Secrets Below Deck: How Stowaways Smuggled Their Way into America (1911 Report)
In 1911, hundreds of stowaways secretly entered the U.S. aboard transatlantic steamships, bribing crew members and evading immigration officers. This rare government report exposes the tactics, dangers, and legal changes that transformed how America handled stowaways at Ellis Island and beyond.
Stowaways furnish another class of aliens, not a few of whom gain admission to this country in violation of law. Despite the vigilance of ship officers to prevent the concealment of stowaways on board vessels at foreign ports, many aliens each year can employ this method of securing free passage to the United States.
They usually succeed in boarding the vessel with the connivance of some crew member. However, sometimes, they are assisted by outside parties who, for consideration, smuggle them on board. As a rule, they are persons coming within one of the two following classes: Those who have been rejected at the foreign port as ineligible under the immigration law to land in this country, those who are without sufficient funds to pay their passage and are unable to secure employment as members of the crew.
Unless protected by the employees who assisted them in embarking, they are usually discovered during the voyage and, upon arrival at the port, are reported to the immigration authorities. It not infrequently happens, however, that through the collusion of members of the crew, stowaways remain undiscovered during the voyage and, upon the arrival of the vessel in port, are smuggled ashore without Inspection by the immigration officials and in Violation in many instances, of the provisions of the immigration law, which forbid their landing.
The following instances are cited as illustrative of this practice: On July 5, 1907, the steamship Estonia arrived in New York from the port of Libau, Russia. According to the statements made by Wilhelm Kisling, Heinrich Seibert, Heinrich Rudolf, and Johannes Helwig, they were among 40 or 50 aliens who had been rejected by the authorities at the port of embarkation and who were subsequently smuggled aboard a ship by a woman named.
Libowitz and a shoemaker named Brandman, in collusion with members of the crew, Kisling paid Brandman 50 rubles ($25) to place him and his 16-year-old nephew, Heinrich Funken, aboard the vessel. He then had to pay a fireman named Philip 60 rubles ($30) to take them as far as Rotterdam. At the latter port, he had to pay the fireman a like sum for bringing them to New York.
During the voyage, they mingled with the other steerage passengers and were regularly supplied with meals. On their arrival here, Kishng, his nephew, and two girls in male attire, after paying 5 rubles ($2.50) each, were brought ashore at about 9 o'clock at night on one pass made out for all.
The others, Seibert, Rudolf, and Helwig, declared that they each paid 110 rubles ($55) to the Leibowitz woman at Libau for assistance in smuggling them aboard the vessel. On arrival here, they were brought ashore on separate passes, along with six crew members, after paying 5 rubles ($2.50) each.
These three, with Kisling, were accidentally found at the Grand Central Station in New York, ready to purchase their tickets for the West. They were arrested on a telegraphic warrant and taken to Ellis Island. A medical examination disclosed that all were afflicted with trachoma, a dangerous contagious disease, and their deportation was ordered.
The nephew, Funken, had already succeeded in making his escape, as had the girls in male attire. All the others who had likewise been rejected at Libau because they were afflicted with trachoma had been smuggled ashore here through the crew's assistance.
Another case was that of Jan Gedmin (?) and Paulina Flachs, who arrived in New York in male attire--on the Russian volunteer fleet steamer Saralov on July 14, 1907, as stowaways. They were caught on the dock while trying to escape. When brought to Ellis Island, both were found to have trachoma and were deported.
Under the regulations in force during the period covered by the present investigation, stowaways were treated by the immigration authorities in the same manner as regular immigrant passengers.
They were subject to the same rules regarding manifesting, certification of head tax, and medical Inspection. Upon examination, those who were found to be qualified under the immigration law to enter the United States were allowed to do so. In contrast, those who were found to be ineligible to land were excluded from the country and ordered deported.
It should be remembered, however, that not all stowaways were reported. Since those who were not reported are more likely, as indicated by the instances cited, to have been persons coming within one of the excluded classes, probably, the total number of ineligible aliens entering this country as stowaways was much greater during the period mentioned than the number of alien stowaways who were properly allowed to land.
Those aliens who were eligible to land here, who became stowaways for the purpose merely of securing a free passage to the United States, were not so likely to remain undiscovered and unreported as were those who had been rejected at the foreign port and had smuggled themselves aboard ship to secure an entrance into this country in Violation of the law.
Under the regulations in force during the period covered by the present investigation, stowaways were treated by the immigration authorities in the same manner as regular immigrant passengers.
They were subject to the same rules regarding manifesting, certification of head tax, and medical Inspection. Upon examination, those who were found to be qualified under the immigration law to enter the United States were allowed to do so. In contrast, those who were found to be ineligible to land were excluded from the country and ordered deported.
The rule of the Bureau of Immigration in effect at that time was as follows:
[Immigration Laws and Regulations of July 1, 1907, second edition.]
Rule 23. Stowaways.-The Immigration Act contains no provision expressly relating to stowaways. Therefore, such persons must be dealt with if they seek adm1Bslon to the United States, precisely as other aliens are dealt with.
Allen stowaways must be reported and manifested by the masters of vessels immediately upon arrival at a port of the United States, in the same manner as other aliens: Provided, however, that the name of every such person shall be followed by the word "stowaway." The head tax shall be certified on their account and examined under the immigration act, touching their right to enter the United States.
