New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-12
OHERORO WDING STEAMSHIPS.
ACTION OF THE DISTRICT-ATTORNEY
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST FIFTEEN VEssELs-WHAT
THE AGENTS SAY.

ACIlON Of lhE DID lhlCl-Al IOhNb1.
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST FIFTEEN VEssELs-WHAT
THE AGENTS SAY.
1t is one Of the duties of the Surveyor of
the Port to measure and report the capacity OF
steamships carrying passengers to this port and to see
that the law limiting the number OF passengers IS OH
served. Under the original act suits were brought
against steamships several years ago, but the Courts
held that the word vessels" in the act
applied only to sailing craft. This defect was
remedied by Congress in 1877. 1t Is provided
that the number OF passengers shall not DC
greater than in the proportion OF one to every two tons
of the vessel carrying them Children under tho age OF
one year not included but two children over that
age and under eight years are computed as one person.
The space appropriated for the Of not
to be occupied by stores other goods not the per-
sonal baggage the passengers and 1t is arranged in
the following proportions "On the main and poop decks
platforms and In the deckhouses-f there be any
ono passenger each 16 clear superficial feet OF deck
IL the height distance between the decks or platforms
shall not be less than fHet and on the lower deck not
being an orop deck, If any, one passenger for Is
such clear superficial feet, If the height or distance be-
tween the decks or platforms shall not be less
than feet; but 30 that no passenger snail Dc
carried on any other deck platform, nor upon any
deck where the height distance between decks Is less
than six feet But on board twOdcck ships where the
height between the decks is 72 feet more. II clear
superficial feet deck shall be the proportion required
for each passenger"
During April the large number OF immigrants arriv-
ing by almost every European steamship was the sub
ect of general remark The fact that the steamships
carried passengers than the law allows was clearly
shown by the Surveyors reports. and Collector Merritt
reported the matter to the United States DstrictAt
tOrneys office for action 1t placed in the hands OF
Assistant United States DistrctAttOrney Fero. and
he has made complaint against the masters Of fifteen
steamships, as fOllOws
AMSTERDAM, acknowledgements Line, TAFT. master
M
excess OF the number allowed by law. ,,o,o.. r,o.
ter arrived April 80 with l,l02 passengers, 297 In
BELGESIGND, Red Star Line jackson, MASTER arrived
April 30 with 943 passengers; 1881 in excess;
CELTIC White Star Liue. Glcadc master, arrived April
CITY CT RICHMOND Inmnn Line, Lech master, arrived
Aprll II with 1908 passengers 80 III excess ,, ~,
with ], I'LL passengers, 43l9 IN excess.
HERDER, Hamburg American Limo. Brandt, master
arrived April Is with 1916 passengers. 1851 IN
HEvEMUs Red Star Line, MarkwGll, master, arrived
April "a with 495 passengers, 154 In excess
HonENsT4UFFEN. North German Loyds. Hunbecx, mas
ter. arrived April "a with LIPS passengers, PSI
MAIN. North German LlOyds Line. Barry. muster ar
rived March 80 with 7s7 passengers, 7Ol2 In eX
MosEL. North German Lloyds Ncynabel. master, ar
rived April with 974 passengers, 1919 IN OK
OHIO, North German Iloyds, Meyer master, ar
rived April % with 1881 PASSENGERS 263 In ex
RHrIS, North German Loyds. Frankel. master ar
srEyiA, Hamburg American Linc Franzsn. master
Arrived April % with 1.2l5 passengers 266i2 In
VIKING. Red Star Line. Topper, master arrived April
10 with 800 passengers. OCH In excess.
The penalty for the infringement Of the act Is fine
for each passenger OF $50 and imprisonment for time
not exceeding six months
The first warrant served yesterday against Cap
tain Barry. OF the Main. and IN the afternoon he a
peared before United States Commissioner Shields Cap
tain Barry gave his personal recognznce TO appear for
examination this afternoon at o'clock.
TALKS WITH STEAMSHIP AGENTS.
John G.. Dale agent OF the Inman Line. said 20 q
TRIBUNE reporter that this matter had been decided In
the case of the steamship ngsrOo IN the United States
Circuit Court before Judge Belts several years ago; In
the suits brought against the Iunan White Star and
Williams and Guion Lines, in 1867, and in tho
against the steamship Braunschweig, at baltimore,
ABOUT three weeks ago. He did not fear the result q
the libel Of the htcamthip CITY OF Richmond
for having thirtythree passengers in excess
OF the allotted , numbers the steamship lines
could 90 it again The company c,niendcd that Con.
gress had the to IeRsate for foreign CORPORA
pOrations subject only to the laws Of Great Britain.
The agents or the HImburG-AmericaD. Red Star and
believed themselves amcnable to the laws Of tho cOu-
try under which the vessels were registered and under
those laws they did not carry the full number Of passen
repTrsontatiyo OF ono OF the British lines said 1--WE
have been expecting this tor some timc the numbers
brought by OF the vessels have been 20 en0r
nous Some OF the German vessels carry nearly 1000,
and don't believe any vessel built except the
Great Eastern, has accommodation Tor much more than
half that number. You remember the case tried at
Baltimore, where the Braunschwelg landed l,515 pas
seDgers and the matter was brought to tho notice Of the
Port Collector One of the Bremen line landed 1074 at
Baltimore. the largest number ever brought 10 this
country In one ship, and three of the North German
steamers landed here about April 22, $500 persons.
do not think the British ships VIII be found To Lame In
this ect their passengers shipped under the
direct supervision OF the Liverpool Board OF Trade And
do not that this country can interfere with them
II they obey the laws OF their own Government that
ought to be sufficient"
r. j. .Coriis, passenger agent Of the White Star
Line, said / have not received intimaiOn OF any
such suit and as far as we are concerned, have no
reason to apprehend any. Aud dOu't think this law
applies steamers 1t held in recent that 1t
did not"
al 1t does apply has the Celtic violated the law I"
~ do not think The Celtic brings out the exact
number permit by the Liverpool Board Of Trade and
Our people have not exceeded this number by
in any One OF our ships came over with ia
berths vacant simply because the ship had her quota
Of passengers without them. The space is measured
with exactncss and the British Government rRdly
fuses to allow thar tle regulation number 70 sail"