New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-07
FROM THE MISSOURI TO THE PARTICIPANT

Leaving San FranciscO-" Ssenmer Bay''-Fn-
cite Mail Line-The New China siemmers-
The sacrsmento-The Fire Driii-Cniifcrnhn
PnsseBgers-Deta Of the ship-GaIis-Psr-
poise Gymnastics-Whalcs-sa iiors' yarns
life on Overwhelmingly min essences
-Enrthquakcs-A Droii War-BEcxiean civ
iIizutiou Volcanoes Of Cun,emnin - The
Southern Cross-TropicaI Nighn-Psnamn
Harber.
From Our Special Correspondent
PANAMA NEwGRESADA. Monday, Jan. !, 1900.
On the 18th umo started homeward from San Fran
CISCO Once almost the entire population rushed to the
wharf on the departure ola mail ship. Even now, thrice
a month, steamer day" is a great event. Everybody
spends the night before writing letters; and for the last
hour 900 or 1000 persons crowd the decks Of the depart
ing vessel Some go 10 say good bye, from crosi-
IT, and some rs general tribute of remembrance TO the
old home 5000 miles away At II o'clock outsiders hasten
ashore the gong sounds and with hundreds OF nieng
handkerehefs and pantomme kisses 10 the ecedng faces
on the wharf the great steamer slowly rounds and passes
out at the Golden Gate her voyage Of 200 miles from
30 degrees north latitude to within degrees Of the
equator.
On the entire West Coast the Pacific Mail steamship
Company is exceedingly popular Every one is grained
that has bought the odous Vanderbilt line on the
Atlantic side and carries passengers through to New
JH GdCluc steamers
and all ourpasengers including young baronet an officer
of the British Navy united in tesying that many of them
were familiar with every great steam lire Of the world and
that the ships OF this company in all respects more
agreeable than any others a1oat. Elegantly appointed,
ably commanded and the perfection Of SYSTEM they are at
the head of our National Steam Marine and an honor to
American enterprise.
With an unusual spasm Of wisdom Government has
given this company the mail contract for the new line to
Climatic grand precursor Of the Pacific Raroad-at
$500 900 per annm for years Tie ships now building
in Ncw-York are $50 feet in length, with 1000 hor'e-
power They will cost 81 100000 each, and be incou-
paaby the finest vessels in the world. On the first o!
January, 1867, they commence running monthly from
san Francisco to Shanghai with branch to the Sand
wch Islands. The company will also establish Inc
from NcwYork Liverpool, and thus be able to ticket
passengers and bill freight their own steamers, nom
tie coast Of China to the coast Of England.
Our steamer the Sacramento, commanded by Capt.
J. NJ. Cavalry. She carry one thousand people
Into some Of the sister ships Fourteen hundred people have
been crowded. Her upper deck, oncsixcenth OF mile
long affords splendid promenade Inc great ocean IF a.
calm to-day as when Ferdinand Magellan after SAILING Tor
weeks without meeting single adverse breeze named II
the Pacific Vessels here can have more room ana less
strength than the stormy Atlantic. The sleeping
apartments extend frover the water upon supporting pat
forms On either side the Sacramento has row Of three
berth state rooms built entirely outside her hull and stil
beyond them the guards wide enough for promenade.
Her complement Of men is l07 all thoroug'y Drilled ior
duty One DAY the long shril fire blast" sounded
UPON the steam whistle. Every man sprung 10 his post
and in four inmates eighteen streams OF water were being
thrown bv Once every voyage the crew are exe-
cise in this fire drill Water pipes ready foruse perneae
all parts Of the ship, like great aTteres ana WIN lhe
alarm promptly given. tire would be instantly eA-
tngushed. .,
The first cabin passengers always embrace many cult
yaed travelled aud agreeable persons. her average is
sl to be higher than upon any other route whatever
On the first day out, they assigned places Tor meals,
nineenths being always disappointed al exclusion nom
Tie CAPTAINS table the especially desired. But they
soon console themselves by oulivang each other CON-
PEELED by the inevitable laws of affinity and epuson into
groups and coes They breakfast at eight lunch at one
aud dine at five.
