Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-09
THE NEWS OF EUROPE.
HORRORS OF LIFE on AN EMi6RAhT
SHIP.
The. eIectrophone; French Discovery
Which Discounts the TeIephone-Pro.
ceedings Of international Mon.
etary Conference - Hand
some Windfall.
GENERAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
LIFE ON AN EMIaRANT SHIP.

Graphic Pictur, Of Living Horror.
LONDON, May Miss Charlotte G..
O'Brien, daughter Of Smith O'Brien, Of
"Young Ireland" fame, sends TO the
Pail Neil Gazette letter entitled "Hor.
rors Of an Emigrant Ship which ere
ates q profound sensation and will be
the subjeet OF Question is the House ol
Commons on Monday by O'Donnel.
Miss O'Brien visited Queenstown in
order to examine the mode OF life OF EN-.
igrants on the steamers, which vessel,
however, she does not name. The fol-
lowing are the main points:
at is unnecessary to say that wher
ever 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 quar-.
ters OF the single men descriptions Of
slave ships flashed across me. Below
this place our guide showed us deep
hole saying, 81 could not take you
down there. 1t is much worse than you
see." But my business was with
The Women's Quarters,
and We went there. Between the two
decks, better lighted than the mems
quarters, was large space open from
one side of the ship TO the other. From
either side long central walk to the
walks OF the ship were flung two enor.
nous hamm ocks, one suspended about
three feet from the floor. What was
going on in the 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 persons. They were made OF
sail cloth, and being suspended all
around from hooks, were perfectly flat.
Narrow strips OF sail cloth divide this
great bed into berths. These strips OF
cloth, when mattresses were ont, formed
divisions about eight inches bi.'i. When
the mattresses are in, il mu' be almost
on level. Now in these b lis lie hun
dreds 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 presence day
and night. IL they remove their clothes
they must do 80 under his eyes. II
they lie down to rest it must g beside
him. 1t is a shame even to speak OF
these things, but to destroy such an
evil it is necessary TO look ut these
abodes OF misery. In daylight, and when
open for inspection they are empty,
swept and garnished, but think OF
The Scene in the Darkness of Night,
the ship pitching in mid ocean, when a
glimmering lamp or two make visible
to YOU this mass OF moaning humanity.
Look at that young mother with two or
three helpless babies, in the aRonies OF
sea sickness, unable to move but over
the PROSTATE bodies of her fel.
low sufferers. Look at this innocent
girl child lying among dissolute men and
abandoned women, half stupiiied with
sntfocaton and sea sickness, amid the
curses and groans of hundreds. II she
arises and flees to save her soul, whittier
shall she got Again she must tread on
the writhing bodies OF men and women.
But the picture is too horrible to be
looked at. The sounds are too dreodful
TO listen to. This is no brutal or impure
dream-it is the truth. 1t is living
horror, menacing the lives, honor and
souls OF hundreds and thousands OF our
fellow countrywomen, the ship in which
| saw these things being supposed to
carry in this manner 1000 steerage pas
sengers. She carried last year on one
voyage ,775 emigrants.