Middletown transcript., 1876-03-11
Communicated ]
AT SEA-
CROSSING THE GULF STREAM,

ChOsslNd IdE OCLf GIhbA
FEBRUARY. 20. 1876.
NJ. Editor-So much has been writ
ten and said Of the incidents and ex-
periences Of sea voyages. that ! scarcely
know how to make letter at sea inter-
esting to you and to your numerous
readers. By most travellers. one day
is considered pretty much as another,
especially if the weather prove uni
formly either fair or foul In the pre-
sent instance, the transfer from winter
in its bleakest aspect, through a daily
and gradual change, to tropical heat,
presents many objects and incidents for
observation and note not common to
voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from
America to Great Britain Starting
from home with he intention Of spend
ing few weeks 10 the city and valley
Of Mexico. l consider it preferable to
take Cuba by the way out, to spend
week upon the island and then reim-
bark for Yucatan and Vera Cruz. And
just here | must pause, to pay CRATE
ful tribute to kind. generous and
thoughtful friends, who have favored
me with Introductory letters to our
Minister at the city Of Mexico to Drs
Butler aud Riley. missionaries, and to
mercantile houses in Vera Cruz, Hava-
ma, Matanzas and Cardenas. My spe-
cial Acknowledgements are due to Sena-
tors Bayard, Frclingbuysen and Nc
Donald, and to Doctor Provost, to
Messrs. S. & W. Welsh and to Messrs.
Z. G knight & Co.. Of Philadelphia.
Provided with circular sterling letter
Of credit from the well-known bankers,
Messrs. Brown, Bros. 4 Co., with a
good supply Of we'll selected books.
aud accompanied by my son. | walked
up the gang-way to the deck Of the Q
S. Steamer, Crescent City, on Thurs
KAY, Feb. 24th. at l o'clock p. NJ.
This is one Of the many ocean steamers
owned BY Mr.. Clyde; was built in Bos-
ton in 1860, Of 1871 tons measurement
and built Of iron Upon the hurricane
deck are six life boats and life float,
and set in frame which is hung in the
upper saloon, are the appointments Of
officers and men for each boat, with
instructions when and how to lower,
equip and man, and directions and sig
nails for leaving and abandoning the
sbip 10 case Of wreck, founder or un-
subdued fire. Around and about these;
I counted twenty-four metallic buckets
which had been filled with water but
which was then frozen solid
Twas told in New York by bank
officer that the thermometer at 2 o'clock
that morning, stood at 80 above zero.
1t was intensely, bitterly cold, and this
was rendered still more severe BY
sharp, bleak Labrador kind Of wind
blowing fnriously from the north. The
docks in port were filed with ice aud
frozen slush, and from the sides Of the
numerous steam vessels, hung huge
icicles Of every conceivable shape, and
which looked as though they might
weigh TONS Every drop Of water from
the condensed steam issuing from orifi-
ces in the sides Of the hullz. added to
their bulk and weight Oh what a
bitterly cold and uncharitable day !!
Oh for the mild beniguant latitude Of
Charleston and Savannah. or the more
fervent temperature Of Cuba and Yuca-
tan! Shivering and freezing we des-
cended to the lower saloon to find that
BY some unaccountable bungling and
mismanagement, the engineer, the day
before, had shut off steam froih the series
Of pipes for warming the saloon. and
the whole passenger part OF the ship
was as cold as Minnesota barn 10
January. Mechanics were at work
taking down the frozen-up tubes, put
ting in others and mending the cracked
| ones. At 4 o'clock the full cargo was
on board, the mails followed next, and
at 81 o'clock, when the saloons began
to grow little warm the steamer was
swung out into the stream. and her de-
parturc announced by the firing Of a
small brass cannon on the starboard
bow. At 8 o'clock in the lower bay
our Quartermaster hailed several up
going tugs to take up our pilot, but
none Of them proved SO obliging, and
the ship was halted an hour or more,
whilst the whistle screeched and rock
cts were burned to notify the far-away
pilot boat to send boat for one Of its
men.
Our state room is on deck, and no
similar area Of space enclosed by half
inch boards could possibly be colder
After dining at 9 o'clock, we went to
our berths with all We had on except
hat, boots and overcoat, and enveloped
in triple supply Of blankets. Rose at
8 the next morning, took breakfast at 9
(the regular hour) and spent the day 10
trying to keep warm. Lunch at ! and
| diLner at 2. We are now Of the south
ern coast Of Jersey, distant 60 miles
The Grew, consisting Of captain. (Curtis)
first, second and third officers, two quar-
termasters and AZ men, including pnr-
ser, cooks. sailors. stewards, walters,
etc, are all polite and attentive and the
vessel appears to be managed with much
nautical skill We do not expect to
catch sight Of land again until Monday
evening. when nearing the Florida
coast, and we hope to enter the harbor
Of Havana on Wednesday morning
The frst-elass passengers number only
16, most Of them Spaniards and Cubans
returning home There is an officer Of
the U S regular army and his wife.
seeking a southern cline for restoration
Of health. He was poisoned by drink
ing the water Of the Chickahominy
swamps during the late var. and has
been an invalid ever since. He eappears
to be q man Of much observation and
intelligence. and be informed me that
out Of 13O officers and privates Cot
which he was one) constituting the old