New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-14
ITALIANS CROWDING HERE.
THOUSANDS OF ALMOST PENNILEsS
IMMIGRANTS ARRIVING.
THE ACCOMMODATIONS OF ELLIS ISLAND OVER
rAXED-REAsoNs GIVEN FOR THE


GREAT INFLUX.
Italians have been coming to this country at a
great rate for several weeks and the authorities
Ellis Island are almost ready to throw up their
hands In despair. =. Every incoming Mediterranean
steamship brings a cargo Of the excitable sons OF
sunny Italy and a poor lot OF prospective citizens
they
Nearly 1900 immigrants have arrived here In the
last two days and with the exception OF those on
the steamships La Touraine and Etruria they are
all from Southern Italy. on Sunday the Bolivia
brought 1876 and yesterday the Alesa OF the Fabre
Line added IOG4 to the lot. on Sunday GOO were
detained for examination. or this number ABOUT
one-half Will be sent back The richest Of the new
arrivals had ony a few dollars. and among those
detained there was not an average OF 81 apiece
many of them In fact. being practically penniless
How they intended to subs!st they themselves did
not know but they appeared TO believe that the
States ran with milk and honey.
The officials on the island are handling the ar
rivals as fast as possible but cannot work fast
enough to escape overcrowding the. limited ac-
commodations Eight hundred remained on Ellis
Island on Sunday night. and 100 last night. Three
boards OF special inquiry were sitting all day yes
,erday. and they investigated more than 900 cases
which came before them.
Another feature Of the present trouble at Ellis
Island is the number of friends OF immigrants who
90 over 10 the island 1t is estimated that 900
visited the place yesterday Every Italian has in
formed a friend or two on this side OF his coming,
and the friends gather all their friends and HE
themselves to the Battery to make miserable the life
OF Dick Gan.ey and the other policemen sta
toned there AS many can and 1t is only nec-
essary get pass from steamship company.
go 10 the sland and the others crowd often hun
dreds deep In front OF the Iron gate In fact the
transport Arizona according to the men at the Bat
terry is virtually an excursion boat In which to
carry Italians for harbor outing
Great is the fun Of the Italians In the springtime
with Uncle Sans officers and Uncle Sans boats.
Dr. Senner the Commissioner Of immigration, said
yesterday that this year is bad enough. but II has
not come up. yet, to the record made In 1888.
In that year 1000 Italians came into this port but
that was when the laws were even less stringent
regarding immigration than now. From the begin
ming of the Department year. July !. 1885. to March
a 1896 80 900 Italians have landed, 5000 landing In
March. There Is practically nothing for these peo-
pie to do Not 10 per cent no OF rns o them viii
doubtless squat down here and wait Tor something
to up Among the seh 1r
ton and the in Abyssinia. for which the men
fear they WIN be d5afted Snfe bre nS reports
from Naples inform the officials that about 1900
are ye TO which f he viii run the number Of italians
arriving here this sprins up to more than SooW:
At present Dr. sennsr has to care s, Tor several h
has accommodations for Plans have been submit
ted and accepted for added facilities for improve.
ments but nothing can be done while the present
congestion continues
Dr. Senner has another reason for the great i'm
migration. and that Is that the Italians. who are
kept informed by their kindred here, are rushing
IL, 10. fear that an educational qualification may
keep them out later. The exodus, he believes. may
schemes now on foot To these the Doctor is OPP
posed Aside from the present italian immigra-
cent since 1893 Thousands OF these fellows believe
that they crowd into this country penniiess
dirty and without means Of livelihood, and there
will be no objection: but the Commissioner thinks
that when few thousand have been deported II
The steamship Belgravia, Of the Anchor Line, Is
now on her way here with 400 Italians.