Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-17
FOUGHT FOR BREAD.


The PltIabie Condition of the Red Seas
Immigrants-Rungry and Moneyiess.
NEW YORK, July 16.-The 794 steer
age passengers of the tramp steamship
Red Sea, whose arrival in this port was
regarded with the gravest suspicion,
are still aboard the steamship, aud not
until late to-day will they be landed
on Ellis Island. While the super
fetal examination made Thursday
right by the Health Officer when
the vessel arrived at Quarantine
revealed the fact that the steerage
passengers were really healthy lot,
and, as far as outward appearances In
dicated, had every right TO be permitted
to land, the facts that many among
them were paupers, that they had been
insuficiently fed during the voyage and
had been imposed upon by the agents
were not brought out until yesterday.
1t was only by the merest chance that
these facts were discovered.
Col. Lee, who with assistants boarded
the vessel at Quarantine yesterday
morning, saw a group OF immigrant
women making desperate efforts to gain
possession of something which another
woman pressed tightly TO her breast.
Children skirted the crowd OF strug-
Cling women and cried pteously as
they clung to the garments Of their
mothers.
Colonel Lees first impression was
that the women were having lot OF
fun. Then the cries of the children at
tracted his attention, an the appealing
glances Of the stout woman In the CEN
ter Of the struggling group caused him
TO halt, and in another moment he was
dumfounded to see that the Something
for which the women were fighting was
crust of bread. The Colonel could
hardly believe his eyes when, as he adj
vanced, the women tell back and the
woman with the bread began ravenous-
lY TO eat It.
Inquiries brought out the story that
the immigrants had been underted dur
ing the voyage and were almost starved
While Colonel Lee was pursuing this
line OF investigation three Of the women
fell 10 the deck in faint. DIR. Mellow
ell, of Ellis Island, who examined them,
found them very muck emaciated, and
pronounced their condition due TO weak
ness brought on by lack of food. This
condition OF affairs reached the ears Of
DR.. Senner, and as the steamship had
been released from Quarantine and had
proceeded to her dock at Woodruff
Stores, Brooklyn, he ordered that she
be brought back to an anchorage off
Bedloe's Island, and then he organized
board of inquiry and sent 1t aboard
the steamship.
Under the shadow of the Statue of
Liberty the Immigrants were mustered
on deck and individually questioned.
All had complaints to make against the
agents of the vessel. The 427 who
were without money, but had prepaid
tickets to points In the West, explained
that they would have had funds had
they not been forced TO pay for two
weeks lodging In Bremen while they
were under observation. Two hun
dred and ffty-eight of them had
between 81 aud IS and only eleven had
more than $50. OF this number tailor
had 500 in his possession. He said the
service aboard was miserable and abso-
lutely inadequate. The ships crew
consisted OF but eight man, including a
doctor and steward, who were sent by
the agents TO take care OF the immi-
grants. When Assistant Commissioner
McSweeney reported to DR.. Senner, the
latter was surprised that the United
State Consul at Bremen, DR.. Starkloff,
mad permitted the embarkation Of so
many poverty stricken immigrants.
DR.. Senner sent word to Barker q
Co., the ostensible consignees in this
city, that he would not land the mmi-
grants until bond for $4,000 was
filed. Richard & Co., ship brokerage
firm on lower Broadway, furnished the
bond. Dr. Senner said that few Of the
Red Seas passengers would be detained
as they are desirable lot and very
clearly. He would cause to be investi-
gated the charges made against the
agents, and some one will suffer If the
truth of the immigrants assertions is
substantiated.