New-York tribune., 1873-05-10
JoURNEYING BY SEA.
HOW tn A1TrvIATE IT'S MIsERIEs.

|
THE PROPER VESSEL TO BE cHosES-sEA-cAPTATNs-
MASSACHUSETTS PREvESTIvEs AND REMEDIES.
| iFRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuSEl
BRRsr France. April Fifty thousand
Americans EXPECT 10 VISIT Europe this year, II said
and OF these there are probably 5000 who will
the Atlantic for the nrst time To these 10000 un-
fortunates yet 20 mhketheir hrs acquaintance
with the sea- have few words OF advice to Offer The
other 10000 will not be interested They know well
enougb that there ia little romance enjoyment In an
oeean vovne that t s at best wearis0me uncomfort-
able ordeal which requires patience aud iortitude to
endure and that AZ It's worst-n stormy weather-it
iufcts an amount Of misery passing description These
experienced vOyagers have learned how TO alleviate
much as possible the sufierngs OF seasickness they
know what things comforts and what membranes
wnat clothing t is best wear wuat staterooms
hest what ships steadiest and most seawOrhy and
other ike information, OF which they make good use
Some Of this sea-Wsdom cannot be impaired, and s
gained only by actual experience but much Of IL can
and ought 10 be acquired by every before embarkng
CHOOSING A SHIP
First choose your ship. II you have any friends who
have crossed the ocean get their advice upon this i'm
portaut point. As a rule large steamer is more
Portable than small one because IL rolls less IN heavy
sea The comfortable ship built the Great
Eastern for the reason that made her
so steady that the clumsest landsman could walk her
decks almost as easily he could promenade Broadway
II was scarcely possible TO be board Of her
II is great pity tho telegraph companies monopo
lie her might do splendid service this year with
her immense capacity, carrying the crowd OF people
Whose heads have been turned Dy accounts Of the
coming wonders Of the Vienna Exhibition and who are
bent ON going abroad Of Of the steamers
that run from NewYork 20 European ports is about
5000 tons The largest measure 800, and the smallest
1890 tons. Don't 60 small ship n you hep 10.
ship Of 2,O00 will pitch roll enough 20 make
you thoroughly wreched in that would not trouble
you at all If You in of $500 400 The
long narrow vessels which tits the fashion 20 build Of
late are bad sea-boas. Tney roll frightiuly in gale
and are apt TO ship a good deal OF amidships
Many OF them old crafts cut Ia In the md-
die and heightened. They painted TO look
II they were new, and have now
names 10 deceive the public Beware OF them. Their
length is great FOR their breadth Of beam and some
day oneOf them viii "spoOu big ana break in
two In the middle where the piece put n, and
not q soul will be left tell tale The steamship
companies have discovered OF late that long,
vessel can bo run with about the consumption OF
coal rs shorter Of the breadth and they
dsregardng an the we established rules OF proportion
IN naval architecture q few hundred tons OF
carrying capacity, building new ships OF about the
shape OF q lead pencil, and altering the old ones by
pecing them out the middle have described. The
strain on the central portions OF steamer constructed
upon this new model dangerously great. Her heavy
machinery makes the weight greatest there, aud her
length gives that strike her 40 he bow and stern
a powerful Leverage % break her. Avoid vessel IN
which the statcr0oms below the main deck. Half OF
the comfort of a voyage being able 20 open your
port-hoe occasionally get a wh OF fresh air 10 your
room ana clear OF the ab0minaDle ulsewater smell,
which appears 10 be inseparabe from ship OF any kind
II your room below the chances that cannot
have porthole open at all during the voyage without
risk of a stray wave little higher tnau it, fellows
ing in upon you and giving you unwelcome salt bath
In most steamers the saloon and statcrOOms are az
the stern. They are never forward-why, I can't
imagine. The forward part OF the ship is much the
pleasanter because very little jar is felt from the
machinery there and the smells Of the cooking and Of
the oils used on engine all aft II the statorooms
are amdships as three lines, Dee careful %
c.ect one well removed the engine yOu VIII De
sckened by the Od0r Of and distracted by the
noise oil the machinery but don't too far at for the
motion at the stern and besides the jarrins
and rumUliug by the are exceedingly dis
agreeable In your fances, you lie half awake
nervous, ana exhausted the dismal night you viii
think the hOrrld thing turning around in your vtals
instead the water az the stern. Don't believe the
steameragcnt he tells you that an inside state
room is as good as an outside An inside room opens
either into the and gives you all the smells OF the
vctuals or upon dark corridor, and IN either
case you have wholesome air or hgnt The ordinary
stateroom has two berths side and cushioned
bench on the other called sofa. This sofa is poor
affair but be sure your has one for 10 is great
relief when yOu sick to change your position to It
from your berth.
For safety and comfort the upper spar deck ought
10 extend flush with the sides Of the ship. crossed
once on French steamer where the saloon, kitchens,
and other tho main deck and the state
rooms below There passage between these upper
works and the ships side covered by the deck
ana protected by high buwarks We had an ugly north
easter that lasted i've days, with very high and
every hour or two big wave would climb mp the Oui
warl.s and come tumhiug down into this passage-way
and 20 sWashng back and forth the snip urched FOR
several minutes and before It out Of the scuppers
yood deal of il would leak into the staterOOu5 and
passages below. one daY immense Whlte-capped fei-
low came aboard tins unceremonous way broke down
tho door of the engue-room and nearly drowned the
ciueer smashed Iu half dozen Of the windows that
lighted the passage by and came pouring m
ike a cataract uutIl the water was ankle deep. The
women screamed aud the men swOre, ana everybody
who had never the ocean ln rage before Thought
we were going to the bottom There great harm
done but some OF the staterooms did not become dry
until The voyage ended and their occupants lad hard
'''-' ' ABOUT sEAcAFTANs.
Ifa man could choose captain Wei az his ship
would venture advice to the sort OF man 90 pick
bu Won can't do this very well. You must take whoever
the Company sees 10 their property and your
ife with There are captains aud captiins, sood-na-
tured and nnaturcd, skllfu and unsluiul companion
able and morose sober and given 20 drink just Ike
other men, a good captain can DO uuch toward making
the MS OF the voyage TO bear remember certain
captan on one Of the steamers Of the Guou line, buf
hearty fellow with a wholesome flavor OF the about
him who "a always so CHEEKY and chatty that II was
impossible 10 feel low-spritei in his presence. He
would come into the cabin from his post on the bridge
III the midst OF a howIug gale drenched with water
and with a merry laugh would assure the fright,
eued ladies that 10 was not much or a DioW ana
that it was umc enough 70 get scared when they