The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-19

difficulty in getting at the facts, but
saw their tickets aud saw that the word
prepaid" was stamped across them.
He called the attention OF q Herald cor.
respondent TO printed paper (appar.
emily n ticket in the hands OF ono OF
the jewish omigrants, across which was
stamped in large blue letters the word
prepaid"
1t was only icw days before that
Lord RothsChild had declared 10 the
same correspondent in London that
not one penny had becn spent, was be.
Ing spent or would be spent TO send
paupers TO the United States, and the
Chief Rabbi Adler assured him in
writing that Baron lIirsch's desire was
to send tho destitute emigrants to Can
ada and tho Argentine Republic, but
here they were in the sieerage bound
for New York, and the ships employees
said that they had been coming in great
multitudcs week after week, ono steady,
uninterrupted stream that was broad
cned and quickened by the organized
efforts OF committees and societies. The
emigrants with prepaid tickets seemed
to have been coached rs to the danger OF
allowing the iact that they were assist
cd paupcrs to be known TO the Amcri-
can authorities, forthey displayed great
caution in showing the evidence.
JOSEPH TuoMrsoS's TEsTlIoSY.
Among the stcerage passengers on the
Scrvia was Joseph Thompson, M Eng
lish sanitary engineer, making his initial
trip TO the United States. His profess
rional interest was aroused early in the
voyage by the poor arrangement OF the
Scrvia's stcerace accommodations,
which he unhcsitatingly asserts are in
gross violation oil even the fundamental
principles OF sanitary law.
Engineer Thompson made careful
study OF the Serviaa stccragc its pas.
sengers, the alleged food supplied them
and tho supreme Indifference shown to
their health and comfort blythe officers
OF the ship. lie says the results OF his
investigations show that the Scrvia's
cargo OF immigrant humanity made its
voyage across the Atlantic very much
MS do cattle, herdcd in pens and permit
ted to wallow in filth.
Mr.. Thompson spent his first night
on shore ut the house oil Brooklyn
friend, where he gave me the iull parti-
culars OF the investigations on board the
Servia.
Nothing can exceed" said he, "thc
bestial and unhealthy conditions pre-
yailing in the Serria's stccragc. In the
first place Il large percentage OF its pass
engers were OF the worst Russian varic-
ty. These men, women and children
were brutally animal in their habits,
unspeakably filthy and altogether unfit
for association, within the Narrow limits
OF 4 steeragc, with civilized people.
Yet these .depravcd creatures were
put under no special restraint by the
officers OF the ship and tho decent pas
sengcrs were forced to herd with them.
That, in itself, was 4 fearful cruelty
practised upon intelligent, clearly men
and their families, forced by economic
reasons to take stccragc passage.
THE food supplied the emigrants was
abominable to degree and seriously
unhealthy. Anything is good enough
Tor the Storage was the watchwOrd OF
the ship, and as 4 result the disease
fearing intelligent passengers deserted
the common table and spent their scant
funds III purchasing catablc food from
the steward. ! knew one steerage pas-
scngcr, man OF intelligence, who dur
| ing the entire trip never drank but one
| glass OF water nor ate but once at the
common table. Yet he was distress
inglv poor, and the little money'he was
forced TO cxpend in extras on the trip
led to his arrival in New York with
only few pennies in his pocket. The
bread was white and sour with alum,
the meats were bits OF refuse, and the
so-called meals were served very much
as the food OF pigs is dumped unccre-
moniously into the trough.
DARK MORAL PICTURE.
The moral side OF the Scrvia's steer
age picture was about as bad as its sani-
tary shortcomings.
Firemen, stokers and stewards as
sistants were engaged from end to end
OF the voyage in Il prolonged Bachnalian
revcl with the young female cmigrants.
At night every dark corner OF the
deck had its individual scene OF gross
immortality, and below decks things
were very much in the same condition.
Every little room and pantry unoccu-
pied by permanent tenant was used
by the sailors and women for brazcn
indecencies which were patent to all
the storage passengers.
There was little ii any attempt at
concealment among the parties TO these
immoralities, but the ships officers
were absolutely indifferent and decent
| passengers were forced, in order to
avoid the fearful doings OF the deck, to
| spend their evenings in the foul air OF
| the stecrage.
80 what l have already said, how
ever, let me add my protest as pro-
iessional sanitary engineer against
death breeding conditions such as exist
on that ship; also my protest as n
gentleman against tho gross immortality
which disgraccd the Servia's stcerage."
An IMPORTANT POINT.
The most significant and startling
part OF hc,story above related is in the
TACT that when Commissioner Schulteis
reached New York and made himself
known to Colonel Weber, supcrintend-
ent OF immigration for the port OF New
York, that official, instead OF entering
on the investigation with the zeal OF Il
detective, coolly upset the whole enter
| prise, let loose the immigrants, snapped
his fingers ut his associate commissioner
and told him he knew his own business.
--s>--
CLlPrED from Canada presbyterian"
under signature OF G. Blackctt Robin
|