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THE TRIP OVER
Michal (Michael) & Mikolaj (Nick) Onyszczuk
Aniela (Nellie), Wlodzim & Karolina Onyszczuk
The purpose of this page is to collect stories and descriptions of the the trip from Ukraine to North America. Leaving one's homeland was perhaps, the most difficult choice to have taken. What a gamble our ancestors took in travelling thousands of miles to an uncertain future in a foreign land.
The trip over was probably a happy adventure for some who never ventured more than a few miles outside of their village. For others, the trip may have been a frightening experience as evidenced with the voyage of the Arcadia .
The first story is about the harrowing voyage of the Arcadia in 1897. Aboard this vessel was a twenty-four year old farmer named Wasyl Holowka. Wasyl was related to the Onyschuks through marriage. He was born on April 17, 1873, in the village of Stare Siolo, then in the province of Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was immigrating , hoping to get free land in Manitoba. He would eventually get Homestead: SE-22-27-21-W1M in Sifton, Manitoba.
1897 Voyage
of the Arcadia
The voyage of the SS
Arcadia was described by Dmytro Romanchych and
is taken from Early Ukrainian Settlements in Canada
1895-1900 by Vladimir J. Kaye, (Toronto: University
of Toronto Press, 1964) :
After
a short wait in Hamburg, one and a half thousand Ukrainian emigrants
were loaded into an very old but not ver
y
large ship, the Arcadia. It was a boat that had steam engines as
well as sails which were hoisted when a favourable wind was blowing.
Under the top deck there were about a dozen passenger cabins where
the "city-coated gentlemen" travelled. Under the second
deck were the galleys and the dining room. Below water level, under
the third and fourth decks, there were no cabins, only one big space
with rows of iron bedsteads, three or four storeys high. In the lower
beds the women and children slept, and in the upper beds, the men
and boys. If one wished to reach the upper storey, an iron ladder
had to be used.
We stopped over at Antwerp, in Belgium, where the boat took on ballast, hundreds
of barrels with cement. We stayed at Antwerp for five days. Nobody was
permitted to leave the boat, and only Budrug and Negrych [Iwan Bodrug and
Iwan Negrych, both teachers] managed somehow to get off the boat and view
the city. On the boat it was unbearably hot, and below deck an unbearable
stench made breathing difficult.
Probably no Ukrainian emigrant ever experienced such a dreadful ocean crossing
as we did on our Arcadia. When we left the English Channel and entered
the open sea, the weather was beautiful for the first few days. The sun
was shining all day, the sea was calm, and it was a pleasure to travel.
Above our heads flew loudly-shrieking flocks of seagulls, and in the water
whole herds of dolphins accompanied our ship as if they had never seen
a boat before. When about half-way across the Atlantic, the weather suddenly
changed one evening and a storm broke out, a real hurricane accompanied
by a deluge of rain. In no time the sea was transformed into high mountains
with white tops. One moment we were on top of these foaming mountains and
the next we were thrown into what seemed a bottomless abyss...The ballast
shifted, and our boat began to list to one side...People were holding on
tightly to their iron bedsteads, and many started to pray, and until all
became seasick. The seamen apparently anticipated the storm, because they
herded us all below deck and closed the hatches. Passengers who had been
warned about seasickness before they started the voyage were also told
that garlic, onions, whiskey, and Hoffmann's drops were good remedies against
seasickness. People were not overly stingy with these remedies, and they
partook of them as much as they could stand. As a result of them, such
terrible smells developed deck during the storm that even the stewards
who ventured in became sick. They swore and cursed, but as they did it
in German, which few people understood, it had little effect.
The storm lasted three days without a break, and somehow we survived it without
great losses. Only two persons died, an old man and a child. On the fourth
day the storm stopped as suddenly as it had started. People breathed in
relief and all went to sleep exhausted. Suddenly, during the night, a loud
blast and a shock which rattled our iron bedsteads woke us up. People were
asking, frightened, "What happened?" Those who could, hurried
to the top deck, and were amazed to learn that the boat was surrounded
by ice. The crew was patching up a hole below, pumps were throbbing, and
our boat was trying to free itself from the icy embrace by moving backwards
and forwards. The siren was blowing all the time to prevent eventual collision
with some other boat, because it was foggy and one could hardly see a few
yards ahead.
We remained ice-bound until morning. The boat was imprisoned by the ice and
could not move. The captain ordered all passengers on deck, and we obeyed
the order. Bodrug interpreted the captain's commands. We were ordered,
when the whistle blew, to run from one side of the boat to the other as
fast as we could, and back again. We repeated this maneuver many times.
