The San Francisco call., 1909-12-06
SAILORS HFRDfD
IN VILE HOLES
FOrecastles on River Boats
Shown to Be Unfit for HUI
man Beings to Occupy
Continued from Page L

Continued from Page
the hunks the sailor must swing him
self from beam to beam over the water.
1t was as dark as the catacombs be-
yond the modest influence of the
hatchway. and feeble candle could
do little TO dispel the gloom. An cleo
trio bulb showed that there was some
struggle for light made when the en-
gines of the ship were running In the
very bow of the boat was wash of
dirt and filth and discarded wearing
apparel The air was thick with the
odor of the foul water.
The only entrance to the water well
was the small hatch Piled near the
hatch was part of the cargo of pota
toes which were being unloaded- The
deck load was so placed that it might,
in event of collision. topple over on
the hatch. barring the men penned be
meath from escape from whatever dis
aster might oyertake the vessel.
Aurera's ForecaSfIe Close
The forecastle OF the Aurora was
reached by much the same perpendicu-
lar companionway that characterized
the descent into the watery depths of
the Fort Bragg There was no stand
ing water in the forecastle. but the
quarters were damp and musty and one
of the deckhands said that in heavy
weather and when there was a large
cargo aboard the water came in
Twelve men sleep in the narrow, low
compartment, the hunks being in tiers
three high. The small portholes can
not be opened, 1T is said, on account Of
their closeness to the water line. A
deckhand sleeping in another portion
of the boat declared that the hunks
We're infested with vermin.
The Captain Weber is a larger.
handsoner boat externally than are
the other two vessels visited yesterday.
There is an easier approach 10 the
forecastle and that place is cleaner,
dryer and lighter than the other two
vessels, but in the matter of con-
gestion and ventilation the limitations
were nearly as intolerable as on the
Fort Bragg and the Aurora. Eighteen
or twenty men sleep in the smallest
possible bunking space, and the only
practical current OF air must come
lIOiI tie LdllOA AaAAAN
All Vessels Similar
while the conditions on those three
boats are most Objectionable said
Doctor KaeIber. "the vessels of the
other companies are open to the same
criticisms which are made against
those vessels On almost all the boats
there are improper ventilation. undue
congestion and general insan1tary con-
ditions. The arrangements on the boats
are faulty and should be changed We
have tried to have a change made, but
with little success
The complaint made to the state
board of. health was contained in a
com mnfunication addressed by Secretary
gensburger. Thomas Cavanaugh, a
delegate of the union, made a personal
appeal to the state board of health in
support OF the communication from
Huntsman.
The letter from Secretary Huntsman
follows:
Bay and River steamboatmen's
Union of California.
Headquarters, 81 Steuart street
San Francisco. December 3, 1903.
DIR. Regensburger,
President State Board of Health.
Dear Sir:
/ desire to bring to your notice
certain grievances Of the members
OF this organization. who work
deckhands and firemen on the bay
and river steamers. against the
owners of those vessels, to wit
On numerous occasions we have
brought to the attention of the
owners of these vessels the unsani-
tary condition of the quarters
where the men eat and sleep, but
without avail. The men are crowd
ed into a small place in the peak
OF the boat lgenerally called the
forecastle) like so many cattle.
From 13 to 80 men are compelled
to sleep in this small space. where
there Is only room for half that
In the winter months the decks
leak and the men who have oil
skins must use them for cvoering
or become wet with the dirt and
deck above in the summer the
heat OF the boilers, which are just
abaft of the forecastle combined
with the terrific heat of the rivers
and sloughs, makes sleeping I'M
nossible in these foul holes. There
is no ventilation whatever in these
forecast1es excepting the small
opening where the men enter.
In ali these river boats there is
at all times from two to four
inches of biige water in the hold
that cannot be elected. This
from it is nauseating. and we be-
Iieye is responsible for the great
amount of sickness among our
members who are employed on
these boats.
we have large number of men
fever at all times. who claim that
they were never affected in other
lines of work
In conclusion will suggest that