Hidden Passengers: The Thrilling and Desperate Stories of Stowaways on Steamships (1928)
In 1928, a reporter uncovered the secret world of stowaways on transatlantic steamships. From Hollywood dreamers and daring teenagers to desperate migrants and smooth-talking conmen, this exposé reveals how stowaways survived, why they risked it all, and how ocean travel changed to stop them.
Rose Host, Stowaway on a Steamship. The Ocean Ferry, November 1928. GGA Image ID # 1d99b08b1c
When a good-looking and well-dressed young woman presented herself before the captain of the Manchuria a few hours after the ship had left New York on a recent voyage for California ports and confessed she had neither ticket nor cash, it appeared that the limit had been reached in the art of stowing away.
This young person, who had tasted the fleeting glory of winning a local beauty contest and was consumed by an ambition to illuminate the silver screen, had embarked on the ship with a visitor's pass, determined to carve her path to the West Coast.
Some wiser head than hers had plotted her course as a stowaway. She stood a chance of being put ashore and in jail at Havana. But placing a stowaway ashore at Havana costs the company money, and this fact appeared to be known to the charming young beat, for she was charming, all hands agreed. Therefore, on official advice, the master kept the young woman aboard and set her to work as a clerk in the purser's office.
With unwavering determination, the young woman paid her fare in hard labor. She had no change of clothing, but with the luck of the adventurer in travel, she found friends who loaned her a shift. Thus, she came to the coast, where a keen-eyed tabloid newspaper editor took her on as a feature, and she attained her goal insofar as coming near the bright lights of Hollywood was concerned.
But it is a fact that on that particular line, the Panama Pacific, young women visitors to the line's steamers are more closely scrutinized than they used to be since this incident. The simple process of coming aboard as a visitor and later asking the master what he will do about it no longer serves. Everybody aboard is checked up before the ship sails.
From Stowaway to Starlet: The Ambitious Journey of Rose Host
Discover the inspiring story of Rose Host, a Czechoslovakian showgirl who stowed away to America in 1927, capturing Hollywood's attention and securing a film role.
Rose Host was a Czechoslovakian immigrant and showgirl who, in 1927, stowed away on a ship bound for Los Angeles, driven by her aspiration to enter the film industry. During the voyage, she was discovered reading a book of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays. This incident garnered media attention, and upon the ship's arrival in California, talent agents were reportedly waiting to meet her.
Her determination led to a role in the 1927 film "Shootin' Irons," where she appeared alongside actors Sally Blane, Fred Kohler, and Jack Luden. (Uncredited according to IMDB)
Unfortunately, detailed information about her subsequent career and life remains scarce.
For genealogists and historians, Rose Host's story exemplifies the lengths to which individuals have gone to pursue their dreams, reflecting the immigrant experience and the allure of Hollywood in the early 20th century. Her tale offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants seeking new beginnings in America.
Two Juvenile Girl Stowaways
Two or three years ago, two young girls stowed away on the Majestic of the White Star Line by hiding themselves in a closet at Pier 59, North River. They were found when the ship was well at sea and sent down to third class, where they made the voyage under the observation of a matron.
They were an engaging pair of young adventurers, born in the lower West Side to families drawing their sustenance from the stevedoring trade. They were wise in the ways of ships and travelers.
Their story soon became known on board the Majestic, and they became a center of interest with the passengers in all classes. A purse was made up for them, and a kindly woman gave them dresses better than had ever graced their young forms.
Arriving on the other side, the pair were imprisoned at Southampton and kept until the next White Star ship, the Homeric, sailed for New York when they were put on board. Again under guard, they re-crossed the Atlantic after seeing precious little of Europe.
On arrival home, they wept as the press photographers swarmed around them. Nevertheless, they had the great thrill of stowing away—something to be cherished in later years. One of these misses was 14, the other 13.
Women as Venturesome as Men
Women appear to be as profoundly stirred by the lure of travel as men and will face great hardship in attaining a cherished end.
A few years ago, when the present Red Star liner Pennland was in the Hamburg trade, as the Pittsburgh, a young German woman stowed away on board in a most ingenious manner.
Dressing as a laborer, she boarded the ship with the men stowing cargo. Seeking an empty hold in which there was sand ballast, she buried herself in the sand, setting up a small tin tube to breathe until after the ship's officers had inspected the hold before sailing.
When the hatches had been clamped down and the engines began to turn over, the stowaway came out of the sand. She had a bundle with her, containing a supply of bottled water and sausages and her woman's clothing.
For six days, this hardy stowaway remained in the dark hold. Then, she was obliged to pound on a bulkhead to attract attention. Her sausages were salt, and her thirst had led to inroads in her water supply, which was now gone.
She was placed in the hospital and, on arrival in New York, was sent to Ellis Island for deportation. Her reason for wanting to come to America, she said, was to earn a living for her old mother in Germany.
Reasons for Stowing Away
Three underlying reasons seem to be the determining causes for stowing away on a ship, namely:
- Desire to see the world.
- Desire to evade immigration restrictions.
- Desire to get home from a foreign land.
Women are generally prompted by the first reason. With men, it is different. Except for an occasional young fellow with a desperate case of wanderlust, the men stowaways I have seen take the desperate chances they do either to get home from abroad when broke or to defeat the law.
Starvation, and even death, face some stowaways, notably Chinese who would evade the exclusion laws of the United States. Eager to get into the land of plenty outside their national quota limitations, Italians will take any desperate chance to stow away.
Often, he was a baffled stowaway who returned to the land whence he came. He would try the game again at the first opportunity. I know of one young man who had been sent back to Europe six times after suffering the greatest possible hardships and privations as a stowaway. "I'll win yet," he said as he went back the sixth time.