The boat began to sway, broke the ice which was surrounding it, and began
to move forward slowly. Our baggage, which was stored below, became soaking
wet during that storm, and we suffered great losses.
We wrestled with the ice floes for three days, and only on the fourth day we
reached the open sea, which was as clam and smooth as a mirror. After another
two and half days of sailing against the wind on the St. Lawrence, we finally
reached Quebec and Canada. We had been at sea twenty-one days... [pp. 192-3
of Kaye - they arrived May 2, 1897]
The party of 633 were loaded into ten railway cars and headed to their new
homes in the Canadian west.
The Seven
Onyszczuk brothers
of Szydlowce
The ships that carried the seven Onyszczuk brothers to Canada, travelled between 15-18 knots per hour. At this speed their trip would average 350-60 miles per day. A typical trip would last 9 or 10 days, depending upon the weather.
Iwan (John) Onyszczuk
August 30, 1923, John (who was 18) Traveled to Canada aboard the SS Montclare (third class). The Passenger Declaration had him listed as Iwan Onyszczuk from Szydlowce, Husiatyn, He arrived with $20. He was headed to work for Mike Swidzinski at Pine Ridges Manitoba. John would lay the basis for the other brothers to follow.
Laid down as Metapedia, this ship was renamed Montclare before
being launched in December 1921 at John Brown & Co. Her maiden voyage,
on 18 August 1922, was on Canadian Pacific's Liverpool-Quebec-Montreal service.
Like her sisters, Montcalm and Montrose II, Montclare was re-engined at Harland & Wolff, with single reduction geared turbines; Montclare's were installed in 1929. Also like Montrose, Montclare later moved to the Antwerp and Hamburg services, both in 1929. She made her last regular Hamburg-Canada sailing in November 1933 and spent the next seven years cruising and taking sporadic transatlantic sailings from Liverpool, Southampton, Antwerp and Hamburg. She made her last Canadian Pacific voyage on 21 July 1939, a Liverpool-Montreal roundtrip.
Montclare was taken over as an armed merchant cruiser in August 1939. In 1942, she was purchased by the Admiralty and converted into a submarine depot ship. Decommissioned in 1954, she was laid up at Gareloch and Portsmouth until she was scrapped in 1958.
Petro (Peter) Onyszczuk
On September 3, 1926, 17 year-old Petro (Peter) left Liverpool aboard the S.S. Montrose (third Class). After eight days on the Atlantic, he arrived at Quebec City on September 11. A relative paid passage and Peter had $30 in his possession. During the voyage, Pete met Walter Boulivar. They remained long-time friends. Walter went on to fight along with the Mackenzie-Papineau Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Pete then made his way to Osage Saskatchewan, where his Uncle Onyske (or Onyake) Haliniak had a farm. Osage is located about 20 miles NE of Weyburn, Saskatchewn.
The SS Montrose (II) was the Sister of Montcalm and Montclare. This ship was laid down in 1919 as Montmorency, but was renamed while on the stocks; when she was launched at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering of Glasgow in 1920, it was as Montrose. She entered service with a 5 May 1922 roundtrip from Liverpool to Montreal and back, a route on which should would remain until 1928.
In 1928, her European base was moved eastward, to Antwerp, and in 1929, to Hamburg. In 1931, Montrose underwent a major overhaul, including the installation of new single reduction turbine engines, at Harland & Wolff, Belfast. She then returned to the Hamburg-Montreal service, but by 1932 her principal occupation was cruising.
Her last transatlantic trip was from Liverpool to Montreal in August 1939. When she arrived at Liverpool on 11 September, she was converted into an armed cruiser, HMS Forfar. On 1 December 1940, 500 miles (800 km) off the west coast of Ireland, Forfar was torpedoed by U99. She sank the next day with 173 fatalities. Only 3 officers and 18 crew survived.
Semko (Sam) Onyszczuk
The oldest brother, 25 year old Semko (Sam) Onyschuk, left Liverpool, England, on March 19, 1927.His voyage lasted seven days. He arrived at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 26, aboard the SS CARMANIA (third class) of the Cunard Lines. An uncle paid passage. He indicated a destination of Worcester, Saskatchewan, where his Uncle Antoni Rysz lived. It was located about 12 miles NE of Weyburn, Saskatchewn, on Hwy 33. He had $15 in his possession. Sam would later return to Husiatyn, Galicia, to visit his family. He will make a second voyage to Canada aboard the SS MONTROSE on February 27, 1932.
