Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-18
STEERAGE HORRORS
vaur.lIrY OF ALL SORTS DESCRIBED By
COMMISSIONER SCHULIElS
III. Orgies and Improprsf's H' Witnessed on a
transatlantic Steamer While Disguised
As an immigrant

NEW Okh, NOACh~ ID IN,
very sensational charges are maui =!
Immigrant Commissioner ocnuiVeiS'
Who was a passenger on the steSnsniP
Servia. which arrived here YESTERDAY
Mr. Sehulteis was one OF the speeidl
commissioners sent abroad reeeheiy'
80 he rerurned on the Servia, DISCUS
"a a. An emigrant, wearing olue jean
frock and pants and wooden SHOES
In the course OF his statement Com
missioner SchulteiS said: Ahe nIsS
foDr DAYS of the voyage were one ions
AGONY in tho steerage. The weather
80 Goisterous and the ship heaVed ana
reeled. The air in the steeIdse q Sr
ters was vile beyond Description ino
floors and walls Of the closets on tue
MINER deck reeked with hith anu ihue-
srrihable doors in different directions
In one place II Russian Jews lay heIp-
Iess and almost speeches. In the ago
lies Of sea sickness. On all sides were
men and women rolling in hlth, Dut IOr
tbree DAYS no doctor appeared.
..Tbe was doctor on board the SNIP
of conrse. He wore q gOld-saShed UNI
form and was very popular among tne
cabin passengers. He was supposed 10
visit the immigrants at 10 O'Clock every
morning, but morning after morning
PASSED and no doctor appeared. Mean
while all was wretchedness ana squalOr'
Men who could not be affected oy Tue
motion of the boat became SICK IN the
presence of so much foulnesS'
The upper Ventilating windows
we're kept securely fastened
Man and women tried 10 Stagger up the
long, steep flights Of steps that lead 10
the closets, and in many cases Iell DOWN
again and abandoned themselves 10 the
situation. Sailors and under Stewards
fremen and stokers had free access TO
the's women quarters. Ihey came I'D
under the plea of nursing the poor
wretcheS and ended by embracing them'
There seemed 10 be no officer whose
duty IL was 10 prevent these things, or
if there was he failed to do his duty.
In one case, Commissioner Schulteis
saws, he saw brutal employe OF the
shin caressing a girl In the actuai
throes Of seaSickneSS and unable 10 re-
sist. The Commissioner carried very
little money in his pocket, and most OF
n was spent in buying ginger ale and
procuring delieacies for the SICK. de
spent most of his time in nursing MS
unfortunate fellows. At night be slept
IN a little compartment containing
twenty-four hunks, the Sieepers packed
together like sardines, although there
was a very small number on board
something over $50.
Ii was not until Wednesday that the
doctor came TO the Storage quarters.
This same doctor is supposed to have
yaccinated the whole 800 and odd steer
age passengers. AS a matter Of fact he
completed his entire task In twenty-five
minutes. The character Of his work
may be judged from Commissioner
Schuteis' experience. The Commits
sioner has never been vaccinated.
He simply rolled up his sleeve, and the
doctor handed him a ticket certifying
that he had been vaccinated. These
tickets were dealt out almost as fast as
the doctors hand could move.
The intimacy OF the employees with
the helpless girls grew hour by hour.
One fireman or stOker actually 6oasted
TO Commissioner SchulteiS Of his con-
Quest over sick girl, describing TO him
how his victim watched him every mo-
ment while ne was nursing her. There
seemed to be no safeguard for virtue or
for innocence. AT night carnality
reigned on the steerage deck. The
Commissioner saw sailors and StokerS
and fremen dancing for hours with girls
against the rules Of the vessel and then
embracing them in dark corners. There
were officers on the boat, but none Of
them seemed 10 visit these dark corners
or pay any attention to them.
OF course the captain could not have
been aware Of these Scandalous actions,
but there were the scenes and there was
the Commissioner. lie had eyes TO see
and ears TO hear. Time after time the
impulse To make himself known and pro-
test against the immOralitieS apparent on
every side seized him, but that would
have meant the utter failure Of his mis-
sion.