By Albin Leo Dittli
Albin Dittli came from Switzerland to the United States in April 1926. He sailed from Bremen on the Columbus. Bremen was the second largest port in Germany and is on the North Sea. When he came, on the advice of a friend, he bought a first class ticket so that he would not have to go through Ellis Island. The Ellis Island records do not contain a record of him. The Ellis Island records end a few years befor Dad came over.
Grandma Lanz is in the Ellis Island records. She came over using the Madelaine Haesler, though she was born Magdalena Hasler (umlaut on the a). Before coming over she was working as a governess for a family in England. They took a trip to the states and took grandma along to tend the child. While they were in San Francisco she met Gottfried Lanz and they decided to get married. She stayed in San Francisco while the family returned to England without her.
The Ellis Island evidence appears to contradict some of what my mother told me about grandma. Mother said that grandma worked for awhile as a governess in Philadelphia before going to San Francisco. Also that the family she was governess for took a trip to Switzerland and while there they visited grandmas mother in Gsteigwiler. The trip to Switzerland was probably with the English family. Being a governess in Philadelphia does not fit in with the Ellis Island information.
Grandma sailed on the Adriatic on January 20, 1909 from Southhampton, England. The ship arrived in New York on Jan 28. The family she was traveling with was the Kalisker family. Urs, age 38 was the father. Emma, age 35, was the mother. Eleonora, age 4, was the child grandma was tending. There was another male, Edward, age 54, traveling with them. Presumably Edward was Urs father. This is from frame 0579 of the Ellis Island records.
The ship manifest gave the following information about grandma. She was light complexion. Had chestnut hair and blue eyes. She was 5 tall. Her last residence was London (so the Kalisker family lived in or near London). Her age was 23 and her occupation was listed as maid. Her nearest living relative was her mother, Mrs. Haesler, in Gsteigwyler, Switzerland. Her destination was San Francisco were they were to visit someone by the name of Kalisker. Mr. Kalisker paid for her ticket. This information is from Frames 0582 and 0583. All of this matches perfectly with known geneology information I have for grandma.
Information on the ship Adriatic was given. It was build in 1907. Was 726 feet long and 75 feet wide, weighing 24,541 gross tons. It traveled at 17 knots and carried 2,825 passengers. It was broken up in Japan in 1935.
My grandfather, Gottfried Lanz, arrived on 16 October, 1906 on the Carmania from Liverpool. The ship sailed on October 9, 1906. The ship manifest said Gottfried was single and 28 years. (Actually grandpa would have been 27). His occupation was listed as lithographer, which is what grandpa was. It lists his last residence as Zurich, which is not much of a problem because from about 1900 to at least September 1905 he was traveling all over Europe working as a lithographer. It says his birthplace was Zurich. The record says he destination was Cleveland and that he was visiting his brother John. Grandpa had a brother John (Johann Rudolf) that died in Los Angelos 9 years after this, but I do not know if he lived in Cleveland. His height was 5 7. Hair was brown black. Eyes were blue grey. His complexion was tan, and there were no distinguishing marks. It also said that he could read and write and that he had $50.00 with him. He paid for his ship ticket himself and had a ticket to Cleveland. John lived at 292 Engleid Ave. This information is from frame 0535. My mother told me that grandpa came over in 1906.
Grandpa was naturalized in San Francisco on 13 February, 1914. His certificate of naturalization describes grandpa as height 5 8, hair dark brown, blue eyes, complexion medium, and no distinguishing marks. This description matches very closing to the ship manifest.
The only causes of doubt that this might not be grandpa is the brother John in Cleveland. This is possible, but we do not know for sure that Johann Rudolf was in Cleveland. Also his birthplace is listed as Zurich. This could be a confusion with last place of residence. Given that everything else matches what I know, I am confident that this is grandpa Lanz.
Since writing the above I have found an old newspaper clipping about Grandfathers death. It was published in the Monitor, a Catholic newspaper in San Francisco, for which Grandfather worked for 34 years. One sentence in the article states that Gottfied immigrated to the United States in 1906 and that he stopped in Cleveland briefly before coming to San Francisco. This helps solve the Cleveland mystery.
There is a Johann Lanz that arrived September 13, 1902 at the age of 21. This would have been the correct age for Johann Rudolf. The ship was the Philadelphia out of Southhampton. The manifest gives little additional information on him. This could be Johann Rudolf Lanz.
Leo Helfenberger arrived in New York September 28, 1923 on the Resolute, which sailed from Cherburg on September 19. He was in transit to Toronto, Canada. It lists his place of birth as Gossau, Switzerland. His health was good. He was 5 8 with fair complexion, blond hair, and brown eyes. He was planning to stay in the states 2 3 days and not return. He had $50.00 with him and paid for his own passage. This information is from frame 298.
Frame 297 gives this additional information: He was a clerk and that his father was Max Helfenberger zur Eisenbahn, Gossau. He may have been traveling with a friend, Rudolfe J. Daellenbach. Rudolfe was also 20, from Gossau, and in transit to Toronto.
Leo Helfenberger is my uncle, married to Madelaine Lanz, my mother's sister.
The Ellis Island records show 9 people with the surname of Dittli that came through Ellis Island. It appears that most of them were from Gurtnellen, Silenen, or Altdorf.
Name From Arrival Date Age
1 Carl Dittli 1895 31
2 Carl Dittli Altdorf 1905 41
3 Franz Dittli Gurtnellan, Germany 1907 21
4 Helena Dittli Oltdorf, Germany 1913 33
5 Johann Dittli S. Frc., U.S.A. 1913 35
6 Josef Dittli Gurtenellen 1901 31
7 Martin Dittli Gurtnellen, Switzerl. 1922 18
8 Michael Dittli Silenen, Switzerland 1923 23
9 Nicolaus Dittli S...dorf 1904 45
You can view Ellis Island records at http://www.ellisisland.org/