Ellis Island Site Closes Off

If you've been trying to reach the new Ellis Island records site ( http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/ ) since yesterday, you've probably gotten a lot of "server too busy" messages, or "host not available" messages. Starting this morning you may have gotten the following message:

"Due to unprecedented demand we are limiting the number of users to our site. Please visit us again in a few days."

I don't really know if I'd call the demand "unprecedented" -- remember when Britannica.com went free and consequently crash-happy for about three days? And when the LDS first released their genealogy site and it was swamped? A lot of folks want genealogy information.

Anyway. I started trying to get on this site very early this morning and worked at it for two hours (which is why this is so late.) I was frustrated more than I was helped, but I was able to get some minimum searching done.

You can search by first an last name, or last name only. The search results include three lists: Exact Matches, Close Matches, or alternate spellings. They list up to five names in each category on this first page. Each list provides the name of the passenger, residence, year of arrival, and age on arrival. There's also a "Relevancy" column on the Alternate Spellings list. The Alternate Spellings list is pretty flexible; a search for Haipak found Heipak but also Haapal.

If you click on a name to get more information, you're prompted to log on; you have to register for complete access to the logs. Basic registration is free; only your name and e-mail address are required. Optionally you may provide your address and phone number. Beware the checkbox with this registration page; you have to check it if you DON'T want to get updates from the foundation that administers the site.

The site was so sluggish and nonresponsive that I must have gotten a zillion new gray hairs, but I was intrigued enough that I'm planning to wake up very early tomorrow morning for another try at it. Worth a look, but you'll need much patience.

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