1889-07-03-Wisconsin
Papers of James Thompson
Thompson, James. Papers (typescript), pp. 10-12.
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July 3, Wednesday, S.S. Wisconsin. Atlantic Ocean. I got up this morning feeling well and had my breakfast. It was a wet rainy morning and the waves came over the front of the boat, giving some of the passengers a good wetting. I have not as yet finished my letter to my wife, thinking I would have more to tell her when we have passed the custom house officials. The boat rocks a great deal. We then got dinner and then we had some [p.11] more sight of land after a voyage of 11 days or 12 days, counting the pieces of days. We got there close to land at 3 o'clock and a fine view it was to see the green trees once more. We soon came to Sandy Hook; it looked nice and the passengers all on deck to see the land. We came up to the New York harbor and the government inspector came on board. The passengers all passed him and then we went on to the Guions Company's dock and there we cast anchor. None of the passengers was allowed to land or to get out of the warehouse. Our luggage was then taken out of the hold of the vessel and all the first-class passengers were allowed to land. Then our luggage was put in the warehouse. I got mine past the inspector, but I had ought to pay duty on nearly all I had, so the inspector told me, even looking into the smallest parcels I had. But I finally got it passed and checked. Some of the Saints had a hard time in passing their things, for the officials are very sharp with all the passengers. We then had supper, and I went on the deck of the boat and from the stern we could see the Bartholdi statue. I will not describe it as I have done that in my journal. When I went out 2 years ago we could see Staten Island, Jersey City, and Hoboken and Manhattan Island and Brooklyn. At night these places were all lit up and looked nice and the steamers all filled with passengers were lit up. We stopped and stayed up to see the sights until after 11 o'clock and then went to bed. Slept well.
New York, steamship Wisconsin, July 4, 1889. I got up this morning feeling well and then had my breakfast on board the ship, they have to feed us as long as we are on board. After breakfast we had a walk up in the city, but the heat was so oppressive I felt it bad, it almost overcome me. We went up to the post office and posted a lot of letters and then came back, but it rained. It was one of the heaviest storms I have seen since I left home. It cool the atmosphere off, made things look much better. We then came back into the ship, and it rained all morning. I will not attempt to describe New York as I have done that in my journal before. We then had our dinner on the vessel, and I done some writing, as the boat was still; one can see that by the difference in my writing. I then finished my letter to my wife and got it ready to post. It is much cooler than it was and it is still cloudy. We then watched the vessels pass as they was all covered with bunting. We then had our supper and went on deck to watch the rockets as it was getting dark. It was a grand sight to see as they kept the sky lit up, it was a continual blaze. We sat up until 12 o'clock watching and then we went to bed, but did not sleep but little; for the fleas they eat me so bad, I think worse than anyone else, for I have suffered with them ever since I have been on the vessel, and I was glad when morning came …
The Immigrants
"The Immigrants," Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 51:33 (Aug. 19, 1889) p. 526.
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The steamer reached New York on the afternoon of July 3rd, just one hour too late for the passengers to get through Castle Garden; and inasmuch as the Fourth was a holiday, the immigrants were obliged to remain in dock during the whole of the following day and night.
They were met upon arrival at New York by Mr. Gibson, of the Guion Line, by whom all the necessary arrangements for transferring the company westward were made.
On Friday, the 5th, the Saints proceeded on their journey, taking the Old Dominion steamer to Norfolk, Virginia, at which place they boarded the cars of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railway system. …
