The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-05-09
The Excursion to Florida.

Charleston, J. H. Buchanan, of Ma.
rion, Col. j. G. Hemphill, Of Abbeville,
II. F. Grenecker, of Newberry, and
"Unclo Bob Mckay. of Grecuville,
members Of the State Press Associa~
lion, left Charleston on the steamer
"Dictator," commanded by Captain
leopold Vogel, tor q trip to "tbe land
Flowers" The liberal terms made TO
The party by Messrs. Ravenel g. Co.,
agents, at Charleston, for The Com
pany owning tho ship, placed the
party under obligation to those par.
tics, and we left the wharf in high
spirits, anticipating pleasant voyage
and fine scenery along the banks of
the famous st. Johns. We steamed by
Castle Pine kney and historic Fort
Sumter, taking in o view Of tho beau.
tics of tho .b2rbor and Sullivan's
Island, AMI at 1920 p. NJ, crossed the.
bar and glidcd out upon tho 'socean
wave" At 2 o'clock the gong sounds
and Tho party repair to the dining
room. where the tables arc literally
grooming under tho weight OF well
cooked dinner, consisting Of almost
everything furnished by the markets,
from New York TO Jacksonville. Full
justice was done to the occasion, and
interpolation of the quill drivers as
good "catists'' did not suffer. The
"rnraP' editors all anticipated sea
sickness, and anxiously watched
each other to see who would get
sick first, in order that they
might enjoy the laugh on the unfor-
tpnate before they became sick them
selves. Our gallant and handsome
young friend Col. J. Z. Hemphill, of the
AbboVille Medium, was the first and
only one of the party to got sick, and
before'he had fairly finished his dinner,
was compelled to rush to tho passenger
dock, whore he "hcavod aud sot
and sot and heaved," until ho declared
he saw stars as big as tho moon, and
thattthere would be mono Of hin, left
except the bottom of his boots. Mai
James Chase, tho courteous and a.
teptive Pnrscr of tho boat, however,
came TO, tho rescue with the proper
remedies; and the Colonel was soon
relieved of that terrible nausea pro-
duced by sea sickness, and reioiucd
the party with that vivacity and geni>
ality of spirits which made him the
centre OF attraction on the trip, os-
pecially TO tho ladies on board tho
steamer.
Opposite Port Royal we passed the
'Iight Ship" called Martins Indus
try, placed thero for the purpose Of
guiding mariners off dangerous shoals
at that|point. At 10 o'clock we ar
rived at Savannah. where the party
, went ashore and took short stroIe,
but on account of the late hour, soon
returned to the ship. At IL midnight
wo left for Fernandina, and the party
retired to onjoy balmy sleep, natures
sweet rostorcr, in order to be fully
prepared to see and enjoy oil that was
to be seen and enjoyed the next day.
Some of the party wore up at day.
light for the purpose of seeing sun
rise at sea, but we being OF less ro>
mantle nature, quietly. snoozed until
old, sol was pouring his rays through
the window upon US. About o'clock
we arose, and looking towards the
shore, saw the Light House off Da--
rien- In short time, and before this
plAee was fairly out of sight, the Light
House at Brunswick opened up in tho
dist9nce, and tho recoIeotions of tho
terrible suffering at that place last
year from yellow fover came forciblv
to'memory. TO the South of Bruins.
wick, and stretching along the coast
towards Florida, lie the Cumberland
Islands which are sixteen miIos lono
and from two to ten miles wide. On
the southern point stands an old
house which was erected by General
GreenS OF Revolutionary fame. Dur>
ingdheswaEthis. place was taken DOS.
session ofby tho British, who convert
ed tho place into prison-