The Journey
By Julie Ruzsicska
Published Australian Family Tree Connections
July 2001 edition
Published Australian Family Tree Connections
July 2001 edition
On 4 August 1852 in Liverpool, 795 migrants, predominantly
Highland Scots, boarded the vessel, the Ticonderoga. With a
huge labour shortage in the Australian colony, brought about
by the discovery of Gold in New South Wales in 1851, and the
relaxation of emigration rules regarding the number of children
allowed to travel, thousands of emigrants clamored for
transport to Victoria. They were humble folk and looking
forward to a new life in the "Lucky Country". Little did they
know that this was to be one of the most dramatic and tragic
voyages to Australia.
The Ticonderoga was a four-masted American 'double-decker' ship of 1089 tons and one of four of its kind hired by the Emigration Commission (of the United Kingdom) to carry emigrants to Australia that year; see also Ship Specifications. The vessel was captained by Thomas H Boyle and carried 48 crew, which included a Dr J C Sanger as the surgeon superintendent and his assistant surgeon, Dr James William Henry Veitch. Provisions included over 36000 lbs of flour, 12000 lbs of split peas, 93 cwt of sugar, over 6000 lbs of raisins, barrels of Navy bread, preserved beef and pork, canned soup, over 400 gallons of pickles and 7000 lbs of treacle not to mention the 25000 lbs of oatmeal and 3 chests of tea left over from the previous voyage of the ship.
Under normal circumstances, the voyage should have been a relatively uneventful one with passengers experiencing a wide range of weather conditions and the occasional bout of sea-sickness. They might have entertained one another with singing and dancing on the deck, reading out aloud to themselves or engaging in long conversations about home with fellow passengers. The most remarkable concern for the passengers should have been about whether salted meat and pea soup were on the menu again. Instead it was whether they would survive the journey.
The Ticonderoga was a four-masted American 'double-decker' ship of 1089 tons and one of four of its kind hired by the Emigration Commission (of the United Kingdom) to carry emigrants to Australia that year; see also Ship Specifications. The vessel was captained by Thomas H Boyle and carried 48 crew, which included a Dr J C Sanger as the surgeon superintendent and his assistant surgeon, Dr James William Henry Veitch. Provisions included over 36000 lbs of flour, 12000 lbs of split peas, 93 cwt of sugar, over 6000 lbs of raisins, barrels of Navy bread, preserved beef and pork, canned soup, over 400 gallons of pickles and 7000 lbs of treacle not to mention the 25000 lbs of oatmeal and 3 chests of tea left over from the previous voyage of the ship.
Under normal circumstances, the voyage should have been a relatively uneventful one with passengers experiencing a wide range of weather conditions and the occasional bout of sea-sickness. They might have entertained one another with singing and dancing on the deck, reading out aloud to themselves or engaging in long conversations about home with fellow passengers. The most remarkable concern for the passengers should have been about whether salted meat and pea soup were on the menu again. Instead it was whether they would survive the journey.
Ticonderoga
There were unforeseen problems associated with the
double-decker aspect of the ship. Poor ventilation and lighting
were the major two. As a result, washing the decks wasn't
commonly practiced as the water would leak from deck to
deck and it was almost impossible to dry out the 'damp'. The
atmosphere between decks grew more and more polluted.
The risk of disease was also heightened by a lack of space for exercise on the upper deck (due to overcrowding) along with poor personal hygiene, an aversion to medical treatment and an ignorance about the incubation of disease. There is no doubt that any infection or "fever" would thrive amongst such shocking sanitary conditions.
Dr Sanger reported that disease had been noticed about two weeks after the ship's departure: red rashes, strong delirium bordering on insanity and the ever-present diarrhoea and dysentery. 100 passengers perished on the voyage; 17 adult males, 29 adult females, 39 children between 1 and 14 years of age and 15 infants under the age of 1 yr. They died amongst the mould, the maggots and the squalor of disease. At the time it was not known that lice spread typhus, which most of the deaths were later attributed to.
Read more ......
The risk of disease was also heightened by a lack of space for exercise on the upper deck (due to overcrowding) along with poor personal hygiene, an aversion to medical treatment and an ignorance about the incubation of disease. There is no doubt that any infection or "fever" would thrive amongst such shocking sanitary conditions.
Dr Sanger reported that disease had been noticed about two weeks after the ship's departure: red rashes, strong delirium bordering on insanity and the ever-present diarrhoea and dysentery. 100 passengers perished on the voyage; 17 adult males, 29 adult females, 39 children between 1 and 14 years of age and 15 infants under the age of 1 yr. They died amongst the mould, the maggots and the squalor of disease. At the time it was not known that lice spread typhus, which most of the deaths were later attributed to.
Read more ......
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