New-York tribune., 1902-05-05
BARGE OFFICE STORMED
ALMOST \ RIOT WHEN POLICE DRIVE
BACK CROWD.
SINCE SATURDAY 12iD IMMIGRANTS HAVE
LANDED-IN \ WEEK 25.2le-REC-
ORDS BROKEN

Since Saturday morning l2140 immigrants have
been landed at Ellis Island On Saturday the
clerks and officials were kept hard at work until
O'Clock at night before they succeeded in register
ing and dispOsing of the last batch of those de
string TO land Yesterday the work began again at
a. m. and continued until p. m. resulting in
the landing 5s2S for the days record, against
6S12 the day before. The Prince Line steamer
Tartar Prince lay at her dock with 1.l0O more
steerag ge passengers to be taken Of. but they
were left on shipboard until to-day In all the
history of handling immigrants through the Barge
Office landing the police have never had so much
trouble to restrain the crowds which focked to the
Battery TO the people over from Ellis
Island as yesterday Added 10 the hundreds who
had friends relatives whom they came down to
meet. there several thousand idlers out FOR a
Sunday stroll who, attracted by the sight OF the
immigrants coming off the boat. crowded on the
sidewalks in front of the Barge Office, and simply
refused to move on when ordered to do
At time 1t looked as though there would be
regular riot The crowd made rush for the gate
and about thirty succeeded in pushing their way
by the inspectors before the police could stem the
torrent Then the gates were closed and the crowd
driven back by sheer force. A number were
more less severely handled and broken hats and
torn clothing were in evidence on every side. But
for the prompt and effective action of the police in
driving the mob back, women and children who
waiting with passes take the boat would
have been tramped under foot. As it was several
roughly handled in the sCrimmage dresses
were torn, hats crushed, and NUMBER or the more
timid reduced to hysteriCal condition. Commits
soner Williams telephoned to the Church-st police
station for officers. Three sent down,
who. with the four men regularly detailed to this
duty, managed to keep the crowd in control but
there little cessation of the attempts to break
in on the immigrants until the last boatload had
been landed and sent to its destination.
The first immigrants to be handled yesterday
were the two thousand stecrage passengers who
came in the White Star Liner Celtic. which
rived here late Saturday afternoon. OF these over
thousand Irish boys and girls. Father
Henry and Agent Patrick McCoOl. of the Irish I'M
migrant Girls Home, were kept busy all the morn
ing looking after the girls who needed advice and
counsel how to reach their friends When the ship
load had been registered there were something like
one hundred and fifty OF these girls who were taken
10 the home for shelter and protection while wait
ing to hear from friends To get employment.
This unusually large NUMBER coming ton of the
number brought over on the Lucania and Majestic
in the last week taxed the resources Of the home
to the utmost, but all received welcome and
were cared for.
The last seven days are a climax to the rush of
hlSt four months OF the year 1902 In the seven
brought TO this city from various European ports.
The total number OF immigrants arriving here for
the four months ending april 30 TS604. OF
these l'2S were transients passing through the
country or returning citizens who had been visit
ing Europe. This Is an excess Of more than 10000
over any previous year for the period BY
months the record this year is: