New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-07
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE WARDS ISLAND TROUBLES.

THE WARDS ISLAND IhOODiLc.
VISIT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE On
COMMERCE.
. On Saturday the Committee on Commerce
and Navigation Messrs. Lawrence ID. Herman, WIZ q.
Bergen. owen Cavanagh, Martin Nachtman, John
Decker and Hugh Clark visited Wards Island To inyes
tigate the oause Of the riot there. The Comm
sioners Of Emigration were not present. Dut mr. beEn"u
Cassery. the General Agent at Castle Gardeh was on
hand The hospitals were examined nrst ana Ioulu ~
be in good order The apartments we're clean ana wen
ventilated and the food was Of fair quality. In the
dpIne.room a number OF emgrants had just finished
their meals, and the tables were DeihE pIep"iv"
for another company. The food was seaIty , anu un
palatable. and there spoons, nor knives, IoI
forks Mr.. Herman was told that theeemgIahts nau
souptin full OF coffee with piece OF Dreaa aDos o
inch thickness aud five inches square, for breakfast
and the same quantity for tea with tea snPs,tneeu Icr
have anything except their fingers convey the fo0d 20
their mouths. The sttingroom wet and dark, ana
there were but few benches TO SIT The emigrants
were mseraby clad and there scarcely whole pair
Of shoes decent garment to ibe seen among them
The doctor said that IL was useless TO give them good
clothing. for they pawned IT,. -
After visiting the various departments OF the insttu-
ton the Committee went TO the Superinendents Office
where the testimony concerning the recent riot was
taken The first witness. superintendent Mes testified
that on receiving tho resolutions posed Wy tne tis
leaders imprisoned them. The witness described the
uprising which followed, and the expulsion OF tng
from the Island All the supplies excePt meat
aud milk, obtained by requsltiohs on tho CVns
sioners IL any OF ,he looa was vi ,Id rennrt 10 tho
Commissioners. He ordered the coal and the HOUR ana
complaints made by the emigrants, ne receisSu
them at his Office and listened TO tbem ana fectneu tno
abuses IL need two kinds OF pun, hneht;
one was TO lock the offender for time, ana II thaJ
would not reform him. be was discharged from the
Island; there were 22is emgrants on tle lSIdhd az INC
time of the late riot, and he discharged l62 .
In the afternoon Messrs. Cassery, Dwyer and other
officers and number OF emlgrautS were examined Inc
latter generally testified that the food was bad ana ard 70
get. There were only four washbasus ana SIX towers
for GOO people. The towels changed only tWco a
week No books provided, nor reading matter OF
any kind and il the emigraHts complained they were
discharged Their clothing poor and often covered
with yernin; their beds hard uncOmiOrtaDe, ana
generally dirty. =. ,.-,.-
said lie had not enough food. The coffee tasted IKE mo
lasses and water. When the Commissioners OF l.lSra
lion were present the soup much better than al Other
times. He considered the English workhOu-es superior
To the establishment on Wards Island Ihough ne was
Christian had tasted Of hot dinner since ne
came there. The Committee returned IN the evening ana
expressed themselves convinced that reform was heeucu
IN up