National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-07
RIDING THE WAVES
ON THE STEAMER oALLrA INA GALE.
I Young Iady's Experience Of Ocean Traysl-TossCd
AbUut for Days and Nights Among Rats aud
Thngs-A Ncriiablc Female Mark
TRplcy-Ilcr Spicy Recital.

Persons who have crossed the Atlantic during
the pest two months will mover forget the terrible
experiences on slirboard Old ocean appears to
have been iu more tempcstuous mood than ever
before nj the same season Of the year, and, not.
outstanding the comforts oflitc aboard the mag
nfccnt ocean steamers, the passenger, and crews
have been tossed around like char IN the wind A
Touug lady who recently returned to this country
In the splendid Cunardcr Gallia thus relates her
experience to a lady friend in this city:
My DEAR c.; We'll, ] dare say am alive, but
caily it is great wonder considering The multi.
AIDE uftcrlots I've passed through within few
weeks. The little fishes didn't quite swallow me
mp although in midoCcnn they came very very
ueRrly doing II. Never again. never. never, did
expect to behold old Fritz or " or any other id-
ow on this side urHuy Other side OF the sea- Now,
pruy Try TO look liltv sad even " you can't feel
So No doubt you have heard something about
.he storms and disasters everywhere hut yuu can
orn no idea Of the terrible uiiCfings OF the poor
unfortunate wrctclcs On the Galliu. shAut tell
ion NJ for yonH not appreciate mlIy TIC
may suy sixteen Gid half We were
,osscd aud knocked about at tie tcudcr mercies Of
the waves aud The Stewards, aud had given NJ
all hopes OF ever seeing land again. However
vas perfectly resigned to my tate; concluded that
browning wasn't half 50 bad ms people made ont;
anyway, twas far better Than sGoslckneSS gid
starvation combined, mud. really, was slightly
disnpl O!ntCd when the time came to go down
HAT We didn't | should have had something
II. j
ihc nserics that one could have. My heart isn't
lender; my livurts So you may Just imagine my
feelings Only wish You had been along.
WE WERE IN 4 FEARFUL CYCLONE
for nine long days aud nights q don't suppose
you En,w WlUt o icriihlc thing that isl The
hJtChwHys ere liukcu In, the srilurs refused to
work, Tie vi ole slIp was Inundated, most Of the
dtvk wa, mushcd, moi II pipe OF llc.buat Jeff,
all the coal was gone, The machinery went wrong,
nutliug went night, all tie screw. were lCusc,
cvciyh ing cay,d ~, provisions gave out, the
his cOu.sc didu't know whether he WINS steering
toward HuiimN, Heaven, or iUdc' couldn't tell
my basin fell down On The head Of the creature
beneath unfortunately didn't quite choke her;
nltHs,vs were IN III. st,crUgv, rats were every.
where, and the boiler did everything but
burst OBJ IL was quite too uwitilly awtul! .
When the little castvrly lcrhyrs were play
Ing around US aud ull on hoard thought the
Iinul moment had arrived, J made II rash vow
that | would never never, never cross over this
way again, lui d!tiu't LAY wouldn't s. the
other. Ot, moi 50 you may yet meet me globe
trotling. was mslcuOd III tie top berth for nine
good days aud iighs ~ semi ,uuChOlic state,
with nothing pleasant To- luDk ut but unhealthy.
looking blankets, aud 'witisnUthiug to cat but
the shriveied ghost OF u prepared behring's wing.
and on the tenth day naturally felt rs though !
might enjoy II good dish of sausage ana garlic,
cabbage pork and beams or som, thing nice and
savory, AMI mctEiy asked the Ntcwardess-
oil, WASN'T SHE 4 WIPER -
IL she wouldn't kindly get me u bit of something
To taste. she supply garcd at me; remarked saw
agcly that I'd uny Just come from Paris
WASH I prepared 10 uiC, doubtless she lnpNut-nni
gle her-so let her ",bidc awhile II wee" Really if
II hudn't been for the kindly nature Of the good.
looking youth who took charge Of the bnsins
there would have been nothing LEFT of poor Miss
s. but her return ticket, I'm sure you will be
moved to tears. Actually one night was so raw.
10 say how many-wholc cold potatoes, pecings
and all, and then hadn't enough How often /
I nsed to lie awake thinking Of the !boulcyard.
Madeleine, beef. steaks, &c., and how little / np-
preciated them while in Paris, but it, was
ever thus! Well, when | was once
up and partly dressed yOu may be assured made
that fat old slcwRrdCss hop about lively, and be-
fore landing she tfemblcd violently whenever she
saw me approaching her. il is so pleasant to be
remembered in this world, so left her my nice
little rnt-catcn flannel gown and my big bottle OF
brandy, exhausted like myself She looked CRATE
fully whcnl departed. Twas particularly fortunate
in having an amiable state room companion, a
bewitching young lady from Manc-poor thing
che was so dreadully frightened all the way over
About fifty eleven times during the night she
would ask me IL ! didn't think we were going "a
sink. invariably replied was certain OF IT, and
tried 10 think of something comforting from old
Watts. But that didn't seem to console her very
much.
