Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-04-07
Horrors in the Emigrant Ships on
the Atlantic.
lFrom the New York Sun. ]

A few days ago the ship James
Foster, Jr., of the Black Ball Line
arrived from Liverpool with many
of her passengers prostrated by ship
fever. She sailed from Liverpool
with about 80 emigrants, of which
number twenty-five including some
of the crew, died of bad treatment
and insufficient food during the voy-
age On Saturday an investigation
WAS instituted at Castle Garden. be-
fore Commissioners O'Gorman, kapp,
and McElroy, and Superintendent
Casserly. Mr.. Charles III. Marshall,
one of the owners of the ship, was
present with counsel. One of the
passengers, an intelligent English
plumber, Robert Blackmore, testi-
| fled that the first provis ions were is
! sued the day after sailing, and that
theywere never i'll quantity or quail
tysuch as the contract required. The
only good article was the bread. Al
| thoughhavingn no measures orweights
| tOdetermine, ,thewitness was sure that
| the allowance was only about half of
that stipulated. Ii was better at
| first, but decreased in quantit~ id
| deterierated in quality until nearing
| this port. Each passenger shouldhave
received 5 quarts of water day but
l
| All the provisions andthe Goals were
| served out by the carpenter, who
when asked for better food, answer
ed his petitioners with kick or a
| blow. Sometimes he would not give
| out food till bedtime, and oftentimes
| the passengers were compelled to go
| to bed supperleSs. This witness once
| went to the captain and asked for
something to eat, and was answered
| mot a id bit to save your life. !"
| ApetitiOn recting their grievances,
was also drawn up by the passengers
and presented to the captain, who
took no notice of it. Shortly before
| arriving ut this port witness went in
to the hospital and was entreated by
| the sick there to get them something
TO eat--even dried peas or rice, or a
| drink of water. He could not do it,
and the next day three of them We're
brought out dead. Passengers were
required to come on deck at half past
| five for their allowance of water, and
were often kept until seven, waitin g
| the carpenters pleasure il they were
not there at the time, they had to go
| without. Witness never saw the
| captain or mate strike passenger,
but had seen the carpenter and boat
swain do SO frequently. The crew
were often beaten, and the passen-
gers had to do their work.
| Patrick Caveny corroborated the
foregoing account, and said that he
, was near dying of starvation on the
voyage. For a week he lived ON less
than two quarts of oatmeal, and un-
Jess man fought his way to the gal
ley he could not cook his food. He
saw the carpenter knock a tooth out
OF In al N tr
man fell on a skylight and cut his
face, ,and.was otherwise hurt he was
put into the hospital, but one night
the carpenter dragged him out to
make him work, and he died the
mex day. Witness frequently saw
the carpenter and boatswain strike
passengers on one occasion a sailor
named Woodward, after being forced
out of the hospital and compelled to
work, fell exhausted on the steerage
deck, frothing at the mouth and in a
Idying state one Felix who acted as
Icabin-bey, pat his head down the
hatchway and asked him where that
- -" was; OH learning, he kick
ed him violently to make hlm rise
the man groaned and said he was dy-
ing the rufIian continued kicking
him, and finally had him hoisted on
deck by a rope, where he was left,
partly naked, until dragged into the
hospital he died the same night.
Officer Dennis deposed that the
carpenter and boatswain had been
lodged in Richmond county Jail, and
that the captain and first mate
(brothers) were i'll in Brooklyn. On
the part Of the ownersCapt. Marshall
denied that they had any desire TO
prevent a full investigation.