bad after the middle
of the voyage, the biscuits were OF two qualities
sometimes good and sometimes bad.
the quantity OF these provisions supplied to the
the second week Of the voyage It APPEARED % 'to to
have been not more than half that to whicn they
were entitled under their contract. On each
Saturday rations were served out for the
ensuing week. After the third week the
supply was 80 reduced that 1t proved not sum-
cient to last until the following Thursday, aud
thenceforward, until the next Saturdays distribu.
ton, two days Of starvation intervened. The allow
ance Of water was soon reduced to three pints a
day. The hours OF distribution were irregular. For
awhile the water was OF good quality, fresh and ht
drink. But for the last five weeks OF the voyage
1t salty, composed OF the rain water which had
fallen on the deck, and the salt spray, which had
necessarily mixed with 1t. The sufferRgs Of the
passengers from hunger s1 and thirst were severe;
brought on board q larger supply OF food than they
needed for their own necessities, and sold the
plus. 1t Is In evidence, that In this sort OF traic,
one Of the passengers paid one shilling for bis
cuit, and In another case six pence was paid for
ee USo nA M sueen r 20
for on the arrival OF the ship at the port
Of New York, the supply OF meat was not yet alto.
water still in the tanks The number OF passengers
on board was less than the capacity OF the ship to
were defective There was only one stove in the
cooks galley. In this the re was lighted sometimes
at eight a. M, sometimes no. until two p NJ, and
carpenter for the purpose OF compelling the famish
ing passengers to do some sailors work about the
ship. The power over the passengers vested In this
man seems to have been unlimited. He presided
over the serving out Of provisions and water, and
therein showed favor % sUme OF the passen
the food Of the latter on the wet deck and spiling
even their scanty supply of water. Several Of the
during the voyage. The passenger cooks and passen
gers required 10 work the ship, and the conduct
OF the carpenter towards some OF these passenger
cooks seems to have been cruel and barbarous. 1t
appears from the evidence, copy Of which is here
to annexed. that he was IN the habit OF beating
them with his hsts with ropes with Delaying pins
any other weapon that came to his hand SO that
from the effects Of this Ill usage several OF them
died. The first mate also beat the passengers. The
captain refused to listen TO any complaint and
treated remonstrance with Insult.
Your committee are advised that the carpenter
with two OF the other inferior Officers Of the Ship
are now In custody and awaiting their trial on IN
dictmcnts found against them In the United States
District Court OF the Esern district Of the state Of
New York. On Account OF OFFENCES alleged TO have |
been cQpmitted by them against certain Of the crew
and passengers Of this ship on this voyage, and their
trial ls likely to take place next month.
Your cQpimittee therefore forbear to make any
fSisnet ~ %eHt ON cA Ygp Bg IS {Sw oS
ton OF the charges against these men. The captain
Of the ship and the first mate have died on shore
since the arrival Of the ship In port, victims to
malignant fever which broke out on board, and
which had Its origin probably In their own inca
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