New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-06
WINS BY STRATEGY
Beats President Lincoln and
Lands Storage Passengers.

The fast Cunarder I.usitania which is
an old hand at breaking speed records
and winning transatlantic races, was the
victor Yesterday in a different sort of con
test BY a little foresight displayed by
the local agents and some dexterity on the
part of Captain ]. W. T. Charles, her new
commander. the Lusitania managed TO
steal I'D from Quarantine before sunrise
Yesterday and have her Storage pas
sengers taken to Ellis Island ahead of
those on her German rival, the President
Lincoln. Of the Hamburg American Line.
The President Lincoln left Hamburg
on February 19 with 2,955 steerage pas
sengers The Lusitania. with a Storage
complement of 1,1S6. left Liverpool on
February g. and had it not been for bad
weather would have landed them in New
York on Friday morning. Tearing along
at fairly good speed. the Lusitania gradu-
ally overhauled the President Lincoln and
beat her into Quarantine on Friday night
Expecting that the Lusitania would come
up to the Quarantine anchorage, the
Cunard Line agents asked DR.. Doty, the
health officer, to examine the passengers
and pass the ship, If possible, on Friday
night This was done, and mean While the
company informed the immigration Off
Gals of their plans to bring the LuSltanla
up to her dock at sunrise.
Being the first ship out of Quarantine
yesterday the immigration inspectors
naturally gave their attention TO the Lusl-
tania and it was the cid story OF the
early bird catching the first worm The
delay of incoming steamships, due to the
recent fog, had congested the local M
migration bureau. and Ellis Island was
able TO handle only the number OF aliens
that was on the Lusitania.
While the Lusitania's steerage passengers
were embarking on barges for the island.
the President Lincoln, with nearly three
thousand steerage passengers, came up to
her pier in Hoboken, but they were held
aboard and will not be taken to Ellis
Island until to-day. 1t was game OF
wits between British and German liners,
and the British won.
Captain Charles got his gangplank down
ahead of the Lincoln and sent his steer
age to Ellis Island. but in his haste he over
looked little courtesy which might have
caused him considerable inconvenience
later had the customs officials chosen to
be exacting 1t is the custom for incom-
ing liners on leaving Quarantine to steam
up the Bay slowly until they are boarded
YESTERDAY when the revenue cutter Calu-
met was about 10 steam down the Bay for
the Lusitania. the big vessel doomed up
suddenly off the Battery and disappeared
Up the North River before the cutter could
put a boarding officer aboard
The deputy collectors and others who
board the steamships down the Bay were
then rushed to the Cunard pier, at l4th
street and there was some delay in get
ting the machinery of baggage eXamlna-
ton into motion. The preliminary entry.
which is usually given a ship down the
Bay was taken aboard the Lusitania, so
that the baggage and passengers might
be landed at once, bat II the customs
officials had chosen TO resent the haste Of
Captain Charles in not stopping for the
cutter they could have held all passengers,
baggage and the 500 tons of express freight
until after the skipper had made an in
voluntary entry of his ship at the Custom
House.
The matter will be taken up for investi-
CATION on Monday. The customs officials
contend that the plans Of the Cunard COM
panv should have been made known 10
them as well as to the immigration Off
Gals.