Like many of Cunard's liners, Carmania was built by John Brown & Co., of Glasgow. She was launched on 21 February, 1905 and made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on 2 December of the same year.
In October 1913, Carmania distinguished herself by being one of nine ships to rescue a total of 521 (out of 654) people onboard the burning Canadian Northern ship Volturno.
In August 1914, Carmania was requisitioned as an armed merchant cruiser; in that capacity, she sank Hamburg Sud Amerika's Cap Trafalgar (disguised as Carmania herself) off Trinidad in September 1914. Carmania was returned to Cunard's Liverpool-New York service on November 1916 and remained on that route until 1923, except for a few months' service out of Southampton in 1921-22.
After a 1923 refitting that included conversion to oil, Carmania remained in Cunard's service until 1931, used at various times on the Liverpool-Canada, Liverpool-New York and London-New York routes, as well as for winter cruising between New York and Havana. Her final sailing was from London to New York in July 1931. She was then laid up off Sheerness and went to the shipbreakers in 1932.
Antoni (Tony) Onyszczuk
On December 6, 1928,
16 year old Antoni (Tony) Onyschuk, left from Southampton, England
aboard the SS MONTROYAL (third class) of the Canadian
Pacific Lines. On December 14, after eight days on the ocean, Tony
arrived at the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick. A brother paid
passage. His destination was to his brother John, who lived at 120
Hope St. in Toronto. He had $14 in his possession.
Sam was still living in Worcester, Saskatchewan. (Naturalization
Papers)
This ship, the first of Canadian Pacific's three ships named Empress
of Britain, was built at Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering's
yard at Glasgow. Launched in 1905, she made her maiden voyage from Liverpool
to Montr?al on 5 May 1906. Later in 1906, and again in 1908, she set eastbound
Canada-England speed records.
During World War I, Empress of Britain served as an armed merchant cruiser and a troop carrier. She returned to Canadian Pacific in 1919, but after one roundtrip to St. John, N.B., she underwent a major refitting, which included conversion to oil fuel. She returned to Liverpool-Quebec service in the fall of 1920, and moved to Southampton-Quebec in 1922. After conversion to cabin class accomodations in 1924, she was renamed Montroyal and placed back on the Liverpool-Quebec service. In 1927, she was placed on an Antwerp-Southampton-Cherbourg-Quebec service and was on that route when she made her final voyage in September 1929. She was scrapped in Norway in 1930.
For a fictional account of Tony's trip over, based on actual steps along the way, go to:
FAMILY
PAGES-THE SEVEN BROTHERS and
click Antoni/Tony
Pawlo (Paul) Onyszczuk
On August 29, 1929, Pawlo (Paul) Onyschuk, then 19, left Southampton, England, aboard the SS METAGAMA (third class) of the Canadian Pacific Lines. He arrived at the Port of Quebec City on September 6, 1929, a month before the infamous Wall Street stockmarket crash. A brother paid passage. His destination was to his brother Semko (Sam) who resided at 91 Grove Street, in Winnipeg. He had $10 in his possession.
Built by Barclay, Curle & Co., of Glasgow, Metagama was
launched in 1914 and entered Canadian Pacific's North Atlantic service with
a 26 March 1915 maiden voyage from Liverpool to St. John, New Brunswick. She
and her sister, Missanabie, were among the first liners with cruiser sterns
and were arranged from their inception in a cabin/third class configuration.
Unlike Missanabie, Metagama remained in CP's service during World War I, although she often carried Canadian troops in her third-class accommodations on eastbound crossings. She also served on the line's Glasgow-Canada service, and in May 1927, was placed on CP's Antwerp-Montreal route. By 1930 the Depression had so reduced transatlantic passenger loads that she was no longer needed and was laid up after 151 North Atlantic roundtrips. Metagama never sailed again, and was broken up in 1934.
Michal (Michael) & Mikolaj (Nick) Onyszczuk
Michal (Michael) Onyschuk, who was 25 and 17 year old Mikolaj (Nick) Onyschuk were the next to make the voyage, aboard the SS LITUANIA (third class) of the Baltic American Lines. They left the port of Danzig (Gdansk today), on January 10, 1930, destined for the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. They arrived at Halifax, after a twelve-day voyage, on January 22, 1930. Sam and John, who then resided at 432 Adelaide St. W. in Toronto, paid passage. Their destination was to the same address. Nick had $10 in his possession and Mike had $105.All seven brothers are together in Canada, for the first time.
