I wasn't sure where to post this...it is a You Tube video I found and I found it intriuiging. Although I did not understand a lot of the Italian and would like to know more about what it says, I was mezmorized by the film footage...it spoke volumes to me. Biff and Carnie may love Nina Simone (not sure), I know Mauro will love this - and I think the rest of you will too.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHz25EXIo-0

Does anyone know anything about the ship that sunk in this video?

Here are a couple more Ellis Island videos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhnb6_rl3M
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9iKcBvKGSw

Very moving movies..thanks Cathy.

Like Mauro I love Nina Simone along with all the great female artists.
I also found the footage moving, It took courage and will power to do what they did. There was no welfare state or hand outs in those days, you worked or you starved.

*whaps Cathy*

I watched the first one you linked and then I clicked on the list that appears right next to that video, I selected "Angel Island, Ellis Island"... I don't know if the music did me in, or the thoughts I was getting just from watching the faces of those in the video...What they had to endure to get here.


Liz

Thanks for sharing that, Cathy! My boss was not in yet so I was able to watch it. LOL. It was quite moving.

Cathy wrote:

Does anyone know anything about the ship that sunk in this video?

From theshiplists.com

SIRIO 1883
The SIRIO was a 4141 gross ton ship, length 380ft x beam 42.1ft, two funnels, three masts, iron hull, single screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 80-1st, 40-2nd and 1,200-3rd class passengers. Built by Robert Napier & Sons, Glasgow, she was launched 26th Mar.1883 for Societa Italiana di Trasporti Marittimi Raggio & Co, Genoa. She sailed from Glasgow for Genoa on 19th Jun.1883 and started her maiden voyage from Genoa to Las Palmas, Montevideo and Buenos Aires on 15th Jul.1883. In 1885 she transferred to the ownership of Navigazione Generale Italiana and started sailings for them on the same route on 21st Mar.1885. She was fitted with new engines in 1891 to give her a speed of 15 knots and continued South America voyages until 1906. On 4th Aug.1906 she was wrecked near Cape Palos, Spain with the loss of 442 lives.[South Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor]

Some newspaper articles on the disaster:
Salt Lake Herald
The Washington Times

The early footage of Ellis Island looks like its from one of Thomas Edison's early films. Although he staged quite a bit of his films (he filmed the falls in Paterson, NJ and labeled them as Niagara Falls), I think his Ellis Island film is legitimate. You can view it in its entirety on the Library of Congress website.

Thanks Biff - somehow I knew you would know something. Carnie, I knew you would like Nina Simone - and I thought maybe Biff, not Mauro. I thought Mauro would appreciate the actual videos given his past post on Ellis Island. Although it is something that should touch us all - to see what our ancestors had to go through. On the ship was much worse. I know my Dad's cousin tells some pretty interesting stories her Mom told her about her journey on the ship. She wanted to return home permanently after she got here but never did because she never wanted to get on a ship again! It seems she was seasick the entire journey. She did not like it here at all at first - she felt their lives were better in Italy.

chanchisfea wrote:

*whaps Cathy* I watched the first one you linked and then I clicked on the list that appears right next to that video, I selected "Angel Island, Ellis Island"... I don't know if the music did me in, or the thoughts I was getting just from watching the faces of those in the video...What they had to endure to get here. Liz

Thanks for that Liz (the video, not the whap) After reading your post I looked for that video and it was very touching. The first part is Angel Island in California, the second part is Ellis Island. They had it worse on Angel Island - the route the Chinese came in through. I saw a segment on The History Detectives about that. The Chinese were not treated well by us. Here's the link to this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmVx_XaHD6U

I enjoy a little Nina Simone now and then

I did forget to mention that I do like Nina Simone. We had the pleasure of seeing her in concert in New York during the JVC jazz concerts about 16 years ago. Nina was great but no one was better than Ella Fitzgerald whom we had the honor of seeing twice at Carnegie Hall. An American treasure.

Biff

I thought you might like Nina Simone, Biff. I know when I was playing that video my daughter came in the room wondering what I was doing listening to Nina Simone.
Back to the video - does anyone know what the first video is saying in the subtitles? I am curious...