Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-09
HARD TIME on LINER
Prof. Wurts of Yale Brings a
Novel Suit.
500, 900 FOR SUFFERING"
Plaintiff Declares He Was Deceived
by French Line Agent.
HARDSHIPS FOR IMMIGRANTS
Rats on La oascogne Were Frightful,
Too, and One Bit His
Daughter.
100000 FOR SUFFERING"
HARDsH1Ps FOR 1MM1GRANTs

NEW YORK, March 9.-Because he, his
wife and two daughters were compelled to
cross the Atlantic in the company of 1,4OO
immigrants who invaded his part of the
ship and whom he describes in his COM
plant as rough, coarse. dirty. ill-smellins,
improperly clothed, vulgar and repulsive
persons, who would not conduct them
selves in q proper, decent and decorous
manner" Prof. John Wurts of the Yale
law school filed suit in the United States
district court yesterday against the French
line steamship La Gascogne, in which he
asks $9O,O 600 damages for himself and the
members of his family.
His own sufferings, Prof. Wurts says,
should be compensated for by the payment
of $4,000, while for those of his wife,
Florence Wurts, and his daughters, Eleanor
and Louise he asks $25, 600 each.
The complaint, drawn up by the Yale
professors lawyers, Baldwin & White OF
novel ever filed with the United States
courts. The federal admiralty court is
asked to award the Wurtses the large dam.
ages because of the mental and physical
which lasted from September 10 to Septem-
Der "A last.
Why He Booked.
In the complaint the professor states that
he and family went to Europe last sum-
mer, and to get back in time for the fall
opening of the Yale law school decided to
sail little earlier from the other side than
originally intended.
The Paris agents of the French line told
him. he says, that while La Gascogne had
no first-class apartments. its second-class
cabins were practically as good as the
first-class and on this understanding ne
okaa ma himself and family.
When but two hours out, the complaint
continues, the professor found his mistake
On board, he says, were 400 steerage or
immigrant passengers, who were given free
run of the second cabin quarters. Their
actions and behavior were of such an In
decent character that he and his family
were compelled, for the greater part OF the
voyage, to seclude themselves within their
Staterooms.
The food, the professor says. was vile
the ship terribly oyercrowded and the lie
preservers inadequate. Much spa Is given
to the rats which the professor declares
overran the ship. One rat he asserts, bit
his daughter while she was lying in her
berth. He also alleges his family were
frequently disturbed at night by screams OF
women in adjoining staterooms because OF
forayS by the rats.
The professor declares his family was
in constant apprehension of contracting
some disease from the immigrant pas
sengers.
Pau racquet, the frenCn Line fepFeSeHl-
ative in New York, said last night:
Question Of Food.
when Prof. Wurts engaged passage on
La Gascogne in September last at Havre
he paid s57 for each member of his party.
La Gascogne was then and still Is a sup
Elementary ship-that is, she carries only
second cabin and steerage passengers She
has practically no first cabin accommoda
this before he sailed. He paid for second
class accommodations and could hardly
have expected to get 81 600 suite for s15.
LAS far as the cuisine on La Gascogne
is concerned, it is practically the same as
that on La Savoie and Provence. except
that there may be only one soup instead of
two. The food is as carefully prepared,
however. and is as high in quality. The
chief cook on La Gaseogne one trip may
be on La Provence the next, and in this
way the standard in quality is kept up.
All the chefs alternate the different
ships.
In regard to the rat episode, there may
be rats on the ship. Few, if any. large
vessels are free from them. Prof. Wurts
made no complaint upon his arrival here
last September. and 1 only heard of the
case recently. But 100000 1 wonder what
the professor would have sued for if some
of his family had died. Such a contingency
would be frightful to contemplate