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ELLIS ISLAND
Entry Process and
Picture of SS George Washington |
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Description of the entry process
at Ellis Island, New York
Researched by Janet Szymanski
Information from the book, Ellis Island,
Wilton Tifft and Thomas Dunne 1971 (Hingham Public Library) |
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"In one of the greatest migrations in human history, Europeans deserted their homes
and packed themselves into the holds of ships." From 1890 to 1930, almost Sixteen
Million immigrants entered America through the Port of New York. (The peak years were from
1903 to 1914.) A steerage ticket cost about $35. It was usually a ten to twelve day
voyage.Because the shipping companies were required to pay the expenses for any
immigrants not admitted, the shipping companies did a thorough screening of the
individuals before they were allowed on the boat. The immigrants would be given a quick
medical examination, a vaccination, and have to file a lengthy questionnaire with the
shipping company. They would then be given a visa from the US Consul and, also, a visa
from their own country if required.
Steerage passengers were assigned to groups of thirty, and tags with their names and
ID#’s were pinned on their clothing. Groupings of thirty people came about because
thirty was the maximum number of names that would fit on each passenger manifest sheet.
These sheets were filled out at the port of embarkation and list most of the vital
statistics the immigration authorities required. A tag marked "A-25" meant that
the person was the twenty-fifth name on Sheet A. ...end |
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SS GEORGE WASHINGTON
Ship used by Julia Nagy and her three daughters to come to
America, 12/13 to 12/22 1913.
Picture & information from North Atlantic Passenger Liners since 1900
Caris, Nicholas
Hingham Public Library 1999 |
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Built by the A.G. Vulkan Co, Stettin, Germany. On June 12, 1909, she had her
Maiden voyage from Bremen-Southampton-Cherbourg-New York with a call at Plymouth eastbound
in place of Southampton. She traveled at a normal speed of 19 knots. There was
Passenger accommodation for 568 first class, 433 second class, and 1,226 in steerage.
In 1913, Mr. Ferencz Vaszily purchased the 10 millionth ticket from the North
German Lloyd Company, and was given special accomodation by the Line.
The SS George Washington was interned at New York on June 9, 1914 and seized by the USA on
April 4, 1917. She was converted to a transport. In 1919, she was used to carry
President Wilson and his staff to the Versailles Peace Conference. She was managed
by the US Mail Line for a number of years and in January 1951 she was sold for scrap after
having been destroyed by fire at Baltimore on January 16. |
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