, 1881-05-28
HORRORS OF The sTEERAGE.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMI-
GRANT QUARTERS ON AN
OCEAN STEAMER.
a SCENE WORTHY OF DANTE'S
INFERNO,
rEEiDiNG ON THE WEITRiSC EoDl:s
sf AsS AND WOMEN

Mss Charlotte q. O'Brien, daughter Of
smith O'Brien, # "Youns Ireland y
fame, sends TO the Pail Mall Gazette a
letter entitled Horrors Of an Emigrant
Ship" which creates profound impress
SION aud will be the subject Of question
in the House Of {. mmons on Monday by
Mr.. O'DonnelI. Miss 0'Brien visited
Queenstown IN order 10 examine the
M de IT life of elnigrants on s;eaner,
uhIch, however, she does mt name. The
following are th- min points:
CGSTRAsIs.
It is unnecessary 10 say that wherever
the sacred foot Of wealth trod on this ship
all was gold and silver, shining brass,
cleanliness, comfort ana ;,ec~ney. We
had come on b ard, however, TO see TIE
emigrants and We Were determined to see
their quarters first When we saw the
quarters os the single men descriptions Of
slave ships flashed acro,s ME. Below
this place our guide showed US deep
hple, saving, II cannot take you down
there, 1t is mu,h worse than what You
see But NY business was with the
womens quarters and We went there
Between TWO decks better lighted than
the mems quarters was larg-r space,
open from one SIDE Of the snip TO the
other.
THE w0NEN's QUARTERS.
From either side of a long Central walk
10 the outer walks Of the ship we're slung
two enormous hanim cks, above these |
Could not see, bur suppose they were
h .amc as th"se below. suppose each
or t, csc hamm Cas- carry about 100 per
SONS. They wers made Of sallclDth, and
heing suspended all arnund fr"m hooks
wers perfect y fl.t, NaIrsw strips of
sll-cloth div dc thi, gr at bed into
be tbs. The slrrs Of c,'.th, when the
mattresses were out, f"rm-C: divisions
arou; ght les high When the
mattres.es are IL Il mus. be almost on
level
HEEDED LIKE BEASTS.
Now in these beds lie hundreds OF
men and women. Any man who comes
with a woman who is or calls herself his
wife sleens, as matter of right, in the
midst of hundreds Of young women who
are compelled to live in his presence day
and ni.ht. Ii they remove their clothes
they must do so under his eyes If they
lie down to rest IT must be beside him.
II is shame even to speak OF these
things, but to destroy such an evil it is
necessary to look at these abodcs of
mis- ~. In daylight, and when open for
inspection, they are empty, swept and
garnished.
SCENE At NIGHT.
But think of the scene in the darkness
of the night, the ship pitching in mid
ocean, when glimmering lamp or two
makes visible to You this mass of moan
ing humanity Look 1t that young
mother with two OF three helpless babies
IN the ayonies of sea sickness, unable TO
move but over the prostrate bodies of
her fellow sufferers. Look at this IN
nocent girl child lying among dissolute
men and abandoned women, half stupe-
fed with suffocation and seasIckness,
amid curses and groans OF hundreds.
If she arises and fees to save her soul,
whittier shall she go! Again she must
tread on the writhing bodies Of men and
women
ALIvISG HORROR.
Blu. the picture is too horrible to be
looked at, the sounds too dreadful to
listen to- This is no brutal or impure
dream; it is truth 1t is a living horror,
menacing the lives, honor and souls OF
hundreds and thousands Of our fellow
country women, the ship on which saw
these things being supp 'sed to carry IN
this manner 1000 steerage passengers
The carried last year on one voyage
I.775 emigrants / was grieved to see
the American flag floating over whited
s.pulchre like that beautiful boat, haunted
by the memories Of sin, full of raving
w;ck.dness and ali manner OF uncleanli-
ness.