The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-05-17
NUMBER IA.
HORRORS OF THE sTEERAaE.
Description Of the Emfgrant GUAR
ters on an Ocean Steamer.


LONDON, May Miss Charlotte Il.
O'Brien, daughter of Smith OsBrien, OF
"Young Irelandv fame, sends to the
Pail Mall Gazette a letter entitled "Hor-
rors Of an Emigrant Ship" which cre-
ates profound sensation aud will be
the subject Of a question in the. House
OF Commons on Monday by Mr.. o Dom
nell Miss O 'Brien visited Queenstown
in order to examine the mode OF life OF
emigrants on steamer, which. vessel,
however, she does not -nsme. The fol-
lowing are the main points sss:ssss.sss..- =
c6SrRAsfs
sIt is unnecessary to cay that wherev-
er the sacred foot OF wealth trod on this
ship all was gold and silver, shining
brass, cleanliness, comfort and decency.
We had come on board, however, to see
the emigrants and we were determined
to see their quarters first. When we
saw the quarters of the single men de-
|scriptions of slave ships flashed across
me. Below this place our guide showed
US deep hole, saying, 4 could not take
you down there, II is much worse than
what You see.' But my 'businesg stas
with the women's quarters and we went
there. Between two decks better light
ed than the mems quarters was larger
space open from one side of the ship to
the other. .
THE woMEs's duARrERs.a
"From either side OF q long central
walk to the outer walks of the ship were
slung two enormous hammocks-one
suspended about three feet from the
foor. What was going on in two other
hammocks above these could not see,
but l presume they were the same as
those below. ] suppose each OF these
hammocks carry about one hundred per-
sons. They were made OF sailcloth, and
being suspended all around from hooks
were perfectly fat. Marrow strips Of
sailcloth divide this, great bed into
berths. These strips of cloth, when the
mattresses were out, formed divisions
about eight inches high. When the
mattresses are in it must be almost ona
level.
HERDED LIKE BEAsrs.
"Now, in these beds lie hundreds Of
men and women. Any. man who comes
with woman who is or calls herself his
wife sleeps, as a,matter of right, in the
midst Of hundreds OF young women
who are compelled to live in his pres
ence day and night. II they remove
their clothes they must do so under his
eyes. II they lie down to rest it must
be beside him. It is shame even to
speak OF these things, but to destroy
such an evil it is necessary to look at
these abodes OF misery In daylight
and when open for inspection they are
empty, swept and garnished. gwx
SCENE AT NIGHT. s. ~.t,
aBut think of the scene in The dark
ness Of the night, the ship pitching Ia
midocean, when giimmerlng lamp or
two makes visible to You this mass Of
moaning humanity. Look at that young
mother with two or three helpless babies
in the agonies of sea sickness, unable to
move but over the PROSTATE bodies of
!
her fellow sufferers. Look at this lnno-
cent girl child lying among dissolute
men and abandoned women, half stupe-
fled with suffocation and seasickness,
amid curses and groans of hundreds.-
If she arises and fees to save her soul,
whether shall she gop Again she must
tread on the writhing bodies Of men
and women saas tT
a LIVING HORROR. z'sr
'.But the picture is too horrible to be
looked at, the sounds too dreadful to
listen to. This is no brutal or impufe
dream; it is truth. 1t is living horror,
menacing the lives, honor and souls0f
hundreds and thousands of our fellow
country women, the shipon which Isaw
these things being supposed to carry in
this manner 1000 steerage passengefs.
She carried last year on one ovoysgesK-
IT'S emigrants. / was grleved to See
the American flag floating over vhiHd
sepulchre like that beautiful boat, hannt-
ed by the memories Of sin, full Of raw
ening wickedness and all manner ofun-
cleanness" ~ - tisN siH
/