The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-17
A SlEERACE PASSAGE.
A Herald Commissioner Crosses the Ocean
as a Storage Passenger.
His Experience Among the For
eigners and the General Com
forts" Below Decks.
The Food That Gould Not Be Eaten and the
Food That Had To Be Eaten.
The E1nigrant's Hard Lot
Aboard Ship
Outrages by the Crew and No Pro-
lection from the Officers.
A Sample Enigrant Voyage in
the Egypt.
The Emigrant's Hard Lot
Aboard Ship
0utrages by the Crew and No Pro-
lection from the officers.
A Sample Emigrant Voyage in
the Egypt.
The PROFITS OF The STEERAGE BUSINESS
The Defects of the System and How to
Remedy Them.


Remedy Them.
The steamship Egypt, OF the National line, sailed
from Liverpool the 2Sth ult. and arrived
at this port June Q. On the evening prior to
her sailing l was despatched from London with
special instructions to cross In her and give
full account Of the treatment shown emgrants in
the steerage and, of course, for the better execu
ton Of the object in view, to remain in the dark
myself and not let it be known that was on board
as HERALD commissioner. The investigation
into the emigrants' conveyance from the Old to the
New World is at the present day matter which
interests and concerns hundreds OF thousands In
every civilized country and the subject is now en-
gaging some attention in England The English
journals lately announced that our government
had sent over from Washington, to the ports OF
England and Germany, number Of employees
commissioned to return in the steerage after the
best style they could manage to get up in order to
escape detection and for the purpose Of reporting
upon
THE EMIGRATION PASSAGE.
Consequently, at Liverpool, was not surprised
to md sharp lookout kept for the emissarles; and
In fact the clerks and agents Of the various lines
have their eyes so wide open that it is not likely
many government employees could pass over the
ocean as bona tide steerage passengers, and SO
obtain faithful picture Of the scenes on board.
Nor on the other hand, is 1t SO easy, as might at
first glance be thought to avoid having your secret
pried out by the inquisitlve eyes and tongues Of
the passengers themselves No little diplomacy
and adaptability to circumstances are requisite in
order to be zone OF them"-namcly, to prevent
them from suspecting that you never have ham
died any instrument of labor whatever, and never
could, by any manner OF means. Happily for the
successful fulflment of my task, knowledge OF
several OF the Continental languages enabled me,
rs found out not only to engage their attention
and neutralize any guesses that might be made,
but also to procure information from them as to
their past life and future prospects, their hopes Of
the country to which they were passing, and their
opinions OF
THE COUNTRIES LEFT BEHIND.
them. In measure one had las one best might
to dress, eat drink and be merry to walk about on
the decks and pull ropes, to hoist sail, to eschew
reading, and writing ''limted;'' to talk and think
like them-in word, to commune with them; and,
In fact, if la Commune may be said to exist any
where 1t surely exists in the steerage OF an emil
grant steamer. For the time being had to prove
myself good Communard, and from the starting
TO the ending OF the trip am certain that not one
soul on board the Egypt suspected me OF travelling
In any other capacity than that OF an emigrant.
With the officers did not desire to come into too
close communication, nor did aim to avoid them.
or course If either officers or passengers had
known that there was one among them taking
notes to print little chance would have remained
to me OF seeing things they really WERE All would
have stood more or less on their PTS and as; even
the crew themselves might spontaneously have be-
haved differently, and, in truth, would only have
had a peep at the outside OF affairs. succeeded
In keeping my incognito rcligiously, ana am thus
able to lay before the readers OF the
HERALD an exact and impartial statement
of what really does occur on the ocean
steerage passage. On my application
for a steerage ticket at one OF the company's
Offices it was readily accorded without any ques-
lions, in return for the price or six guineas. On
proceeding to the docks to take up my allotted ten
days. home in TIE Egypt found there lively ex-
element and no little hustle and confusion. Men,
women and children of all nationaties were en-
barking, ami0 hurried preparations and anxious
expectations; some amid sad partings with rela-
tives and friends. Farewell" has always amore
serious meaning to those leaving land to go down
into the depths of the sea- and in this instance it
was quite clear, from the remarks passing around,
that the emigrants had read or heard OF
THE FATE OF THE ATLANTIC.
The scene was, however, even more queer, COM
iCal and interesting las being out OF the smooth,
common run OF life) than sad. The dresses, at
trements and equipments; the boxes bundles,
bags and baggage OF all forms and outward colors;
the going to and fro; the gesticulation in default
Of language; the calling, the laughing ana the
hum OF voices; the shouting Of the dock hucksters
and vendors; the bargaining or the cmigrants-
many being reduced to pantomime OF the
best and most earnest quality-for knives and
forks, tin cups, pans and plates and bedding, or
mattresses and blankets, to lay upon the plank
s'bunks," &c.-all this went to make UP picture
which any artist might well desire to represent on
canvas Steerage passengers were on board with
their traps at eight O'Clock in the morning OF the
appointed day OF sailing Saloon or cabin passen.
gers came on in tender at halfpast four p NJ,
after the steamer had left her station in the docks
and taken up her position
AT ANCHOR IN THE MERsEY,
of Princess landing. Two steamers left for the
same destination shortly before our hour of sail
ing, and while were all waiting to start the
river was covered with small boats doing their
service and the landings were crowded with eager
spectators. After we got out into the stream,
about noon, there was still delay until eight p.
NJ, when the donkey engine was set to work to
heave up the anchor: and when this was raised the
big ship slowly steamed out Of port with her live
cargo amid the waving OF handkerchief from the
shore. While we were undergoing this delay all
was still confusion. Many were still engaged hunt
ing out and arranging their hunks and conveying
about from deck to deck their small personal lug
gage In order to stow it away in some
easily gotten at hole, and so prevent its
being thrown aud crushed amid the heavier
boxes down in the hold. Dinner the first
was served up at r NJ, and a half hour later the
medical examination was passed to see If the pas.
sengers were In sufficiently healthy condition to
be allowed to proceed on the trip without any fear
OF contagious diseases. All hands were mustered
upon the upper deck and then made to pass a