In another thread there was a reference to a "mutiny" by Adriatic's firemen in August 1910. What actually occurred, though, looks more like a strike than a mutiny.
Adriatic was scheduled to leave Southampton for New York on 10 August. Two days before sailing day, however, over 100 union firemen walked off the ship as part of a year-long pay dispute. (Exactly what the pay issue was is unclear. In one article, it was said that the men were seeking a 10 shilling ($2.50) a month raise from their current $25 salary ($27.50 for head firemen); in another, it was said that the issue was a $15 monthly disparity between the wages of British and American firemen.) There was also a "minor grievance" that through the Church of England Mission in New York White Star was hiring firemen who were not physically able of working in a stokehold.
The union threatened to strike other White Star ships, and Mauretania as well, if their demands were not met. A large police guard was posted at the White Star dock until 10 August when Adriatic sailed as planned, "to the surprise of the striking firemen, who were confident that the company would be unable to obtain stokers." When the ship left Southampton, the stokehold was manned by office clerks and other shore employees, under the direction of the assistant engineer. After Adriatic passed down the Solent, she stopped off the Isle of Wight, picked up 100 firemen who were waiting there on a tug, discharged the office personnel, and continued on her way. Another 17 stokers joined at Queenstown.
Scheduled to arrive in New York on the afternoon of 18 August, Adriatic in fact arrived late that night. The delay was attributed to the fact that the replacement stokers were unfamiliar with the ship and did not get up the same amount of steam as the regulars. Once in New York, between forty and fifty of the replacements deserted, according to the union treasurer, Thomas Chambers. Chambers told The New York Times that he intended to report the deserters to the U.S. immigration commissioner because their landing in the U.S. was violative of U.S. immigration laws. He also said that "(s)everal of the missing men ... are of the most unsavory reputation" and that the union was prepared to furnish a crew for the return to England if White Star so desired. The Times reported that neither P.A.S. Franklin, vice president of IMM, nor John Lee, White Star's long-time New York general manager, could be reached to comment on Chambers' claims.
Adriatic apparently left New York on 24 August, as scheduled. There appear to be no further articles in The Times about this incident, so I have no information on (a) whether there were, in fact, deserters in New York, (b) who, if anyone, replaced any deserters and (c) whether any of the deserters were ever found. There are also no articles in The Times' index about the strike speading to any other ships or lines.
Source: The New York Times, 9, 10, 11, 19 and 23 August 1910.
MAB
Adriatic was scheduled to leave Southampton for New York on 10 August. Two days before sailing day, however, over 100 union firemen walked off the ship as part of a year-long pay dispute. (Exactly what the pay issue was is unclear. In one article, it was said that the men were seeking a 10 shilling ($2.50) a month raise from their current $25 salary ($27.50 for head firemen); in another, it was said that the issue was a $15 monthly disparity between the wages of British and American firemen.) There was also a "minor grievance" that through the Church of England Mission in New York White Star was hiring firemen who were not physically able of working in a stokehold.
The union threatened to strike other White Star ships, and Mauretania as well, if their demands were not met. A large police guard was posted at the White Star dock until 10 August when Adriatic sailed as planned, "to the surprise of the striking firemen, who were confident that the company would be unable to obtain stokers." When the ship left Southampton, the stokehold was manned by office clerks and other shore employees, under the direction of the assistant engineer. After Adriatic passed down the Solent, she stopped off the Isle of Wight, picked up 100 firemen who were waiting there on a tug, discharged the office personnel, and continued on her way. Another 17 stokers joined at Queenstown.
Scheduled to arrive in New York on the afternoon of 18 August, Adriatic in fact arrived late that night. The delay was attributed to the fact that the replacement stokers were unfamiliar with the ship and did not get up the same amount of steam as the regulars. Once in New York, between forty and fifty of the replacements deserted, according to the union treasurer, Thomas Chambers. Chambers told The New York Times that he intended to report the deserters to the U.S. immigration commissioner because their landing in the U.S. was violative of U.S. immigration laws. He also said that "(s)everal of the missing men ... are of the most unsavory reputation" and that the union was prepared to furnish a crew for the return to England if White Star so desired. The Times reported that neither P.A.S. Franklin, vice president of IMM, nor John Lee, White Star's long-time New York general manager, could be reached to comment on Chambers' claims.
Adriatic apparently left New York on 24 August, as scheduled. There appear to be no further articles in The Times about this incident, so I have no information on (a) whether there were, in fact, deserters in New York, (b) who, if anyone, replaced any deserters and (c) whether any of the deserters were ever found. There are also no articles in The Times' index about the strike speading to any other ships or lines.
Source: The New York Times, 9, 10, 11, 19 and 23 August 1910.
MAB
