The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-17
PRESIDENT AT ELLIS ISLAND.
GIVES So TO ONE MOTHER AND
CHEERS ANOTHER.
commends the Management OF Commits
sloners Sargent and Williamson.
rived at Height Of Storm and Made .
Landing in the Fury OF a 6O-Nlile Gale.

migrant station on Ellis Island Yesterday
and appointed committee OF four to follow
m his personal visit by an investigation
and report to him on what they find.
This committee was appointed at the
PERSONAL request of Immigration COM
missioner Williams Of this port and Com
mis,ioncr-General Sargent, who were the
Presidents hosts yesterday.
Tie Presidents own verdict when he
left Ellis Island last night after four-hour
visit was that everything about the in
s,irltion and its management was admir-
able. He made that statement to Mr..
Sargent and Mr. Williams with good deal
Of enthusiasm. That also seemed to be
the opinion Of the four members Of the now
committee, all of whom were in the Presi-
dents party. They arc the Presidents
personal friends, Ralph Trautmann, WHO'S
Interested in the German charities of this
civ. Arthur Won Briesen, of the Legal Aid
Soc ,,.v, Commissioner 7. w. Hynes of the
Department of Charities, and f. A. Philbin.
The official reason given for the appoint
n1ent of this committee was that the Presi-
dent would not be able to see enough, per-
haps, in half day on the island. SO he
wanted to hear about the place more in
detail from his friends.
TIN. President landed at the island in
bowling southeast storm. BY the time he
reached the roof in his floor to floor and room
TO room inspection there was double rain
bow in the eastern sky.
Between the gale and the rainbow the
President saw lot and said considerable.
Incidentally he made two women immigrants
happy. One he released from the de-
tention pen, with her three sons, and to the
other. an unmarried mother with her baby
in a basket, he gave five-dollar bill
LANDING WAS PICTURESQUE.
The landing belongs on the list Of the
picturesque things that the President has
done The Sylph dropped anchor of the
eastern end OF Ellis Island, when the wind
was blowing hard enough TO rip OF the
awning stanchions OF the immigrant ferry
boat, the John G. Carlisle. and to lift the
heavy, tin-sheathed scuttle covers on top
of the buildings. There was some doubt on
the island as to whether the President
would try to land
-Oh, he'll be here said an official. If it
was anybody else this function would be
postponed on account of the weather
When tho Presidents yacht anchored
about 200 yards of shore the powerful
tug II. B. Chamberlain Of the immigrant
service put on to get the President and his
party. Watched by a hundred or more
interested spectators on the island the tug
maneuvred for half an hour for q chance
TO run alongside. Tho little immigrant
stsamboats George Starr and John e.
Moore steamed out from the slip and tried
to lie to windward OF the Sylph and the
Chambe rlain long enough to make little
lee for them, but there was danger that the
steamboats, might be blown into the yacht.
SO that man9uvre was given up.
The Chamberlain's skipper finally took
a chance OF smashing his own boat and
the Presidents, and ran alongside the
Svlph's starboard quarter. The President
and those with him were all on the alert
for Just that opportunity: and one after
another sprang, with hand from the
sailors, from the rail of the Sylph to the
deck Of the tug.
At the critical moment the attention
Of some Of the men on shore WAS diverted
hv tugboat north Of the Syiph that was
irving to rescue man who had been tipped
oUt of small boat.
That incident was closed In time for I'll
lands TO watch the President as he ap-
proached he shore. He was standing
alone on the upper deck in front OF the pilot
lorse, with his SLOUGH hat pulled down
lard on The back OF his head and the tails
Of his long rain coat streaming out in the
siy'v-mile wind and Topping tattoo on the
pilot house windows
PRESIDENT Halls THE COMMISSIONERS.
Commissioner Williams and Commits
.uuer-l General Sargent were on the dock
20 greet the President. Employees were
nvi,,g over the lawns picking up fragments
Of awnings and wrecked umbrellas. sc
that the place wouldn't look Uttered.
The President seemed TO be having the
time of his life facing the gale all alone uE
there in front Of the pilot house. Az sool
as W was within hailing distance he shouted
Hello, Sargent. Hello, Williams"
The two officials said. How do you do
Mr. President" but that formal greeting
didn't seem TO carry so well on the wind
a. the Presidents high--pitched Hello,
Great wind, He'll Gate yelled the
President
An extra strong gust Of the gale APP
parently caught the word Gate and held
II back for a second after 1t was uttered
and to those on shore -Holl' seemed at first
TO be sort OF an after thought descriptive
Of the great wind
Among those who were on the dock with
Commissioner General Sargent and Com
missioner Williams were: Senator Platt
Of Connecticut, the Hon. William II Doug
aes, Senator Kean Of New Jersey, Allan
Robinson. Edward Van 1ngen, the Hon
T. F. Paine, the Hon r. w. Hynes, DR.
Brewer, Chief Engineer Fry Of the Govern
Inent Building Department, r. W. De Forest
of the Tenement House Commission, Ralph
Trautman, NJ f.. Bannin. n. Blur, A. voI
Briesen II ellis. W. h. Anderson, W. b
Bristow DIR l.. X. Frankel and the heads OF
the various depart m"nts on Ellis Island.
The President was first escorted to Com
missioner Williams office, where all hands
had chance to shake off the rain 1t waE
then that the committee Of four was APP
pointed
After hat the Presidents party had lunch
comm the Government restaurant. lnsp"c
ton began in the big hall OF the registry de
part ment There were 400 immigrants
200 who had been held over from the
day before and |, POO who arrived yesterday
from he steamships Lain and Kaiser VIII
helm II
IMMIGRANTS HAD AMERICAN MONEY,
long line Of men and women were wait
ing to tell their stories to the immigration
officials when the President entered tn,
registry department He began to asl
questions 1t once Rosa Klausner and hel
three. year-old boy from Germany wer'
q, the dnek The President called DR., Le'
X Frankel from his group Of friends an'
pressed him into service as an interpreted
10 talk 20 the woman She said her husband
waE baker earning IA great deal OF money
in this city, and that he had sent for hrI
10 come with the boy Besides her German
money she had SIS in United States bills
which her husband had cent to her Ii u