Descendants of Levi Infanger - Cardello Family History

Chapter—9
I M M I G R A T I N G T O A M E R I C A
Page 3
Leaving Home
A the shipping trade developed most of the cargoes going from America to Europe were
bulky - lumber, raw wool, tobacco, etc. Cargoes from Europe to America were lighter - finished
cloth, spices, etc. Consequently, the shipping companies found themselves with
cargo space on the west bound voyage. The solution was to carry human cargo and the
major companies advertised their fares in many cities and towns throughout Europe.
The first step was getting from the village or town of origin to a major port. This leg of the
journey was often done on foot. Once the port was reached a potential emigrant may have
spent some time in the port area before actually shipping out. Major ports were: Bremerhaven
and Hanover in Germany, Liverpool in England, Queenstown in Ireland, Naples in
Italy, La Havre in France. Contrary to what might be expected not all Germans went out of
the German ports. Some took passage to Liverpool or Queenstown and left from there.
Conversely some Irish and English left from the German ports. Consequently, the first step
of the journey could take quite some time.
The Crossing
Before the 1850's immigrants from Europe came by sailing ships. The length of the crossings
varied according to the winds, tides, and other factors. The estimates for crossings
under sail range anywhere from four to twenty-four weeks with an average trip of 8
weeks. Later ships, still under sail but fitted with paddle wheels and steam engines, took
about six weeks. Steamships started crossing the Atlantic in 1850. The length of a voyage
from Bremen to New York by steamer took about seventeen days. By the mid-1860's most
immigrants were coming by steamer. However, up until the 1870's many people still traveled
by sail. Steam ships up until WWI took 2 to 3 weeks. By 1920 the trip across the
ocean took one to two weeks.
The overwhelming majority of immigrants traveled in steerage where there was no lighting
and passenger were packed in as tightly as space would allow. Steerage passengers had
to provide their own bedding. Each passenger got a berth that was 18 inches wide by 6
feet long. The berths were often in tiers up to four rows high. Frequently they were poorly
build and rickety. Men and women who were strangers to each other before the start of
the journey were berthed together. In 1852 a new law required that men be berthed separately.
The trip was not a dry one. Water seeped into the steerage through holes that were supposed
to be for ventilation. Most passengers were sea sick the first few days out and only
in rough weather afterwards. It was impossible to come on deck in bad weather. The
hatches would be battened down and passengers in steerage would have to remain below
in the dark and rocking ship. There was on average one toilet for every hundred passengers.
Frequently the toilet was on deck, where they could not be reached in rough
weather. In high seas they were sometimes washed overboard. Because of the close
quarters in which they lived, passengers often suffered from illnesses like trench mouth,
body ulcers, and lice. Conditions were frightful. Immigrant ships were recognized by the
smell.
Early ships were often called "coffin ships" because of the frightful conditions and the
numbers of people who died during the crossings. In 1847, 1,879 immigrants died on the