More on Abraham and Anna's trip to the United States
Aside from the two ship records, Abraham and Anna's
trip to the United States is undocumented, and I can only guess about further
details. For example, how did they get from Seta to Hamburg?
Seta ("Schaty" on map below) is just east of Keidainiai ("Keidainy.")
A train line ran south through Keidainiai to just east of Kaunas ("Kowno"),
and then west through Kaunas to the Russian-German border.
Westrussland, Nördliche Hälfte, A. Thomas and G. Jungk (1898)
(rail lines shown in red)
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The last train stop on the Russian side was at Virbalis (German name Wirballen; shown below under Russian name Wershbolowo). The train station for Virbalis was located in the smaller town of Kibarty, about three miles to the west.

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Wirballen (Wershbolowo; Virbalis)
Undated postcard (probably showing German soldiers during the WWI occupation)
Another view of the Wirballen train station
ShtetLinks page for Virbalis
ShtetLinks page for Kibart
World War I German
Uniforms
Eydkuhnen - train station
(undated)
Enlargement showing train and sign
There is an account by Alexander Harkavy about his voyage in 1882 from
Vilna to New York, contained in Allon Schoener, The American Jewish
Album, 1654 to the Present, New York: Rizzoli International Publications,
Inc., 102-103 (1983). Harkavy stated he took a train to a small city
on the Russian side of the border, was smuggled by wagon and foot across
the border, walked to Eydtkuhnen, and then resumed his trip to Hamburg
(by train).
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From the Border to Hamburg
Train lines led from Eydkuhnen west to Königsberg, Danzig, Berlin and finally Hamburg. An alternate route turned southwest at Insterburg to Thorn and then Berlin, avoiding Königsberg and Danzig.
Link to Blackie's Atlas showing rail lines from border to Danzig or Thorn in 1882 (site of Federation of East European Family History Societies)
Railway Map of Central Europe, Cassell's Atlas 1909
German Railway Map, 1870 (University of Mainz)
Animation
showing development of German Railway System (University of Mainz)
"Gruss aus Hamburg"
Much information about emigration from Hamburg is found at the site of the University of Hamburg.
Railway Map of Central Europe, Cassell's Atlas 1909
Castle Garden