The second cabin passengers whose saterooms are not
so good eat from the same tables but at different hours
II is difficult 10 keep the classes separate, and
ould be better TO abolish the second cabin altogether,
aying only rst-cass and steegc. The Storage beIhs
are comfortable andvcry tidy, and their inmates take teir
meals standing but have regular bill OF fare 'or every
day in the week All the compartments sieerage CABINS
engine rooms kitchen bakery and butcher are ceah
as ROOM plate, onsh KNIVES 'oA' anu spoons
The vessel is great hotel ID motion, with the dsiu-
vantage it send 10 market only once IN twelve
DAYS On the Pacific cattle carried along 10 supply he
TALES with beef On the Atlantic meats are brought from
New-York packed ice. The veteran captains inspect
every of the vessel at least twice day They are
yigaut agreeable, and justly proud Of Their SHIPS No
commander take his wife with himeyen by paying her
fare Most companies and many sailing vessels enforce
this rule lest in Ire or storm the master should neeect MS
passengers to save his family. On Sundays the service Of
the Episcopal Church is performed IN the iirst cabin
We left San Francisco in weather cold as to demand
fires Thousands of gus flew around our ship and fol-
lowed IN her track but fell of as we approached the trop
ics The gull is found only in the North and the alba
tros only in the South. In air or on water both are ex
onstey graceful but taken on board they become utterly
awkward walk with difficulty the deck soon bisers their
feet and snguary enough the ships motion makes them
sea sick Just old salt sometimes becomes nauseaed
In little open boat upon smooth water Sailors declare
that both u and abatos sleep with their heads under
their wings while riding the Of great storms but,
the newspapers say, this needs continuation
Lion. Atsa I'll
mountains for than two three hours, striking
across from point OF land TO another Our course was
eastey that watches required TO be set forward 10 MN
utes daily. As the weather warmed We saw schools OF
young porposes tumbling through the water, like rolling
barrels aud frequently encountered the fulgroWn hsh u
or - feet long, loungng in the The ships approach
stimulated them into wonderful activity, making them
lump from the water often 20 feet high to fall dashng up
columns spray visible at three or four miles They area
redish-brown, with dark spots ana Immense ms LeaPg
through the air. they assume curious crescent onn ana
impart great animation to the quiet seas Sometimes they
are harpooned and eaten, being fayorte dish with old
sailors These veteran salts declare that when one is
wounded and its blood dscoos the water all the rest stop
and remain with him, at the risk OF their lives.
Great whales exhibited their brown backs, and threw up
columns of water within few yards Of An ancient
mariner that the north Pacific, he once saw
school Of whales so large that the captain who had un,
Willingly his little steamer among them was compelled
TO stop her for fear OF breaking the wheels IL appears 10
DO an old custom for Marco Polo writes of hungry whales
on the Indian in deusive pursuit OF food rushing
violently against the huls of vessels and stasing ne IN.
i
spoed when be the He has at least the art of
making his stories interesting though sometimes fear
like the subject of Sherdan annihiating philippe, he is
Indebted to his maginat for his facts and to his men,
DRY for his jests.
I'VE passed the dull mountain of Cape Saint Lucas with
white sandy beach rising half TO the summit and, cross
ing the Gulf OF California stiff breeze, threw parting
glance at the long Peninsula of Lower California which
ought to belong to the United States. Then we were
within the Tropics under the purple heavens Of the South
where Christmas Day like New-York in August The
ladies appeared at dinner Summer costumes and our
state rooms ho to render the least covering
uncomfortable. Life on shipboard in these low ATTITUDES
is peculiarly lazy AVID lnxurious existence. Serious