The SS Lituania was originally built by Barclay, Curle & Co.Ltd, Glasgow in 1915 as the Czaritza for the Russian American Line. She was a 6,598 gross ton ship, length 440ft x beam 53.4ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 15 knots. There was accommodation for 30-1st, 242-2nd and 1,052-3rd class passengers.Launched on 14/2/1915, she ran on the New York service and in 1917 came under Cunard management, keeping the same name.
In 1921 she went to the Baltic American Line and was renamed Lituania, commencing her first voyage on 8/2/1921 when she sailed from Libau to Danzig, Copenhagen, Boston and New York. In Dec.1924 she was rebuilt to carry 290-cabin and 500-3rd class passengers, and in Feb.1926 was rebuilt again to accommodate 110-cabin, 180-tourist and 500-3rd class passengers.
On 19/2/1930 she commenced her last voyage from Danzig to Copenhagen, Halifax and New York and was then sold to the Gdynia America line of Poland who renamed her Kosciuszko and ran her between Poland and New York and S.America.
In 1940 she went to the Polish Navy and was renamed Gdynia and in 1946 was taken over by the British and named Empire Helford. She was scrapped at Blyth in 1950. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor.
In May 1931, Sam Onyszczuk returns to his family in Husiatyn, Galicia to tend to his family and to plan their trip to Canada.
Sam makes a return trip to Canada, this time aboard the SS MONTROSE (third class), and the same vessel, which had earlier carried Peter to Canada. He was now 30 years old and arrived at the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 27, 1932. A brother paid for his passage. His destination was his home at 145 Portland St., Toronto. Sam listed his wife Aniela Onyszczuk of Szydlowce, Kopyczynce as a name for the nearest relative in the country from which he came. He had $105 in his possession and his passport was issued from Montreal #1 6090 dated April 20, 1931.
Aniela (Nellie), Wlodzim & Karolina Onyszczuk
Next to arrive were,
Aniela (Nellie) Onyschuk, who was 31 years old and her children Wlodzim
(Walter) 10 years old and Karolina (Caroline) 6 years old. They traveled
aboard the SS ASCANIA of the Cunard Lines, leaving
Havre April 21, 1933 and after an 11 day voyage, arriving at the
Port of Quebec City on May 2. Sam paid their passage. Their destination
was to RR. # 1, Wainfleet, Ontario.
Nellie had $20 in her possession.
Ascania was the fifth of Cunard's six "A" liners. Although she was launched late in 1923, her completion was delayed and she did not make her maiden voyage, from London to Montreal, until 22 May 1925.
She remained on that route until 1939 when, like all the "A" liners, she was requisitioned as an armed merchant cruiser. She was later converted into an infantry landing ship and took part in the invasion of Sicily and the landing at Anzio in 1943.
The only "A" liner to return to Cunard service after the war, she ran on an austerity service from Liverpool to Halifax from 1947 to 1949, and after a 1950 refitting was placed on Cunard's Liverpool-Montreal service.
Ascania again saw service as a troop carrier during the 1956 Suez crisis before being broken up in 1957.
After arriving on August 30, 1923, John, who was 18, headed to work for Mike Swidzinski at Pine Ridges Manitoba. John would lay the basis for the other brothers to follow.
After arriving on September 11, 1926 Peter made his way to Osage Saskatchewan, where his Uncle Onyske (or Onyake) Haliniak had a farm. Osage is located about 20 miles NE of Weyburn, Saskatchewn.
After arriving in Canada on March 26, 1927 Sam indicated a destination of Worcester, Saskatchewan, where his Uncle Antoni Rysz lived. Worcester was about 12 miles from where Pete had been working.
After arriving on December 14, 1928, Tony went to live with his brother John, who now lived at 120 Hope Street, in Toronto.
After arriving, on September 6, 1929, a month before the infamous Wall Street stockmarket crash. Paul was headed to live with his brother Semko (Sam) who now resided at 91 Grove Street, in Winnipeg.
After arriving on January 22, 1930. Mike and Nick went to live with their brothers, Sam and John, who now resided at 432 Adelaide St. W. in Toronto.All seven brothers are finally together in Canada, for the first time.
Sam makes a return trip to Canada, after visiting his family in Husiatyn. He was now 30 years old and arrivea at the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 27, 1932. His new destination was his home at 145 Portland St. in Toronto.
Next to arrive were, Aniela (Nellie) Onyschuk, who was 31 years old and her children Wlodzim (Walter) 10 years old and Karolina (Caroline) 6 years old. After arriving on May 2 1933, they made their way to a farm on RR. # 1, Wainfleet, Ontario, where Sam and John were living. Wainfleet is about 5 miles west of Port Colborne.