Processing Immigrants by the Holland-America Line circa 1903
Hotel for Emigrants of the N. A. S. M. Holland-America Line at Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam, H. A. van Ysselsteyn, 1908. GGA Image ID # 19f4ffcbc9
The Holland-America Line, a steamship company with passenger and freight steamers plying between Rotterdam and New York, is the only steamship line carrying emigrants from the Netherlands to the United States of America.
Emigrants from the interior of the continent of Europe, who purchase their steamship tickets from the branch offices of the Holland-America Line in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, arrive in Rotterdam on international trains, in which several cars have been set apart for their accommodation, from five to six days before the departure of the steamer on which they expect to sail; while emigrants from parts not far distant from this city, like southern Germany and the interior of the Netherlands, arrive at Rotterdam by train and riverboat until the day previous to the departure of the steamer.
All emigrants for the Holland-America Line are met at the railway station and boat landing at Rotterdam by runners of the line, who conduct them, immediately upon arrival, per steam tug to the NASM Hotel, the emigrant hotel owned and controlled by the Holland-America Line and situated opposite to the line's wharf.
Here, the emigrants remain until the departure of the steamer on which they are to sail or, in case they should be found undesirable immigrants by one of the medical inspectors, by the steamship company, or by the consul-general or vice-consul-general, until the time that they are returned to the countries whence they came.
The NASM Hotel was designed and built exclusively for the accommodation of immigrants traveling on the Holland-America Line. In the construction, in addition to the comfort of the emigrants, the sanitary requirements for a building of its kind have been given due consideration. The dining rooms and coffee or conversation rooms are bright, spacious, and pleasant, though necessarily somewhat sober in appearance to ensure cleanliness.
The dormitories are spacious, clean, and airy. Sleeping apartments, open on top, each containing four to six iron berths, similar to those used in the steerage of the company's twin-screw steamers, have been partitioned off along the walls. This gives the immigrants the desired privacy, besides the advantage of being together with their family members in one apartment.
Between the partitions, a wide space is left in the center of the dormitories for chairs, tables, etc., while windows and ventilators provide light and air on every side. There are separate dormitories for families, men, and women. Spacious washrooms and bathrooms, with modern appointments, are located on the vestibules conveniently close to each dormitory.
The hotel has been constructed so that, should the need arise, 800 passengers could be quarantined within its walls as effectively as though they were on shipboard. This possibility of isolation before sailing is a great sanitary advantage.
Regarding this hotel, Consul Listoe wrote in his dispatch to the Department of State, under date of April 6, 1900:
The Holland America Line is entitled to a great deal of credit for its humane treatment and care of its emigrants. The company's claim that it furnishes good lodging and board for emigrants at a low figure while protecting them against low boardinghouse runners and sharpers who would fleece them is correct.
What is of more importance, though, from a United States point of view, is the facilities furnished to the examining physician at the NASM Hotel for inspecting the emigrants as well as the arrangements for cleaning, bathing, and disinfecting the latter and taking other sanitary measures in connection with those prospective citizens of the United States.
At the hotel, the emigrants are daily subjected to a medical inspection by a Dutch physician employed by the line at the instance of the Holland America Line. One day before sailing, the emigrants are inspected at the hotel by a prominent Rotterdam oculist engaged by the steamship company for its protection,' to prevent emigrants suffering from infectious eye diseases sailing on its steamers. As the medical inspections are not those prescribed by the United States Quarantine Regulations, a consular officer does not witness them.
The work of consular inspection is carried out as follows: The day before the departure of a passenger steamer, the baggage of all steerage passengers is inspected by the consul-general or his deputy. Large quantities of mildewed and otherwise spoiled eatables are found among this baggage. These are taken out, as had been the practice of the Marine Hospital surgeon formerly detained at Rotterdam.
All feather pillows and beds are removed from the baggage and undergo steam disinfection at 1000 Cel. The Holland-America Line's disinfection plants can disinfect as many as 60 beds at the same time, and each disinfection will take about one and one-half hours, viz., half an hour for getting up the required steam heat, half an hour for the disinfection, and half an hour for drying purposes.
When there are 200 beds or more to be disinfected, which is frequently the case, supervision of the disinfection will keep a consular officer engaged for several hours. The baggage inspection takes two to four hours, according to the number of packages to be inspected.
The last medical and general inspection of the emigrants at which the consul-general or vice-consul-general is present is the inspection prescribed by the Quarantine Regulations, page I5, paragraph 5. It occurs in the Holland-American Line hotel or the line's covered warehouse and· begins three to six hours before the steamer's departure.
The emigrants pass in single file before the ship's surgeon, an American physician, who inspects them in the presence of the consular officer, who, for his part, looks over their inspection cards, prescribed by the Quarantine Regulations, page 19, paragraph 40, and stamps the same with a consular rubber seal, for all emigrants approved of.
There is also an officer of the State Commission controlling the transit of emigrants through the Netherlands who tallies their numbers and a Rotterdam police officer who watches for fugitives from justice, reported to the Netherlands police authorities.
Immediately after the inspection, the emigrants possessing inspection cards bearing the consular stamp board the steamer enter the steerage, which the consul has previously inspected.
A few minutes before departure, after looking over the freight manifests of the vessel to see if all the requirements of the Quarantine Regulations and the regulations of the Department of Agriculture regarding disinfection certificates and certificates of healthy origin have been complied with, the bill of health is issued.
The ship's surgeon vaccinated the emigrants as soon as practicable after the vessel's departure.
In recent years, no emigrants from infected districts have passed through Rotterdam on their way to the United States. Should such occur at any time, they can be effectively quarantined in the hotel of the Holland-America Line for the periods prescribed by the Quarantine Regulations.
Aire H. Voorwinden, Vice and Deputy Consul- Gtneral. In a letter by Mr. Voorwinden to Mr. Herbert H. D. Peirce. Consulate-General, United States of America, Rotterdam, Netherlands, September 23 1903.
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Key Highlights of the Article:
- Holland-America Line’s Emigrant Hotel at Rotterdam
- A purpose-built facility that provided safe lodging, sanitary conditions, and medical care for emigrants.
- Protected immigrants from fraudulent boardinghouse agents and exploitation.
- Designed to house up to 800 quarantined passengers if needed, ensuring public health and compliance with U.S. regulations.
- Comprehensive Medical Examinations
- Daily health inspections by a Dutch physician.
- Specialized eye exams performed by an oculist to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as trachoma.
- Final U.S.-regulated inspection before embarkation, attended by an American ship’s surgeon and a consular officer.
- Strict Sanitary and Disinfection Procedures
- Steam disinfection of all feather beds and pillows, with capacity for over 200 beds per session.
- Baggage checks to remove mildewed food and spoiled provisions to prevent contamination.
- Immediate quarantine capability for emigrants from infected districts to prevent outbreaks.
- Consular Oversight and Final Boarding Process
- U.S. Consular officers personally supervised inspections, ensuring compliance with American immigration laws.
- Rotterdam police and Dutch state officers monitored for criminal fugitives and illegal emigrants.
- Emigrants who passed the inspection received stamped inspection cards allowing them to board the steamship and proceed to America.
- Vaccination and Departure
- After embarkation, all steerage passengers were vaccinated by the ship’s doctor to further protect against disease outbreaks.
- The bill of health was issued only after cargo manifests and all quarantine regulations were met.
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