The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-02
CROSSING THE ATLANTIC,
FROM NEW york TO HAHRE BY FRENCH
STEAMER.
An Interesting and GoSsippy EurcpeaH Letter From
Mr.. Frank s. Ldhm,


From the Mansfield Llberall
Paris France Nov. 8, 1880.
We left New York at O'clock p. M, October
Goth, and as evening came on and the full moon
rose In clear sky, the air as SOFT and balmy as
May, the situation was poetical indeed, but quite
contrary two days later out on the broad Atlantic
struggling slowly through q stormy sea. Imag.
Inc yourself on the roof Of the big Aultman Il
Taylor warehouse, with 1t one moment pitching
forward from your feet at an angle of45 degrees
and the next at the same angle with Its nose
pointing towards the sky, and all the time roll
ing and rockil from side to side, and you get q
good idea OF a great steamship riding the rough
ocean. stood 1t very we'll the first day, when 1t
was plain" forward and back and forward again"
but when she got to clrcling, balancing and
Waltzing round In all directions, and the loose
furniture began to "crOss over" Il was too much
and gave 1t up-freely.
The officers and all che people that belong to
the vessel are Frerch and only two or three Of
them have mastered English enough 10 say AL
right" which seems to be the first learned and
favorite expression with all foreigners ON com.
ing TO America. had forgotten the bartender,
who not only speaks two, but mixes drinks after
the m ost approved fashion in several languages,
The service is good and we have five meals q
day, viz: First breakfast at g. M; regular
breakfast at 10; lunch at i; dinner at p. m, aud
tea at o'clock; but for the first week II one not
used to sea travel, averages one appetite to ten
meals, or half an appetite per day, they do well.
Later, when you become fairly established on
your sea legs and you stomach is securely al CHI.
ored five meals are only half enough. Dinner,
Of course, after the French fashion, Is the prnci.
pal meal, and it takes one hour and half to get
through 1t. The dishes are some Of them won.
derfully gotten up, and every one is carried to
each table and exhibited before 1t is served, as
prize OK is put on exhibition by butcher before
the Christmas holidays or as much as to say,
Delighted gcNrmeLS, behold what we propose to
tickle your palates with" but when one Of the
delighted gourmets is making nice calculation
as to which is likely to reach his lips FIRST the dish
that ia coming, or the breakfast he ate some
hours before, he does not enjoy the show. tried
to count the number of times the plates were
changed one day, but grew dizzy and gave 1t up.
People on ship. board drink, too, as we'll as cal
It takes three 70 four thousand bottles Of wine for
round trip from Havre and fifteen hundred to
two thousand bottles Of beer.
These steamship companies are heavy corpora.
tons. This one owns nearly fifty vessels, all
Bteam running from France to different parts of
the world. The Labrador" is one among the
largest, but there are a number Of the same size,
and the captains are all officers Of the French
navy detailed for this duty by the government.
She is nearly 400 feet long, and in cost represents
100000 francs or almost twelve hundred tbous.
and dollars, and 1t takes 14O men, officers and
crew to man her. She carries to Europe grain,
provisions, hides, timber for boat oars, and In
winter fresh beef; and on the out trips to Ameri.
co Is laden with general merchandise, consisting
ofsilks, gloves, wines, &C., and humanity packed
away in the steerage like sardines In a box
On her last trip she carried over SOO-emgrants
going West to grow up with the country, and
whose children will furnish many Of the bank
presidents railroad magnates and legislators of
the next generation in our great West.
There are strange groups and motley gather
ings on the decks OF these steamers; hero are
Frenchmen who have been long away from their
native land, and many who are returning from
short visit to the United States; Englishmen
Americans and Germans, CubRns, Spaniards and
Mexlcans, Negroes from Central America, and
here ia the wife ofa Bombay banker going home
to India, and who has with her for her little boy
an old Indian nurse, who is gorgeous" in bright
colored wraps and sashes, and wearing two large
ear rings In each ear and breast.pin () on the
side Of her nose.
In the steerage are many Of the lower class Of
French short, stubby fellows, long armed, heavy.
jawed and stupid looking, but readily amused
and going to the other extreme with equal ease
and, as one listens to them as they gather on the
fore.deck at night and sing the Marselaise, It is
easier to understand the Commune and the street
barricades
Last Sunday early the engines stopped for the
first time In eleven days, and hastily dressing
went on deck TO find It lovely morning. the sun
shining brightly, the air clear the sea almost as
smooth as Petersburgh Lake. Close by lay
large three masted sailing vessel, showing the
signal of dhtress, and alongside boat with FIVE
strong bull: but haggard looking men, who told
this story: The vessel was the Canonoque from
Lower Canada, bound for Belfast, Ireland laden
with lumber, out Of provisions and the crew
starving, They were So days out, and for month
had been near the coast, but owing to adverse
winds could not make landing. number Of
boxes and barrels OF provisions soon made their
boat heavier and their hearts lighter, and the
good act seemed to quicken the pulse Of the old
sea steed Labrador, for as she stretched to her
work again she moved away with as fine an &C.
ton as thoroughbred racer out for an airing on
frosty morning. There is nothing done on
these steamers to distinguish Sunday from any
other day Of the week, but I thought this deed
good beginning for the delightful day we were
having. The Oanonoque was not yet out of
sight "oVer the sea.slope vast and gray" when
we came upon deserted wreck, and q little Ia.
ter an old hull floating bottom upwards, remind
ers OF the late heavy storms that swept over
America and the Atlantic Ocean.
One evening we passed German steamer that
saluted us with fireworks, &c. but our captain
did not respond, though whether merely because
he did not want to, or from feelings Of hatred en-
gendered by the late war am unable to say.
The best days run we made was $50 miles, and
the poorest 200 miles, and we arrived in Havre
on the I'd inst, having been thirteen days max.
Ing the trip across, very slow one, owing TO the
head winds and heavy swell that kept the screw
out Of water good proportion Of the time. l..