Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-20
RUSH OF THE POOR TO EUROPE.
That 90 Bteerage Rate Makes Il Cheap
to Walt the Old Folks.


There was trouble and turmoil on the
docks of the ocean-steamship lines on
Thursday. so many steerage passengers
had taken advantage OF the rate-war to
get back to Europe that the ships could
not accommodate all those TO whom
passage had been sold. Hundreds could
not be taken aboard. even with the crowd
ing Of the Storage quarters TO the Ut
most.
Only once before, In 1873, has there
been an opportunity to get a steerage
passage from New York to Europe for SIC
That il the rate now, and 1t Is likely
to be further reduced unless an agree
ment In soon reached by the rival lines
On the whlte-Star dock the trouble
really began on Tuesday night. People ar
rived on the pier in droves to secure
passage on the Germanic, which sailed
early yesterday morning. Her Storage
WILL by crowding, accommodate 6So pas
sengers. Seven hundred and fifty secured
passage. Everybody with a ticket insisted
on going Finally. So OF the supcrfuous
100 were crowded in with the $50. and the
rest were transferred to the Hamburg
American liner Columbia, which sailed
yesterday morning.
There was much more serious trouble on
the American Line pier. The Paris which
sailed at IL O'Clock yesterday morning.
has steerage accommodations for JOO.
Being a fast ship. and one on which the
steerage accommodations are said to be
very good. prospective voyagers had taken
passage on her with the same haste that
a small boy will rush for front bench
at a circus. Many of these were pros
looking people. One. a young
Irshman, said: Il am out OF work, and
have got to wait two months for a job.
1t IL cheaper for me to go home and see
the old folks than II Is to pay hoard
here"
Agent Lederer and his corps OF assist
ants, fenced in by a wire netting. were
surrounded by a shouting, crying. ana
gesticula.ing crowd. All insisted tha'
they would cross ON the Paris or must
have their money returned. All IAN
guases were to be heard in the general
howl. In a few cases money was refund
ed, but the majority did not want their
money back when IL came TO a direct
choice.
When the Paris sailed at II o'clock she
left over 10 sad and weary people on
the dock. all holding tickets calling for
passage on her. They were transferred
to the Columbia, too.
by the time that the Paris had left,
the steerage passengers for the Noord
land. of the Red Star Line, which docks
at the same pier began to arrive. Ihey
knew of the experiences Of the ticket
holders on the other ships. and at once
began to shout for berths. line shiT
was not to sail until =. NJ. Passage
on her was offered to some of those who
LoA Of nv the Paris. but tney
wanted to go TO southampton and not to
Antwerp. One little English woman Will
three children, was crying because hei
baggage had gone off on the Paris. and
she had not even a change for herself
or them until the Columbia. to which she
had been transferred, should arrive al
Southampton.
at Is all well enough TO transfer us
TO the Columbia" said John McAllster
a six-foot Scot, but ] came 600 miles
from Ohio to sail on the Paris. / paid
SIS each for these four tickets. ana TO-
day | could buy them here for SO. VINO
is going to pay me for the meals l nave
to buy for the four people While L am
detained? 1t is a shame"
Although the Noordland's steerage ac'
commodities only 80, she was not over
crowded when she sailed. At the White
Star Line office 1t was learned that the
company had been obliged to stop book
ing steerage passengers for the Teutonic
which does not sail until next Wednesday
Over 500 third-class passages have been
sold for the ship. Agent Certes, OF tha
line. said he was very sorry. as were nj
the agents. for the overcrowding, and
that they were doing the best they coult
under the circumstances