New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-06
TRANSATLANTIC TRAVEL

Now that the exact number OF passengers
landed at New-York In 1903 by the various
steamship lines from Europe is known, several
notable facts become evident. One Is that the
patronage OF the first and second cabins has
fully recovered from the singular depression
that began in 1892. The falling of between
1891, when over 10000 cabin passengers
were brought hither. and 1898. when only So
$50 were landed. amounted 10 nearly 80 per
cent. Since the year last mentioned there has
been n steady increase but a new record was
not made until 1903. when a total OF 16l ABS
was reported. A considerable proportion OF
the people represented by these figures cross
the ocean on business that cannot be conducted
by letters. The rest 90 for pleasure or health
Travel is luxury with those elements OF So
ciety and both the dlmlnut0n and increase I'm
the statistics for the last decade are indications
OF hard times and prosperity in Europe as
well America
During the Same period similar huctuation
has occurred in the tide of immigration. The
number OF s,eeraGe passengers landed in New
York in 1891 was over $4,000 while three
years later only 1888 LOO were brought over A
trifing gain was recorded during the next two
years, followed by n slight loss Not until 1902
were the figures OF 1891 surpassed. and last
year the immigrants numbered 643.35S IL also
appears that the ratio between steerage and
cabin passengers has been undergoing n change
In 1880 this was about three 10 one. in 1894
about two TO one. while for the last two years IL
has been fully four to one. The remarkable de-
velopment of immigration Is due 10 several
causes, no doubt, some OF them being eco
monte Two factors in the situation, though,
are the enormous size OF some OF the modern
steamships and the efforts made by their own
ers to secure business Of this class.
II is Interesting TO observe. for instance, that
the average number of steerage passengers
brought over by the Red Star Line last wear
per voyage. 1913. was greater than that brought
by the other line which sought the same class
OF business In the northern part of the Con-
tnent The average for the North German
Lloyd Line per trip was only 1.o05. Immigrants
constituted SO per cent OF the whole traffic of
the Red Star ships 7315 OF the North German
Lloyd vessels from northern ports, while the
White Star Line carried 81 per cent OF its
passengers in the steerage, the Cunard about
IS and the American Line only CO. The aver
age number per voyage from Mediterranean
ports was only $50 for the North German Lloyd
ships and 49, for the Hamburg "A merican but
their percentages were Ss1a and o. respec-
lively. The cabin and steerage passengers
two OF the Italian lines are not reported sep
arately, but at least one OF them probably sur
passed the service Of the German lines. EN-
gineerlng" says that la Neloce ships averaged,
for twenty-six voyages, "1,23O passengers most
ly immigrants" Southern Europe has certainly
been a liberal contributor TO the American popu-
lation for the last few years.
Speed more than size has probably dictated
;he choice of vessels by cabin passengers though
it is impossible OF course. for n ship TO carry
more than her staterooms will accommodate
Taking fha avpra 90 nor vasSal for tba xrhoI,
year, the leading lines took rank as follows last
year: North German Lloyd. Cunard, White
Star. American. Hamburg American. Anchor
and French. 1t is not unlikely that equipment
with new machinery during the last few months
will so enhance the popularity OF some OF the
vessels here represented as TO change the order
4 more or less for 1905.