Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-12-13
STEA MER
OTER|C IS FOUND
IN VERY FILTHY
CONDITION
Fifty-Eight Deaths Occurred
Among Storage Passengers
in Eight Weeks, Most Of
Them Being Children.
OWNERS ARE FINED
$1,000 FOR NEGLECT


crs VI the British steamer Orteric
have been fined 1880 bv Acting
Secretary Gable of the department Of
commerce aud labor.
Among her l.2g2 passengers there
were in the eight weeks of her Yos-
age IS deaths. 50 being children: the
births numbered ~ tho sexes were
not properly segregated during the
larger part ~ the time. the ventlia.
ton OF the ship was inadequate ana
greatly Increased the mortality rate,
the hospital facilities were ~ vcnti.
lated and without proper equipment,
while the sanitary conditions Of the
vessel We're almost beyond belief.
Acting Secretary Cable after giving
ample opportunity for tho ships
agents 80 make n defense. directed
to-day that the fun penalties be Inn
posed
I THE case has been pending before
the department aancc the arrival ~
the Or;eric ~ Honolulu April ia last,
where the collector OF customs. who
acts IN behnlf ~ the bureau OF nhvi-
gntion, Immediately discovered the
unlawful conditions The vessel u
not regularly engaged In the steerage
UuHkutNN UMi WIS NtUHiNNAN
IL carry Portuguese and Spanish Inn
migrants through Magellan straits 10
Honolulu. THE ship was allowed 10
clear upon dcpositing q bond for u.s.
zoe.
owing 60 the grent number OF
deaths the grand jury which was IN
session NJ the time went on board
and made an exhaustive examination
OF the vessel.
They found the system Of ventila-
ton insufficient. the port holes did
not admit sufficient air. and notwIth'
stumbling that there was an electric
Iight plant on board no electric fans
were provided They reported that
this lack OF ventilation contributed
10 the large mortality during the voy.
age: whom severe weather neccasl-
lated. closing the port holes and
matches the rate OF mortality IN
creased.
The hospitals were found wholly
unfit for thc purpose for which the,
were provided the ventilation was
poor and the space allotted "a them
was too small.
There were fourteen births on ths
voyage. but the compartments used
as lying-ln hospitals were wholly IN
adequate IN every respect and In
some instances II WIS found TINT oven
ordinary ronscnanccs were not pro-
vided for the inmates. The laws rel
! alive % clearllnca were violated IN
u manner whiah could not be toe
strongly condemned
Dn thc lower a. Z on which pas.
engera wors berthcd neither latrines
nor convenience we're provided for
the passengers, IN many instances
empty meat cans being used, all OF
the latrinea were on the upper deck
and could be used only BY passen-
gers able or willing 90 climb there,
and they We're flushed but twice
day. No proper method was adopted
10 protect the vessel against the
filthy conditions which were thus
necessarily created: the decks were
not wished and the nth apparently
was permitted a. remain. In alternate
layers o. filth. Eawduxt and disin-
feetants, the result WAS an almost
intolerable stencil which f.lled the
dark and poorly ventilated compart-
mentS and existed even up % tho day
when the vessel was examined 10 the
grand Jury. No convcnlences were
originally provided for the Use OF
children and such a. were provided
lwere improvlsed after the vessel
lrnmmenccd her voyage, ana were
: Wholly unfit from al standpoints. ~"
} though the vessel CROSSED the equator
! twice nn the voyage. no bath rooms
: were provided, aud ar TO within a
. few weeks Ut the completion Of the
voyage the only Nay ln which bath
. OF any kind ceuid be taken was IN
J the puhiic washroom A short time
! before the vessel arrived at Honolulu
! waterpipe was fixed up In such a
way that something resembling a
, shower bath could be taken. but
I there was little privacy even as TO
THIS.
40 attempt appears 90 have been
I made 10 muster the passengers on
a deck wien weather permitted. as re-
quirrd 81 law. ur 70 air 10 clean the
Iheddlng durinG the entire voyage. ana
y when the vessel arrived ~ Honolulu
il became necessary 60 burn all the
D nattraasen Fhe grand jury stated
? that no opportunities we're afforded
= ne passengers for Keeping clean ana
, that Il il to Be wondered no more
q deaths occurred than actually tooh
( place.
b TIE master % the vessel. James
! Findlay, attempted 70 explain tbs
G oxistlng conditions by stating that
}, about ten days after leaving uibrai'
!. tar there was a riot beiween the
J. Pprtugmene and spanish male pnssen'
! gers. reaultlng In pitched battle
\ With knives. clubs, cieavors ana PTS
! tolls. 10 prevent further trouble IN,
y Portuguese passengers were p'acee
9 nj. While Tie spanish paasenevri
l. wcre pus III the forward part Of tn
= vossel This resulted Ia the com
" minellnR Of the sexes. Ne menlipnl
d me refusal ~ tho passengers % ~
I Ialst W kscplnF the vessel clean an'
a states that the lack ~ cleanliness q
b their mart had much % d. with M
cnndfilona The ships doctor state'
Iihnt he would not permit the com
. rarimcntB 90 be washed ~ M