The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-25
- stowaways."
SOME OF THE VICTIMS OF THE WILLIE DU
HAVRE DISASTER.

In the melancholy catalogue of the poor
people gulphed in the Vile du Havre,
we read that there were twenty seven
third class passengers, and six " stow
Always" The last named term is sufficient
ly curious to call for explanation aud in
rendering it we touch upon one of the
most wretched features of emigrart life.
y "stowaway" is an individual who, in
the last moment, just before the vessel
leaves the dock for her destination, sinks
on board, creeps below, and conceals him
self as securely as he is able, in remote
hooks and corners of the lower deck or the
forepeak. Sometimes he gets into the hold,
but there, if the matches are battened down,
he runs the risk of being smothered. AT
age, and crouches there, like rat behind
the wainscot, quaking for fear of discovery.
And detection must sooner or later be the
fate of the "stowaway."
So well is the practice of smuggling hu
man baggage known to sesgoing folks,
that prior to large emlsrant ship sailing.
ssahF hegasd 81 one f6e mates and fur
nished with lanterns and rattans, who
make tour of exploration among the pack
ing cases and the provision casks. "Hunt-
ing for stowaways"i 10 a most exciting sport :;
the wretched defaulters are started from
their holes, ronndiy abused, hustled son
deck, "slaoged" by the captain-happy
they, in an American clipper, who escape
being Shanghaied" by the boatswain or
booted by the first mate-and then contu-
maciously kicked over the side. Some
stowaways, however, generally contrive to
pass unnoticed in the search and six
the number found on board the Vile du
Havre-may be considered as fair aver
age among a hundred and fifty passengers.
! days at sea before they are discovered.
Every fresh hogshead of beef or biscuit
that is uuheaded diminishes their chances
of immunity still there have been known
instances of the unfortunate creatures
being inadvertently damned up between
and behind the piles of merchandise, and
SO suffering living eatombment rivalipg
that of Constance de Beverley in horror.
Stowaways dragged from the hiding
places when the ship is in blue water have
! to take their chance and q very calami-
tous chance it is. If the culprit be a wo-
man she has not much to fear. Jack ia
proverbially gallant, and an active woman
and ceokhouse. But when the offender
happens to be raw lad-which he gener
ally is, and Irish to boot-he has emphati-
cally "bad time oft" He may consider
himself fortunate if he is allowed to earn
the worth of his bed and board by per-
forming the most mental drudgery, and at
the end OF the voyage the captain can if he
desires, take the stowaway before a mag
istrate and have him punished for fraud.
1t usually happens, however, that the
skipper, when the run is over, is as glad to
get rid of his Improbable passenger as the
passenger is to be we'll out of the ship.
The former says nothing about the pecu-
mary loss his owners have suffered, and
the latter is quite content to be silent with
regard to the numerous attentions con-
veyed through the fundamentally of the
marlin spikes and ropes ends with which
he has been favored by the boatswain and
assistants. What the French authorities
would have said to these waits and strsys
on their arrival at Havre, is uncertain
but the poor fellows need fear no frowns OF
human justice now. They are drowned
Tendon Telegraph.