Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-10-04
ENGLISH EXCURSION STEAMERS.
Striking peculiaritieS Of the Steamers
ON the Thames.
New YOrk ENpning p0st.


Went "a the scene III the late dis
Bridge, immediately north OF which is
the principal landmg-place of the com,
pany by whom the unfortunate Princess
Alice was owned, and Ivy whom also
the ferry traffic 81 tie river is monopot
+ liked, The fleet numbers slXty.twe
steamers, most Of them marvelS of in.
convenience; long, narrow, black and
4 low IN the water. The passenger an
deck has no protection from sun, RAIN
| or dew aid below his only refuge is in
y dreadful little cockpit that 'twere only
IRONY TO call Il cabin, in which ere.
treshmcnts. !" chiefly spiritual, are sold
/ 10y the cockncyeSt Of coelneyS. One
feature which illustrates the astonishing
anachroniSmS embodied III the boats is
! the means OF communication between the
captain on the bridge and the engineer.
\ bell or speaking-uuhe would certainly
/ be the safest and most economical, bot
apparently because the first fcrry.hoals
employed an Intermediary small boy
to stand under the bridge aud vocally
repeat the captains orders. the same
method has been continued in the
latest additions to the fleet The cap
tain motions with his hand. "Slow
herr call the intermediary and the on
glneer repeats, SLOW her" suiting the
action To the word. Again the captain
motions. stop hcrl calls the ol,scr-
want small boy, and the engineer echoes
the instructions to show that he has
heard them. The boats could not be
larger than they are, owing to tho
bridges across the river, and rs il is they
are compelled to lower their smoke
stacks in passing under the arches,
which 10 an American who secs il for
the first time is n somewhat startling
operation, while "a everybody il is disa-
grecahle. The pipe is hinged III the
base, and us II is turned horizontally
over, the black, hltuminous smoke ho-
clouds the passengers seated astern.
These are the vessels by which Lon.
don travels to Westminster, Rattersca,
and Kew. The make frequent landings
on both sides of the river, and are OK.
tensively used by business people gong
east or west, rs they are more eXpedi-
tious than the omnibuscs or the under.
ground railways 1T all seasons, how.
ever, they have an air Of fostivitv de-
rived from II proportion of pleasure
seekers, who, with that English fond.
ness for the water which seeks prntlica.
ton even If the sea is seventy miles
away and the tide is as turhid as the
Thames 1T London bridge, spend two
pence or fourpenee in the uncxciting
passage up the river and feel like great
travlers i'll discmbarking. A band Of
two or three pieces, q harp and II cor.
net, perhaps, or company of three
graotesquely-robed negro MINISTRIES, 80
common in the vagabond entertain.
ments Of the London streets, add to the
holiday element, and while III MI times
the boats are crowded, they are often
overcrowded. Their licenses permit
them to carry between two hundred
and eighty and four hundred and fifty
passengers, not one-half Of whom can
be seated, and when there il ii fun
complement il is impossible To move
without much crushing. If nj busy
time one Of them should strike or 10
struck by larger object, some of its
passengers would inevitably be knocked
overheard; but the London Steamboat
Company employs careful men, and
until the accident Of yesterday it claims
to have carried more than two hundred
million passengers without losing one
through the negligence of its servants.
More than six hundred ut once brings
the percentage of mortality up TO u pitt
able figure, however, and ms write the
blame seems to fall upon the lost cap
tain of The Princess Alice.