Steamship Lines Part 2

Steamship Lines

Part Two—Transatlantic Voyage The City of New York steamship was built in 1888 for the Inman Line operated by the British. At that time the ship was designed to accommodate 540 first-class, 200 second-class and 1,000 steerage passengers. The quarters had been fitted with running hot and cold water, electric ventilation, and electric lighting. The first-class public rooms, such as the library and smoking room, were fitted with walnut panels and the dining salon had a massive dome that provided natural overhead light for the passengers. In February of 1893 the Inman Line was merged into the American Line. By an act of Congress, the ship was renamed New York and sailed under the US flag. The steamship underwent updates and was redesigned to accommodate 290 first-class, 250 second-class and 725 third-class or steerage passengers. The New York was known for its speedy voyage of six days, nine hours, and fourteen minutes from New York to Southampton.⁵ ⁷ Sources

1. Ancestry.com 2. City of New York Steam Ship; images of ship and stories about the ship, https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_City_of_New_

York_(1888). 3. Finland Steamship Company, https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_Steamship_

Company. 4. Finnish Immigration Routes. https://sites. google.com/site/finnishimmigration/home/ map. 5. Flayvart, William Henry. The American

Line—1871—1904. M.W. Norton & Company, 200. Chapters 6–8, 113–170. 6. Gjenvick & Gjonvik Archives, https://www. gjenvick.com/Passengers/AmericanLine/

NewYork-PassengerList-1910-08-27.html. 7. Hands Across the Sea, Migration from Northern Europe to America via the Port of Hull, 1848–1914, http:// www.norwayheritage.com/articles/ anmviewer.asp?a=28&z=6, http://www. norwayheritage.com/articles/templates/ voyages.asp?articleid=28&zoneid=6http:// www.norwayheritage.com/ articles/templates/voyages. asp?articleid=28&zoneid=6. 8. Simplon—The Passenger Ship Website, http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/FinlandSSCo. html. 9. Transmigration. The Ships List http://www. theshipslist.com/ships/lines/finland.htm, https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/ transmigration.shtml. 10.Tyne Built Ship—A history of Tyne ship builders and the ships they built. http://www. tynebuiltships.co.uk/A-Ships/Astraea3-1891. jpg. 11. Walls, Marketta. To Amerika Amerika;

Hangö as a Port of Departure of Emigrants.

Hangö: Hangö Museum Pulication Series, 2013.

Inspection of arriving immigrants. National Archive Photo no. 90-G125-57 We could see the land that we had been looking for...

"Saturday Sept. 24th was the day to go to the steamer named New York and leave England for America and New York City. We left South Hampton at 12 noon. The two first days on the Atlantic Ocean I felt a little sick in my head, but it didn’t matter so much because I ate every meal like a well person does when he feels good, and one day after another went and at last near the end of the week we started to wish that we could see the land. The worst thing on the steamer was, when we could not go up to the top deck, but had to be held down in the lower sections with seasick immigrants. On Saturday morning at about 9 A.M. we could see some land. Then it turned to be more pleasant to live again, when we could see the land that we had been looking for and welcomed by all. At about 12 and one P.M. Oct. 1, 1910 we came into New York harbor, but could not get into the dock before following day Sunday, because the steamer did not get into New York harbor before 10 A.M. on Saturday. At 8 A.M. on Sunday morning we got off the steamer and our handbags had to be examined first. After the handbags were taken care of, we got orders to go on the ferryboat and go to Ellis Island and there we had to be examined the last time. It was easy to get through that examination because the Doctor at once took up both of my eyelids together and I could go. A few minutes after that, we had to show how much money, (landing money) we had and again they let us go on the ferryboat that left for New York City to South Ferry dock to the right harbor."