DETAINED OK ELLIS ISLAND

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 12

DETAINED OK ELLIS ISLAND

EXCITING EXPERIENCES OF AH ENGLISH NURSE

A brief but unpleasant experience of Ellis Island is related by a nurse, who was recently accompanying someone from England to Chicago. When the boat arrived at New York she was kepi standing on some stairs for two hours, waiting to pass the immigration authorities. At last her turn came. Khc was weary and impatient already, but her feelings wore soon a hundred times worse, for there..was some slight technical defect in her passport, and site was told that sho could not land or communicate with the shore.

The poor woman was bewildered by the shock, and by the fear that she would bo deported like a criminal. A baggage man, who was English, saw her distress and said: “You must let friends on shore know what lias happened—it’s your only chance.” She told him that she had been forbidden to communicate with the land. “ 1 know that,” ho said, “but you musf manage it somehow.” So she contrived to get a fellow-passenger to promise he would telephone. Devoutly hoping ho would not forgo!, she .joined the dismal crowd of undesirable aliens, who were .shepherded on board a dirty tug, and set off for Ellis island. This 'famous isle is close to the Statue of Liberty , at the month of Ihe Hudson River. The people who are kept there arc guarded like prisoners, but plenty of good pin,in Food is provided. The tables are covered with spotless paper, aml paper napkins lie bolero every place; but even this cleanliness could not make the nurse eat. Her fellow aliens were mostly dirty. It was a hot day and all the windows were shut. The attendants told her she must eat, as she might be there for weeks, hut she could not swallow, After the others had finished they were all shepherded into a large wailing room, as hot as the dining room. Here were many papers am] maeanines. The poor nurse sal down wiili • Punch ' and tried to (hink of. cheerful tilings.

By and by the nurs-e heard her name called. She was taken . before four officials, who made her swear In fell the truth and (hen snhierted her to a searching examination. I* see"'*-' 1 todior that most of! the questions had nothing U> do with the case. Alter twenty minutes of this thev rang a hell, and to the nurse’s delight her employer was brought in. accompanied by a lawyer. The employer was cross-ex-amined in almost He same way. and the result ,was satisfactory’.