After
World War I WALTER ZALENSKI returned to Poland and was reunited
with his wife, Helena, and son, Tadeusz. Within a year they immigrated
to the United States. They left Danzig, now known as Gdansk, on December
22, 1920 and arrived in the United States on January 16, 1921. Spending
the Christmas holiday on a ship must have been an experience. 
Helena and Tadeusz obtained derivative U. S. citizenship because Walter
was a naturalized U. S. citizen. They are listed on page 88 of the Gothland's
manifest on a page titled "List of United States Citizens."
The
manifest of the S.S. Gothland provides the following information about
the Zalenski family:
(The first reply is Walter's, the second is Helena's response,
and the third is Tadeusz. When the answer is the same for all three travelers,
it is only written once.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
No. on List: 13; 14, 15
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NAME IN FULL: Salenski, Wladyslaw; Salenski, Helena; Salenski,
Taduesz
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Age: 34; 26; 7
-
Sex: M; F; M
-
Married or Single: married; married; single
-
Calling or Occupation: farm laborer
-
If native of United States insular possession or if native of United
Sates, give date and place of birth (city or town and state). -
-
If naturalized, give name and location of court which issued naturalization
papers and date of papers. Pass. 134162 N.P. 29G828: Pittsburgh
1919;*
-
Address in United States: Wladyslaw Zaleski, East Vandergrift
City, Pennsylvania
*Most of the information on the manifest is typewritten.
In the space provided for Helena's reply to question eight, a medical examiner
added a handwritten note indicating that she had an "abdominal tumor, etc."
This was not true. Helena was expecting a child.
The GOTHLAND was a 7,755 gross ton ship, built in 1893 by Harland
& Wolff, Belfast as the "Gothic" for the White Star Line's New Zealand
service. Her details were - length 490.7ft x beam 53.2ft (149,55m x 16,21m),
one funnel, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots. Launched on
28th Jun.1893 with accommodation for 104-1st and 114-3rd class passengers
and with refrigerated cargo space, she sailed on her maiden voyage from
London to Capetown and Wellington on 28th Dec.1893. In June 1906, she was
damaged when her wool cargo caught fire and was beached and flooded at
Plymouth. Converted to an emigrant carrier with third class accommodation
for 1,800 passengers, all in four berth cabins, she was purchased by the
Red Star Line, registered under the Belgian flag and renamed "Gothland"
in 1908. She commenced her first Antwerp - New York voyage on 11th Jul.1908,
made a single round voyage between Hamburg, Antwerp, Quebec and Montreal
on 6th May 1911 and started her last Antwerp - New York sailing on 24th
Jun.1911. Between 1911-1913 she resumed the name of "Gothic" and sailed
on the UK - Australia/New Zealand service for the White Star Line. She
went back to the name "Gothland" and returned to the Antwerp - New York
route for Red Star Line on 23rd Apr.1913. On 23rd Jun.1914 she stranded
on the Gunnar Rocks, Scilly Isles, was towed off after three days and was
repaired at Southampton. On the 20th Apr.1916 she commenced the first of
three or more voyages between New York, Falmouth and Rotterdam for the
Belgian Relief Commission and returned to Antwerp - New York voyages with
cargo only on 6th May 1919. She resumed passenger voyages on 7th Aug.1920
and commenced her last voyage between Antwerp and Philadelphia in March
1925. Sold in Nov.1925 and scrapped at Bo'ness the following year.