The New York herald., 1921-02-28
ALIENS CHOKE UP
PORT FOR DAYS In
WRETCHED HUDDLE
Thousands damned Into
Cramped Quarters Pray
ing for Deliverance.
ELLIS ISLAND CLOGGED
Neck of Bottle Too Small to
Admit Passage of Immi-
grant HOrdes.
Il
CELTIC CASE DESPERATE
Disease Breaks Out While Of
ficials Seek in Vain for
Housing Room.
CELTIC CASE DESPERATE

United States is only a few hours away,
but as matter of fact, period almost
equal in length to the long voyage across
the ocean may. and probably will at the
present tine elapse before he enters the
country.
There was time before the war when
q healthy immigrant with some money In
his pockets. the kind of man who would
develop into a good citizen. was practi-
cally at his journeys end when the ship
came up the bay. There was Ellis
Island. to be sure, but going through the
immigration station meant only a few
hours or. at most, the best part Of q day.
Now consider the case Of an emigrant
who, for example, boarded the White
Star liner Celtic at Liverpool on Febru-
ery or at Queenstown on February 8.
The Celtic is a good ship. She brought
her 1884 passengers. including 1,414 IN
the steerage, across the Atlantic and an
cbored off Quarantine on the night OF
February Is. The immigrant on board
her was singularly fortunate. Although
before tho war liners raced across the
ocean. they pursue in these postwar days
q slower pace which saves coal and wear
and tear on the ships. Few emigrants
cross the ocean now In only ten days.
The Promised Land Near.
The immigrants good fortune did not
desert him at Quarantine. Doctors OF
the Public Health Service climbed on
board. They lined UP the third class
passengers. took their temperatures,
scrutinjzed them carefully and found no
suspected cases Of typhus. The imml-
grant was carried up the bay to pier 80,
North River, where the Celtic docked.
The gangplank was swung from dock 20
ship at 30 A. NJ. February 19.
The immigrant on board her made 40
immediate use of the gangplank He re-
manned on board. The first and second
class passengers and the few American
citizens among the third class passengers
malities and technicalities which had
been in progress while the ship was COM
ing up the bay had been concluded.
Pier SO is one OF a series OF great mod
ern piers lining the water front between
Fourteenth and Twenty-third streets.
These huge docks, known as the Chelsea
piers arc used by number OF lines. in
Guiding the White Star. Cunard. Red
Star American and French. Thousands
Of Immigrants reach them every week
The Immigrant remained board
the Celtic by request of the immigra-
tion authorities. The long line of big
piers cut Off from. view everything but
the tops OF the buildings in this wonder
city he had seen from afar In coming
up Tic TlFST anu Dty. lHc OliiCT i,flo y
stcerdge passengers milled around the
stern OF the boat and the lower decks
on which they were confined excited by
the sight OF the first and second class
passengers going ashore and wondering
~i,y they. too, were not permitted to
leave They spent all of Saturday won
dcring.
Long vigil Continued.
Saturday night the immigrant retired
70 spend the night in the crampcd quar-
ters of the storage. The Celtic is a
ship of good size, but even in a big ship
ono is apt to be crampcd when 1,t1l
persons arc occupying third class quar-
tcrs. Had he come In ship Of line
plying between here and Mediterranean
ports he probably would have been even
more crowded. so he still remained for
tunate as regards his choice Of ship.
Sunday the immigrant passed in
viewing the tops Of the city's buildings
and the commerce of the water front.
SO did the other immigrants on board.
As our immigrant could speak English
he learned that he was waiting for the
immigration officials to get around 10
him. There we're in the bay and at
piers a number Of other ships. With
thousands OF immigrants on board them,
who must be Inspected first and passed
OF 0ctd1ncO. TIC FuuSt wait I1e tuTfl Ol
his ship and of himself. He did. The
day might have been even dullcr had
not terrif1c snow storm kept him oc-
cupicd. II was an imprc csslvc sight but
the Immigrant would have preferred to
SEQ II from the other side of the great
barrier OF piers.
Monday passed very slowly. There
was no snow storm to entertain this
country's newly arrived guests but
dav n. Tpruf1ax al or
dragged by without any progress, as far
as the immigrant could see. toward Ell
lis Island and Admission to the United
States. There were men on boaru who
undoubtedly would have made excellent
snow shovcIlers but unfortunately theft
activities were limited to tho ship. On
Wednesday the monotony was broken
when the immigrant and his companions
were ordered to leave the ship. They
were conducted to the waiting rooms OF
the piers.
TroubIe Begins 10 Brew.
That night many friends aud rcls-
tivcs OF these immigrants, who lived
IN the city or who had come from other
parts OF the country to greet them.
came TO tho piers. These friends had
eone daily TO the Barge office, at the
Battery. where the Ellis Island ferry
~ situated, only to be told thu the Inn
migrants had not yet been taken to the
island and that when they reached tho
Island there would be another long de-
lay before they were released. The mon
and women already In this country, in
Guiding many citizens, went to the Chci-
sea piers to talk to their newly arrived
friends, but were not permitted to zee
them. They were not 90 patient as tho
immigrants. A near riot occurred. The
attendants guarding the immigrants had
considerable trouble In restoring order.
Dnc Immigrant had not been so for.
tiratc az to get seat on ono oc the
',erchcs In tho waiting room. 50 he sat
~ tho floor. When II came tinc 10 &c
10 bed he slept on the foor Next morn
aug he and the other immigrants we're
permitted for ono hour to walk up ant
down tho pier. Tha; evening anothe,
lol'r o. exercise vas permitted. All
this wsA under close guard. however.
The Cel.;c was bciny loaded and
craics. 10 she was scheduled to icave
-.
fx1AurEpS of mon have sold their ca
through the Automobile Exchange OK Til.
Herald Cir1s,fied scrticn. Real bargains
tasre. Read thsm.--Adv.