Orleans County Louisiana Archives News.....Italian Immigrants in New Orleans 1898 - Article 1 of 9 October 9, 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Stephanie Lynn slynn@plexusweb.com August 17, 2023, 12:24 pm The Times Picayune October 9, 1898 The Times Picayune - October 9, 1898, Page 11 THE SICILIANS Italian Immigrants in New Orleans 1898 - Article 1 of 9 -- Will Find an Open Door at Pensacola -- And the Britannia Has Gone There After Many Delays and Difficulties -- At last the Britannia, the French steamship from Palermo, with its load of 406 Sicilian immigrants, has found a port willing to receive the foreigners, and is now on her way to Pensacola, FL. The vicissitudes through which the ship and the innocent immigrants passed were not of a very agreeable nature, but were unavoidable on account of the conditions prevailing in this city, against which quarantines had been declared on all sides. It was not considered safe to allow several hundred fresh European subject to land in this port. The Briannia, after having put in the required number of days at quarantine stations (where she arrived on the 28th of September), was allowed to come up the river and anchor opposite “the point” a few miles below Algiers. Her agents Mesars. James Sawers & Co. having been formally notified by the state board of health, and by the collector of the port the latter acting under the provisions of the national quarantine laws, which make it incumbent on the United States authorities to assist the state boards of health in enforcing their quarantine measures, that the Sicilians would not be allowed to land at any point in the state of Louisiana, decided to send the Britannia to Galveston. Therefore, the vessel was permitted to steam up to “the point” to take on provisions and coal. But there came the refusal of the Galveston authorities to allow the Britannia to seek their port. This delay was not only irksome to the ship, and to her passengers, but also entailed daily expenses, which, in the aggregate, would amount to a large sum as the Britannia had put in nearly twelve days in waiting at quarantine and at “the point.” The agents instituted a suit for damages in the civil district court against the state board of health for $2500, and cast about for another port. Meanwhile they had filed protests with the collector of the port against what they considered oppressive and unnecessary delays, and after a long and animated conference between the representatives of Sawers & Co., and of the board of health and Captain Wimberly, the latter said that he had no power to interfere with the state board of health, whose authority in quarantine matters was not only supreme in the state, but in his official capacity he was bound to aid the state board of health in carrying out its mandates. Mesars, Sawers & Co had the alternatives of either sending the Britannia back to quarantine for ten days, at the expiration of which Galveston would receive the immigrants, or of returning them to their own country. They would not accept either proposition, because the Britannia had a clean bill of health from Palermo, and had besides already put in her period of detention at the Mississippi quarantine station The station remained unchanged until yesterday, when, after having wired to Pensacola, Messrs, Sawers & Co received a satisfactory answer. Pensacola offered to receive the immigrants. This news was communicated to Collector Wimberly yesterday forenoon, and he said he was happy that a solution had been reached. The Britannia cleared at noon for Pensacola, and left at 3 pm. Mr. Ed J Wheelahan, manager of James Sawers & Co., said he did not know what would be the destination of the Sicilians after they will have reached Pensacola. That will be to be hereafter decided. Another emigrant ship is on its way to New Orleans. The British steamship Bolivia left Palermo for New Orleans on the 30th of September, with 1500 emigrants and will arrive here in the latter part of this month. Collector Wimberly was asked what would be done in the case of the Bolivia. He replied that if quarantine conditions are still extant the vessel will have to go through the same ordeal as the Britannia. The agent of the steamship, Mr. F. J. Ornia, declines to discuss the matter, as many things may happen between this date and the 31st of October. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/newspapers/italiani810gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb