Jim writes: ... When her mother came to the United States on the Canada in February 1921, she was supposed to land in New York on Ellis island. However, the passengers were discharged in Philadelphia because there was an eye disease epidemic on Ellis Island. ... I have never heard of a ship being diverted to another port because of a health condition on Ellis Island..... and Sue replies ..... ..... it was overcrowding rather than health issues. Who knows what rumours may have abounded on board at the time and also maybe added later, through embellishment or speculation as the oral story was handed down. ------------------------------- On these type of "issues," stories, etc. I always find it best to consult period materials as opposed to books written later. The New York Times is fully digital and available for free in many public libraries or else for a fee on the Internet. I did a quick search "Ellis Island" and Philadelphia for 1921 and the first story that comes up is, "Says Ellis Island Is Not Infested, Deputy Commissioner Indignantly Denies Immigrant Got Typhus There.... " dated Feb 20, 1921. Read a little further and you see the story says the steamship Rotterdam which was due on Monday was ordered diverted to Boston due to health restrictions at this (New York) port. The Canada is not mentioned but it is easy to see how she too could have skipped Ellis Island. A further search of "diverted" and "Ellis Island" and Philadelphia brings up a story dated Nov 1, 1923 with the headline 11 Ships to Bring Quote Here As Many More Have Been Diverted to Other Ports to Relieve Congestion. Often when someone says "I have a story" the first thing I do is plug the key words into a search of the newspapers of the era. Start the search there and you can see how much truth exists .... or not .... in the memories. Allan Jordan