1875-09-26-Wyoming

Autobiography of Peter Olsen Hansen

Hansen, Peter Olsen, An Autobiography of Peter Olsen Hansen, 1818-1895, comp. by Leland Hansen Ashby (2nd Printing, 1988) pp. 192-93.

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On the 25th, it says. "Pilot onbound." On the 26th, "This morning at 3 o'clock we anchored in the river and in the afternoon we laid into the pier and expect to go ashore tomorrow morning." One U.S. and one French frigate are lying at anchor nearby, a beautiful sight to me.

Next morning we moved from shipboard into the old castle building, which is used for the accommodation of emigrants. (*Ellis Island, New York Harbor) The name of the steamship we came in was Wyoming. I was told that it was 300 feet long and it had 4 decks. My state room was over the screw, but I soon got used to the noise. The vessel being so long made it so much better for the passengers, and I liked to stand in one end and look along the deck and see it gallop over the great billows. In the evening, we started for the railroad.

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Reminiscences and Journals of John Paternoster Squires

Squires, John P. Reminiscences and Journals, 1848-1900; (MS 2143); [vol. 4] pp. 154- 56, 159, 168-73.'

Saturday Sept. 25th 1875 (S. S. Wyoming). Passed a ship lighthouse about 7 a.m. About the same time a pilot came on board. Head wind.

Sunday Sept. 26th 1875 (New York). Still on board the S. S. Wyoming. Arrived at this place sometime in the night. Brother [William C.] Staines came on board this morning [p.169] and handed me two letters, one was from my son Jonnie containing the mournful intelligence of the death of my dear little daughter Velangie Maude. She departed this life on Thursday the 9th of Sept. after a sickness of severe vomiting and purging twenty one days. She suffered very much and was reduced to nothing but skin and bones. She was born on the 14th of Sep 1874 and was therefore one year and seven months old all but five days. She was buried on Sunday morning Sept. 12th just one year and ten months since I landed in Old England. That little baby I have never seen, I was looking forward with joyful anticipation of learning the little stranger to love her father. How many times have I spoken about her, and thought and wondered how she looked and how she would receive my fond embraces, and how proud her mother would be to present the little darling to her father, and get her to go through her funny little ways, which she knows would be so pleasing to me, but alas! Alas! Those joyful anticipations are fled, the blooming rose has faded, the little pet has gone. She was only lent to us for a little season, just to brighten up the household, then off to her little brothers and sisters, who came and went in like manner. This makes the tenth child I have buried. I pray my Father who art in Heaven that I may so live that I may [p.170] have them again in the resurrection of the just. I also deeply sympathize with my wife the mother of the departed little pet, and pray that strength may be given to her in the great bereavement, and that we all may be able to say the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the name of the Lord.

Monday Sept. 27th 1875 (Castle Garden). Got our luggage off the ship, and passed the custom house officers. Collected about 32 dollars to help a widow to emigrate. Met and had some conversation with Spencer Clawson. Our luggage was taken in a dray to a steamboat and from the steamboat to the cars in which the company were seated and at 7:30 p.m. moved out of the station at New Jersey and commenced our journey westward. Borrowed five dollars of Brother John Bourows.

Journal of Baldwin H. Watts

Watts, Baldwin Harvey, 1835-1928. Journal (typescript), 1875 April�October, pp. 68-71.

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Saturday, Sept 25th, 1875, on the steamship Wyoming, About 2 o'clock in the morning the pilot came on board and took charge of the vessel. At 7 a.m. we passed the Nantucket Lighthouse. At 5 p.m. we came in sight of Long Island, which all the passengers on the vessel to feel quite merry and thankful to see land once more. We sailed on until 2 o'clock in the night, at which time we cast anchor in the Hudson River to wait until the quarantine doctor came on board and examined the passengers, after which we moved up the river to New York and made fast at Pier 46. Feeling very thankful for our safe arrival across the Atlantic, where we could once more set foot on terra firma. This being the 26th of Sept 1875. At 2 p.m. of the same day, Elder F.M. Lyman and myself went to the Union Pacific telegraph and sent a telegram to our wives informing them of our arrival in New York. We then returned to pier 46, after which I paid a visit New [p.70] York General P.O. [POSSIBLY, Post Office], which is a magnificent building, the finest of the kind I ever saw. I went to the Central Park, where all manner of wild beasts are to be seen, also all manner of birds. I then returned to No. 46. At 8 p.m., Pres J.F. Smith and F.M. Lyman set out for Utah, leaving the company to come on the following day.

Monday, Sept 27th, 1875, still on board the steamship Wyoming, A very fine morning. At 8 a.m. a small steam packet came alongside, on which we put our luggage; then the company went aboard, after which they moved us to Castle Gardens, where we underwent an examination. Also purchased our supplies, then went onboard the steam ferry and crossed the Hudson. Landed on the Jersey side, when at 9 p.m. we took train and moved out for Utah.�

Letter from Richard V. Morris - September 25, 1875

Morris, Richard V., et. al., [Letter], Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 37:41, (Oct. 11, 1875) pp. 652-53.

S. S. Wyoming off Sandy Hook, Sept. 25, 1875.

President A. [Albert] Carrington

Dear Brother,--

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This morning at 2 o'clock we took the pilot on board, and at seven we passed the Nantucket lighthouse.

On the morning of Sept. 21st we saw an immense iceberg near the Banks of Newfoundland, which was the most beautiful sight of the kind that we have ever seen. The captain judged it to be about 1,000 feet long and 300 feet high, and about 5 miles to the south of our course.

Sept. 26th. We anchored off Staten Island at 2 o'clock this morning, and at 8 o'clock, the passengers passed the doctor, all in good health. We then steamed into dock, where the passengers were kept all day.

Monday, Sept. 27th. The passengers were all landed this morning at Castle Garden. The work of transferring and examining the luggage has been got along with very agreeably, and we are now about to go aboard the cars. The Saints were in good spirits, anticipating a very agreeable trip.

President Smith and Elder Lyman left for home by express last night.

Praying God to bless and prosper you and your co-laborers, we remain, your brethren in the gospel, R. [Richard] V. Morris, John Squires, B. H. Watts, A. McFarland, J. [John] H. Burrows, P. O. Hanson [Peter O. Hansen], Evan Forgesen.