Captain C.F. Johansen Arrested
Violation Of The United States Passenger Act Of 1882
SS Heimdal - May 8, 1883
Captain C.F. Johansen
Date: May 8, 1883
Cruise Bruise: Arrest
Bruise Location:
Age:
Home Town: Denmark
Line:
Ship: SS Heimdal
Details:
Capt. C.F. Johansen of the steam-ship Heimdal, from Stettin, was arrested Friday on complaint of Major Henry Gaines, Chief Measurer in the office of the Surveyor of the Port Of New York City, charged with violating The United States Passenger Act of 1882 (USPA).
The United States Passenger Act has also been referenced as the Steam-ship Passenger Act Of 1882.
Johansen violations of the USPA, brought into law only the year before were serious. The complaint was brought against him by Major Henry Gaines, Chief Measurer in the Office Of The Surveyor of the Port Of New York City.
He had 53 passengers more than he was licensed to carry, all of them immigrants from Europe. The fine for this infraction was $50.00 per passenger. This amounts to about $1,000 per passenger in 2006 dollars.
While he was overloaded, it was how he was overloaded that set his arrest in motion. When boarded for inspection during the mandatory quarantine period it was discovered he had mixed passengers, placing both genders in the same compartment of the ship.
According to the USPA, unmarried women were to be placed in berths in the stern of the ship, unmarried men in the bow are of the ship, and families in the middle to seperate the two groups. The complaint said no attempt was made to seperate the single women from the single men during the voyage. The fine for this infraction was $5.00 per passenger.
The third offense was that the captain had kept no record as to where each passenger had been placed in the ship.
Major Gaines has said he will enforce the new law, so that passengers are given protection and their right to decency on their voyages.
He was released on $1000 bail, with a future court date set to answer to the charges. In 2006 dollar, adjusted from the 1883 bail date, the bail would be $20,151.85.
In 1909 an investigation by the United States Immigration Commission found the the law was still being broken. Anna Herkner took three transatlantic voyages in steerage as part of her investigative report that unaccompanied women were frequently sexually attacked by male crew members working on the ships. “…not one woman in steerage escaped attack.” “Some of the crew were always on deck, and took all manner of liberties with the women, in broad daylight as well as after dark.”
View the entire text - The United States Passengers Act of 1882