Within a year, the practice of the immigration authorities concerning stowaways had entirely changed. Stowaways were no longer regarded as incoming immigrants to whom the provisions of the immigration law were applicable. Still, they were held upon the vessels, which brought them and returned to the ports from which they had come without examination or medical inspection. The reasons for this change of policy are given in the new rule which was then adopted, and which is as follows:
[Immigration Laws and Regulations of July 1, 1907. fifth edition.]
Rule 23. Allen Stowaways Immigration Act contains no provision relating to stowaways, and the sections prescribing Inspection of applicants for admission do not, as a general rule, cover their cases. There are two good and succulent reasons for refusing to examine stowaways:
By stealing passage, they not only evade their account but make it impossible for vessel calls to observe the mandatory terms of sections 9 and 12 to 15, requiring medical Inspection and detailed manifesting at the foreign port of embarkation so that they occupy the status of persons who have failed to comply with plain provisions of law, observance of which is necessary to a proper Inauguration of their Inspection under section 16; and
Even aside from the fact that stowaways thus come before the immigration officials as violators of the law, they are persons obviously falling within the excluded classes named in section 2 In every Instance, at least to the extent that they are persons who are assisted by others to come," and with respect to whom it would be practically impossible to show "affirmatively and satisfactorily" that they do not belong to the excluded classes.
Therefore, as a rule, alien stowaways shall not be examined or permitted to land at ports of the United States, nor shall head tax be certified on their account. The masters of vessels shall immediately, upon arrival, report to the immigration officer in charge the names of any alien stowaways on board. They shall take every precaution to prevent their landing, subject to the penalty prescribed by section 18, holding them on the ship until it departs from the United States.
While these regulations cover all ordinary cases of stowaways and will, in practice, be found to be of almost universal application, cases may rarely arise in which the alien, though a stowaway, may nevertheless be entitled to Inspection and admission if found to belong to none of the excluded classes.
For example, the alien, though originally a stowaway, may have been, because of the particular facts of his case, accepted by the vessel as a passenger and manifested In such a way as to substantially comply with the law, or may have been employed as a member of the crew, or the causes which led the alien to stowaway may have been such as to bring his case within the first proviso to section 2 of the Immigration act and entitle him to special consideration. Exceptional cases of this character should be promptly brought to the department's attention, with a full statement of facts and a request for instructions.
“Alien Seamen and Stowaways: Stowaways.” In Abstracts of Reports of the Immigration Commission, Volume II, Document No. 747, 61st Congress, 3rd Session, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1911, Pages 363-366
Recap and Summary of "Stowaways on Steamships Entering the USA: A 1911 Report" 🚢🛃📜
This detailed government report provides a rare and insightful look at the challenges of dealing with stowaways on transatlantic steamships arriving in the United States in the early 20th century. The report highlights how stowaways evaded detection, the role of crew members in smuggling them aboard, and the evolving U.S. immigration policies that sought to curb their entry.
Unlike many personal narratives of individual stowaways, this official document sheds light on the systematic problem of illegal migration, with some stowaways being denied entry at foreign ports but finding ways to sneak aboard ships to America. It also details how crew members often facilitated their passage for bribes, raising concerns about immigration enforcement and public health risks.
Relevance to Ocean Travel and Historical Significance 🌊🚢
This historical government report is particularly valuable for:
Teachers & Students 📚 – Offers primary source material on early 20th-century immigration laws, public health concerns, and the role of Ellis Island in screening stowaways.
Genealogists 🧬 – Provides insight into hidden migration paths, especially for ancestors who may not have been officially documented due to illegal entry.
Historians 🏛️ – Details how the U.S. immigration system evolved, particularly in response to public health threats such as trachoma.
Maritime Enthusiasts ⚓ – Explores the logistics of stowing away, crew involvement, and how ships handled stowaways before reaching port.
Most Engaging Content ✨
🔹 The Business of Smuggling Stowaways 💰 – The report reveals a hidden underground economy, where stowaways paid bribes to ship crew members and smugglers to help them board ships. Some paid as much as 110 rubles ($55) for passage, which was a significant sum at the time.
🔹 Disguises and Evasion Tactics 🎭 – Some stowaways dressed as crew members or even cross-dressed to avoid detection. One case involved two young women disguised as men, who paid bribes and slipped past immigration officers unnoticed.
🔹 The Public Health Crisis ⚕️ – Many stowaways were found to have trachoma, a contagious eye disease, which made them ineligible for entry into the U.S. The report suggests that many others slipped through undetected, raising concerns about immigrant health screenings and disease control.
🔹 A Dramatic Arrest at Grand Central Station 🚉 – Some stowaways who successfully evaded Ellis Island inspections were later caught at train stations while attempting to travel inland. One group of stowaways with trachoma was arrested while buying train tickets to the West, highlighting how federal agents pursued illegal entrants beyond the ports.
🔹 Tighter Immigration Laws Changed Everything 📜 – The 1907 Immigration Act initially allowed some stowaways to apply for legal entry, but by 1911, the rules changed dramatically. Stowaways were no longer eligible for examination and were instead held on ships and deported immediately—a major shift in U.S. immigration policy.
This thorough examination of early 20th-century immigration enforcement provides an invaluable look at illegal migration, shipboard smuggling networks, and evolving U.S. policies—a must-read for historians, maritime enthusiasts, and genealogists alike. 🚢🛃📜
