Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/582

 574 EMIGRATION of the department who ascertains the number of passengers, the deaths, if any, during the voyage, and the amount and character of the sickness ; he also examines the condition of the vessel in respect to cleanliness, and hears com- plaints by passengers ; of all which he makes reports to the superintendent at Castle Garden. He remains on board the ship during the pas- sage up the bay, to see that the passengers are not interfered with by any unauthorized per- son from the shore. After examination of their luggage by the customs officers the emigrants are transferred to the landing depot at Castle Garden, which was formerly a fortress defend- ing the port, and was subsequently used as a place of amusement. It was opened as the emigrant landing depot in August, 1855, and is well adapted for the purpose. The emi- grants are brought by barge or tng from the vessel in which they arrived, and after exami- nation by a medical officer are ushered into the rotunda, a circular space comprising 50,000 sq. ft., and with a dome in the centre about 75 ft. high. It is well warmed, lighted, and ven- tilated, and will properly accommodate about 4,000 persons. Here the name, nationality, former place of residence, and intended destina- tion of each individual, with other particulars, are registered. The newly arrived emigrant here finds facilities for supplying every imme- diate want without leaving the depot. The names of such as have money, letters, or friends awaiting them are called out, and they are put into immediate possession of their property or committed to their friends, whose credentials have first been properly scrutinized. There are clerks at hand to write letters for them in any European language, and a telegraph ope- rator to forward despatches. Here, also, the main trunk lines of railway have offices, at which the emigrant can buy tickets, and have his luggage weighed and checked ; brokers are admitted, under restrictions which make fraud impossible, to exchange the foreign coin or pa- per of emigrants ; a restaurant supplies them with plain food at moderate prices ; a physician is in attendance for the sick, and a temporary hospital ready to receive them until they can be sent to "Ward's island ; employment is pro- vided by the labor bureau, connected with the establishment, to those in search of it; such as desire to start at once for their destination are sent to the railway or steamboat ; while any who choose to remain in the city are re- ferred to boarding-house keepers admitted to the landing depot, whose charges are regula- ted under special license, and whose houses are kept under supervision by the commission. Ample facilities for the care of sick and desti- tute emigrants are afforded by the institutions on Ward's Island, which are under the super- vision of the commissioners of emigration. This island comprises about 200 acres in the East river, and extends opposite the city from 100th to 116th street; 121 acres, including the entire water front next to New York, are used for em- igrant purposes, and the remaining portion is chiefly used by, the commissioners of public charities and correction. The institutions em- brace the hospitals, the refuge, the lunatic asy- lum, the nursery, dispensary, chapels, schools, workshops, &c. These institutions contain on an average about 2,000 inmates, the most of whom are more or less helpless. The chief building is the Verplanck hospital, which con- sists of a corridor 450 ft. long and two stories high, from which project five wings each 130 ft. long, 25 ft. wide, and two stories high except the centre wing, which has three stories ; the corners of each wing are flanked with towers. It is constructed upon the most approved plans for perfect ventilation, and all necessary com- forts for the sick. It has accommodations for about 500 patients, and is used exclusively for non-contagious diseases and surgical cases. A new lunatic asylum has recently been erect- ed, with accommodations for more than 300 patients. The extent of the work done by the commission since its organization is indicated by the fact that of the 5,033,392 emigrants ar- riving at New York from May 5, 1847, to Jan. 1, 1873, for whom commutation money was paid, and all of whom received protection, ad- vice, and information from the commissioners, 1,465,579 were provided and cared for out of the emigrant fund for a greater or less period during the five years subsequent to arrival, viz. : 398,643 received treatment and care in the institutions of the commissioners ; 449,275 were supplied temporarily with board and lodging and money relief in the city of New York ; 349,936 were provided with employ- ment through the labor bureau at Castle Gar- den ; 53,083 were forwarded from Castle Gar- den to their destination in the United States, or returned to Europe at their own request ; and 214,642 were relieved and provided for in various parts of the state of New York at the expense of the commissioners of emi- gration. During 1873, 731 emigrant vessels from 23 different ports arrived at Castle Gar- den. In the labor bureau employment was procured for 25,325, including 7,504 females. Through the agency of the information bureau, about 12 per cent, of the total arrivals were delivered to their friends. The number cared for in the institutions on Ward's island was 12,586, including 2,134 receiving treatment at the beginning of the year; of this number 10,- 430 were discharged during the year, and 439 died, leaving 1,717 under treatment Jan. 1, 1874. The expenditures for the year amount- ed to $466,108, including $215,086 for support of the institutions on Ward's island, $133,451 for expenses at Castle Garden, and $61,188 for buildings and permanent improvements. The current expenses of the commission were $510,306 in 1869, $540,467 in 1870, $518,387 in 1871, and $461,028 in 1872. In addition to these sums, $651,980 were expended during these four years in the erection of buildings and permanent improvements. These expendi-