Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-12-14
SCORES DIE
ON STEAMER
Stesrage Fatalities Reach
Alarming Rate.
CHILDREN ARE THE VICTIMS
Acting Secretary Cable, of
the Department of Com
merce and Labor Has
Imposed Heavy Fine on
Ship Owners.

WASHINGTON. d. G.. Dee. IA
Charged with the worst case of ne
Slcct OF steerage passengers on re-
cord under the Passenger Act of 1852,
The owners Of the British steamer
Drtcric have been fined $500 by
Acting Secretary Gable of the De
partment Of Commerce and Labor.
Among her I.242 passengers thero
were in the eight weeks Of her voy-
age IS deaths, - being children; the
births numbered Il. the sexes We're
not properly segregated during the
larger part Of the time the ventla-
tion OF the ship was inadequate and
greatly increased the mortality rate:
The hospital facilities were ill-ven-
tilated and without proper equip
mcnt: while the sanitary conditions
81 the vessel were almost beyond be-
lief Acting Secretary Gable. after
giving ample opportunity for the
ships agents To make 4 defense di-
rected today that the fun penalties
be imposed
The case has been pending before
the department since the arrival Of
h. Orteric At Honolulu. April 13.
last. where the collector of customs.
who acts in behalf of the Bureau of
Navigation. immediately discovered
the unlawful conditions. The vessel
IS not regularly engaged in the steer
age business but was specially en-
plOyed to carry Portuguese and Span
ish immigrants through Magellan
Straits To Honolulu The ship was
allowed 10 clear upon depositing
bond for $1,000
Owing Ia the great number OF
deaths. the grand jury which was in
session at the time went on board
and made an exhaustive eXamina-
ton OF the vessel
They found the system of vent:la-
ton insufficient: the port holes did
not admit sufficient air. and notwith-
standing that there was an electric
light plant on board no electric fans
We're provided They reported that
this lack Of ventilation contributed
To the large mortality during the
voyage: when severe weather neces-
STATED closing the port holes and
matches the rate of mortality increaS-
cd
The hospitals were found wholly
unfit for the purposes for which they
were provided: the ventilation was
poor and the space allotted To them
was too small
There were II births on the vow
age, but the compartments used as
lvinS-in hospitals were wholly made
quate in every respect and in some
instances 4 b.,
binary conVeniences Were not provid-
ed for the inmates. The laws rela-
tive TO cleanliness were violated i'm a
manner which could not be too
strongly condemned
On the lower deck on which pas
sengers We're berthed neither Iatrines
nor conveniences were provided for
the passengers. in many instances
empty meat cans being used: all of
the iatrines We're on the upper deck
and could be used only by passengers
able or willing to climb there. and |
they were flushed but twice a day. |
No proper method was adopted to I.
protect the vessel against the filthy |
conditions which We're thus neces- /
Sarily created; the decks were not
N'A+'a4'h anu Allt ll4Al apparently WAS 4
permitted To remain. i'm alternate lay !
ers of filth. sawdust and disinfect- !
ants; the result was an almost in 1
tolerable stencil which filled the dark /
and poorly ventilated compartments
and existed even up To the day when !
the vessel was examined by the 1
grand jury. No conveniences were
originally provided for the use Of
children and such as were provided J