The Seagoing Hotel Beat
Another type of stowaway is one I may designate as the seagoing hotel beat. He comes aboard in the guise of a traveler, sometimes with baggage, mingles with the passengers, goes boldly down to meals, and disguises that he has no room with various arts and social graces.
Usually, the dead beats of this type are quickly recognized by wise stewards who know their ways and are quietly checked up. The result usually is a job peeling potatoes or scouring cooking pots in the galley. Ellis Island, of course, is their landing place, if they are westbound.
Rarely does the polite stowaway get within touching distance of his destination. Some years ago, a chap of this sort was on a ship docking at the Chelsea piers and was about to land when he was held up by an eagle-eyed gangway man who said, "Landing card, please."
"It's all right," said Mr. Beat, waving the hand, "I'm from the office."
"Wait a minute," said the gangway man. "What office? Show me your credentials."
In two minutes, the airy one was classified and handed over to the master at arms for disposal in the usual way.
But he came unusually close to his goal.
Chances are All Against Them
In these times, the stowaway finds, on the North Atlantic, at any rate, that the chances are all against his "getting away with it."
Ships are watched more carefully than they used to be to prevent stowaways from getting aboard. They are then searched before they are well clear of the harbor, and if found, a stowaway is sent back to port by a tug or another ship.
If not found, he must hide in some noisome, dark place, usually uncomfortable, to pass the hours like a hunted thing. He may pass days that way, only to be discovered, sometimes near death.
When found at sea, a stowaway, if physically able to perform labor, is set to work on some challenging, menial task. Nobody has a kind word for him. He is despised.
Given these facts, there is a good reason that the stowaway business is on the decline.
Bibliography
Harold Hamill, "Reporter Tells of Stowaways He Has Seen," in The Ocean Ferry: A Publication of the International Mercantile Marine Company, Vol. VIII, No. 2, November 1928, Page 6+
My favourite stowaway (Rose Host), https://bristowbovey.com/columns/my-favourite-stowaway/
Recap and Summary of "Stowaways on Ships - A Reporter’s Exposé (1928)" 🚢🕵️♂️🔍
This riveting exposé from 1928 provides a firsthand look at the stowaway phenomenon, offering fascinating personal stories, underlying motivations, and the risks associated with illegal ocean travel. The variety of stowaways profiled—from Hollywood hopefuls to desperate migrants and cunning "seagoing hotel beats"—paints a compelling picture of the lengths individuals would go to in pursuit of new opportunities or escape from hardship.
The article is particularly notable for its investigative, almost novelistic approach—detailing the daring schemes, harrowing experiences, and ultimate fates of various stowaways. It highlights changing security measures aboard ships, illustrating how steamship companies adapted to the increasing problem of unauthorized passengers.
Relevance to Ocean Travel and Historical Significance 🌍🚢
This report is an invaluable resource for multiple audiences, including:
Teachers & Students 📚 – Provides a detailed and engaging real-world case study of maritime history, immigration challenges, and human perseverance.
Genealogists 🧬 – Offers insights into lesser-documented migration stories, particularly for those who may have ancestors who attempted illegal ocean crossings.
Historians 🏛️ – Explores early 20th-century immigration policies, security concerns on steamships, and the social conditions driving people to stow away.
Maritime Enthusiasts ⚓ – Chronicles the tricks, disguises, and survival strategies used by stowaways, as well as how ship crews dealt with them.
Most Engaging Content ✨
🔹 The Tale of Rose Host – A Stowaway’s Path to Hollywood 🎥 – One of the most captivating cases is that of Rose Host, a Czechoslovakian immigrant and showgirl who stowed away on a steamship to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a film star. Instead of being punished, she was put to work in the purser’s office and later gained publicity that helped her land a minor film role.
🔹 Two Young Girl Stowaways on the Majestic 👭 – This heartwarming yet bittersweet story follows two young teenagers from New York’s Lower West Side who hid in a ship’s closet to see Europe. They were discovered and placed in third-class under supervision, only to be deported immediately upon arrival in Southampton. Their dream of travel ended in tears, yet their adventurous spirit made them legends among passengers.
🔹 A Woman Buried in Sand for Six Days 🏖️ – One of the most extreme cases featured a young German woman who buried herself in a sand-filled cargo hold of the Red Star Liner Pennland. She survived on bottled water and sausages, emerging six days later near death due to thirst. Despite her ingenuity and survival skills, she was deported upon arrival.
🔹 The Three Reasons People Stowed Away 💡 – The report identifies three primary motivations for stowaways:
Desire for adventure and travel ✈️
Evasion of immigration restrictions 🛂
Attempt to return home from a foreign land 🏡
🔹 The "Seagoing Hotel Beat" – High-Class Stowaways 🍽️ – Some stowaways weren’t hidden, but instead blended in with paying passengers. These slick conmen and women dined in first-class, mingled with travelers, and used charm and confidence to evade detection—until they were caught and sent to Ellis Island for deportation.
🔹 The Decline of Stowaways Due to Tighter Security 🔐 – By the late 1920s, steamship companies had tightened security, checking visitor passes before departure and searching ships. The article notes that stowaways were now more likely to be caught early, leading to a decline in the practice.
Noteworthy Images 🖼️
📷 "Rose Host, Stowaway on a Steamship."
This image highlights one of the most famous cases, showcasing the connection between stowaways, fame, and the dream of Hollywood.
This captivating and adventurous exposé is a must-read for history lovers, genealogists, and maritime enthusiasts, offering a thrilling glimpse into the hidden world of stowaways, their daring escapes, and the policies that ultimately led to their decline. 🚢🔎📜
