The Tailor Shop, Threads of our Past - The Kronprincezzen Cecilie

The Kronprincezzen Cecilie
"Farewell to Mielnitza"

September 30, 1913
The Kronprincezzen Cecilie (a German Express Steamer) owned by the North German Lloyd company had docked in New York city. Four passengers arriving, having sailed second cabin (class) since September 23rd from Bremerhaven, were: Chana Fleischmann Reiter, husband Fischel Reiter, and two daughters Fanny (mystery as to who she was) and Leie-Lena Reiter. Three others sailed with them: Julius Reiter, Lena Shkolnik Reiter (wife-first cousin), and 2-year old son Ralph. They had made the trip from Toledo back to their birthplace to help the family emigrate.

The second-class passengers would dock at the port of New York city. Steerage passengers (requiring more physical examination) docked at Ellis Island.


	Seated: Chana--about 62; Fischel about 73 Standing: Hyman about 21 (emigrated 1912), Lena about 15.

The Kronzprincezzen's manifest describes them:

Fischel Reiter, 75 (this could be off a few years), tailor, married, unable to read or write, Austrian, Hebrew, from Mielnica, Galicia. Fischel is 5' 6", grey hair, grey eyes, fair skinned.
Last nearest friend or relative he left was cousin, Hersh Blitzer.
He and his family's final destination was Toledo, Ohio, a city on the Maumee River.
Fischel was self employed. He paid for the ship's passage and arrived with $1500 or $15.00 (hard to decipher)(1). He is going to his son's home, Julius Reiter, 2021 Linwood Ave.
Chana-Anna is 64, literate, a housewife, born in Tarnopol(2), Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, 5'5", brown hair,blue eyes.
Daughter: Fanny, 19, 5'5", brown hair and eyes
Daughter: Leie-Lena, 17, 5'5", brown hair and eyes

The Kronprincezzen Cecilie had made its' maiden voyage August 6, 1907 from Bremerhaven, Germany to New York and its last July 29, 1914 ."During this voyage to Europe news was received of the imminent outbreak of war. The ship was carrying gold bars worth 40 million marks. To avoid the risk of capture she returned to the USA, was interned in Bar Harbour and later in Boston. The Kronprinzessen Cecilie had the largest steam reciprocating machinery ever built into a ship."(3)

Fischel owned a tailor shop, in the house, which could boast of two "Austrian Singer" sewing machines. (Cost Comparison: In the USA, 1897, a sewing machine cost $19.50; $20 in 1905 would cost $359.90 in 1999.)

Chana was a successful "graduated" midwife(4).

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Compiled by Susana Leistner Bloch and Edward Rosenbaum.

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