Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-05
EUROPE REVISITED.

The D1 D1NAMITE EIEND AND THE
MOSEL-A SAD STORY OF AN UNHAPPY GIRL
EOW ANIMALS BEHAVE AT SEA - THE DAN
GERS OF FAST STEAMING IN FOG we
SIGHT THE SCILLYS-THC LIZARD OF
WIGHT-SOUTHAMPTON.
[EditOrial Correspondence Of The Stdr.l
NORTH GERMAN LLOYD STEAMER MOsEL,
SOUTHAMPTON, July "A, 1878. !
In 1855, infected with the Bayard Taylor
fever for roughing it in Europe on fifty cents a
day. took a twenty five dollar passage in the
steerage OF crazy steamer sent out by some
New York spectators for sale or charter to
the BlltlSh government, for service in the
Crimean war. Whatever became of the
wretched old hulk after it reached Liverpool
never learned, but l know that we had to
make several stoppages on the way to tinker
the worn-Out machinery: and it was probably
owing only to the fact that we had pleasant
weather that we ever reached port Having
pretty well OutgrOwn the enthusiasm of youth
for abnormally rough travel, 1 now in re-
visiting Europe proposed to be good to
as possible. But ther the question arose as
to which 1Cds the best of the dozen
lines of fine steamers running now be-
had reputation for speed, another for safety,
another for its dietary; and then there was
the, question of the relative merits of ships
of motion; or aft, away from the disagreeable
nei9hbOrhOOd of the Steerage$but nearer the
noisy screw; OF veSSelS,with berthS outside the
port holes must be closed in wet weather, SC,
&c. Amid the multiplicity of counsels l de-
cided, on the favorable repOrt of some of our
solid men OF Washington who have travelled
by the North German Lloyd line New York to
Bremen, touching at Southampton to take
passage by the steamer MOSe of that line,
eayng NfW York July Sth The result has
doubtedly one OF the most comfortable and
sea;Worthy vessels that travels the Atlantic,
and her veteran Captain Neynaber. Who is
" Commodore " by right of forty years service
on the ocean, and twenty four years as master
is happy compound of firmneSs and good
temper, energy and good seamanship. He has
prescribed for officers by Germany, and is able
to claim that he has never lost dollar of in
surance for his company or has had any ap-
preciable accidents of any kind. This com
pany blows its horn so little, on our side of the
water at least that few persons in America
are perhaps aware that with the single excep-
ton OF the Oriental line, it is the largest steam
ship company in the world, and has more than
fifty steamers afOat.
SOMETHING ABOUT A GERMAN STEAMER.
The epeculiarities of life on German steamer
have interest to an American. Going aboard
at HOboken you are met at the gangWay by
half dozen alert, Smartly dressed young
men, employees of the steamer who pour a
dozen enquiries upon you in German, which
naturally causes you to think you have made
a mistake in going on a ship where you don't
understand the lingo, but presently it turns
out that the young fellows speak both German
and English, and thereafter everything is sat
isfactOry. They paste the yellow labels on your
baggage, indicating whether it is for South
ampton or Bremen; and then the portion of it
that is to go to Your Stateroom is despatched
there at once. With your StaterOOm key in
your pocket, and the troublesome question OF
baggage off your mind, you are at leisure to
look around and enjoy the animated scenes of
the sailing OF big ocean steamer.
LEAVE TAKING.
Though the majority of our passengers are
Germans, there is large sprinkling of Ameri-
cans, but the latter are so much less demon
Strative in leave taking that they make little
figure in the present scene. The steamer is
crowded with the friends of passengers who
have come to see them off. The quantity OF
flowers contributed in parting is prodigious
exceeding the floral wealth Oh the front of the
stage at our college cOmmencementS. Instead
of the dreaded bilge-Water the smell of flowers.
and especially the penetrating flavor Of the
tuber rose, pervadeS the ship; and as the bO-
quetS are preserved for some days the stale
aroma becomes too much OF good thing.
At some OF the tables in the main saloon
groups are celebrating the occasion of leave
taking with champagne lunches, and as many
OF the partlclpatOrS are old vOyagerS who do
not look upon an Atlantic trip in the light Of an
eternal separation, there is considerable hilar-
lty peI2. preIXallng hereabout. On the decks. and
there is a good deal of noisy lamentati0n. One
bearded young man, who has parted with his
comrades in continental fashion, with hug
and kiss, burst out into regular bOO-hOO of
grief as he goes down the gang-plank. AS the
boat gets out into the stream, the per-nead is
seen to be alive with the good bye people, and
a thousand or more handkerchiefs are shaken
vigorously while the steamer is in sight. At
the same time we notice perfect eruption of
brass bands. There is band on the pier, a
er to our Mosel, and bands on a couple
OF tugs that accompany us down the
bay; Moreover, we discover amidst the
medley blare from all these instruments that
loud as the best of them. Further, it is devel-
oped that the latter band belongs to the MoSel
composed of stewards, or walters of the
second cabinl, and so, like the lady told of in
the nursery rhymes, with rings on her fingers
and bells on her toes our steamer shall have
music wherever she goes. One of the accom-
seem to have for their center OF devotion a
charming young lady on the Mosel The
charming young lady stands upon a bit" l
believe they. call it-a sort of post to which the
sailors hitcn r0peS-ahd essays to repay the
devotion OF the young men in the tug by
throwing them flowers from an immense
b0quet. The flowers fall short, and into the
young man, who spoils new silk umbrella
by using it for scoop net. Then the pretty
young lady makes more successful effort:
the young men in the tug put themselves into
base bail positions to catch it on the fly and
then, according to the way things generally
60 III this world, it falls into the lap of a
Snaggle-tOOthed frowzy looking chap, too lazy
to even put up his hands for it. He grinS,
and apprOpriateS the easily won trophy but
finally yields to remOnStranceS and divides the
flowers with his fellows. About this time the
water begins to rOughen bit; the pretty
young lady, colapses upon a steamer chair,
with slOp basin convenient, and the subse-
quent proceedings OF the young men in the
tug interest her no more. Now comes Sandy
Hook, and TIE pilot goes ashore, loaded down
with letters written by the passengers on their
way down the bay. Just as the pilot boat is
fairly of 1t Is called back, and "stOWaway"
a poor fellow who has tried to steal passage,
is escorted down the ladder and sent ashore
with the pilot.
HOW WE AMUSE OURSELVES ON THE MOSEL.
The passengers are rather Sea-sick lot:
very few gather at the dinner table, and those
who do look pre-Occupied and solemn. AS one
of them explains it, they are thinking of the
loved ones at home. 1t is not until three or
four days that the tables are cheerfully filled
The German steamers pride themselves upon
their table fare. The cooking is mixed, French
and German, and is very good. Our cook is
not only an artist in his line, but is so wonder
fully handsome that the ladies go in squads to
ask him about his dishes and to get look at
him. The bill OF fare is made up to suit Amer
leans, but is sufficiently varied to include lots
OF things loved by the TeutOnic stomach; and
we find 1t an interesting line of experiment to
m hA Is,,Ix<