SHE WOULD SIT on MY LITTLE TRUNK
(hers had more nails in it, consequently wasn't
easy swimming about on the loor) signing, Oh,
Iqulte agreed with her there, She did look mel
anchOly un1 funny. let her cry to her hearts
content while tried to endure everything with
my usual Christian-likc spirit. Never shall for
get it. Early one morning the poor girl prepared
to sink in good earnest She cut the train OIL of
her gown and cut the bangs OF Of her hair, put TN
her rubbers for fear Ofgeting her feet wet and then
wanted TO learn how to put on the life prescrver.
Now, j had never had occasion TO use
the thing, consequently didn't know whether You
put II over the head or got into II; however, ad-
vised her to jump into it, The result was most
disastrous; her rubbcrs came off, her clothes got
squeezed about her head, and at that moment
boom! boom! came three great waves over the
ship, and over she Went plnnging, screaming,
breaking into the room we face You needn't
picture the mans surprise. Fortunately he was
Somewhat slow deaf, shortsighted, and aged; but
you may just imagine my feelings for the space Of
ten minutes or 50. i really thought ! should
be obliged to sink into my watery. grave
laughing. | don't believe the girl ever forgavc
me, although did so kindly inform her that she
couldn't have had a better introduction to the
voyage Of life, with It's many ups and downs. She
didn't see it; NJ all events she never again asked
me how to preserve her life; in fuCt she was evcl
after decidedly subdued, rolling about in semi
melancholy state, never utering sound, except
ing when She wanted the loan of my basin herr
was broken. Now my greatest terror was the rats
j wns more afraid of being eaten by them than By
the monsters of the mighty deep. They weTj
something fearful
USED TO PLAY TAG, HIDE AND SEEK,
and all manner Of games over my pillows until
thought would do something desperate To some
body. There was no use screaming; everybod,
did that Fortunately some peoples screams wer,
deadened by the winds and The waves, One nigh
two great irOn.gray fellows sat chuckling auC
gnawing on the edge Of my berth till was nearly
may say completely, paTayHed with fear and
didn't rccolect how long they staid there. Ny
new green boots were all eaten, u lovely pair OF
sea foam gloves were all but destroyed; in fact
there wasn't much left but eight little gTanulated
buttOns-mOde my heart sick Ia see such destruC.
lion. Don't suppose you will believe ii, but
in a stoeroom near MS there was man. and on
this man there was q pOulticc of finNsccd. Well
he woke up in the night ana found three huge lel
lows rubbing away at II, and-horror of horrors!-
there was only one seed letl 1t Is needless TO Say
how he felt Dare say he wanted nightly TO %
home The Galia may be II safe ship, but as
overheard fellow. passenger say, " II Is deuCeC
unpleasant one" please exc Sc Cur5Ory remarks.
There were n number of Spaniarls on boatd-al
handsome men-but heavens how they did trcm
bic whenever the ship gave Il sudden little lurch
Miss Blanche was as sick as sick could be. and
like the rest Of us, anything but "'appy" ThCN
didn't appear often III their swell costumes bu
went in for tasteful, simple little things in Whit
lnnnel and "sich like" WOrth's striking marin,
effects were all wasted this time. 1t is well
didn't let him originate any seaside dreams 70
me. My friend vowed she would never cross til,
Atlantic again, but only a few days after landing
went down and engaged passage for next April
How soon one forgcts some things! | assure yOl
am also quite ready to 20 back,
STORMS OR No STORMS.
Well we were ull heartily glad to see these shore
dirty as they are, Eyerybudy's friends were OF
hand 70 meet the poor, miserable wtetchGs an,
some Of the meetings were pathetic In hecxtremC
My family was uutin full force, king much bette
than expected to see them, considering they ha
not closed Iheir eyes for nights and nights Well,
don't suppose they were very sorry 10 see me turn u
again. although have my doubts on tic subjcc
My brother E was the only member of the fam
1N VINO lOOkGA Ike ne WdlNCl 10 snCu NnNlhln
like teal, was greatly touched thereby, buthay
since learned that II was because hadn't brougl
him anything worth looking at from par
1t was ever thus. However, / got him cake &
sOapGud n toothbrush from stewart and said the
came fresh from London, But he says, That's u
60" an Australian expression, which means. II
doubt, "Tlank YOU my dear sister" 4 few Of on
ardent RdmlTcT, (Mss Blanks and mine-ahem
were down early TO receive rs, ana language VIZ
quite too poweruss 10 express their heartfelt syn
pnlhcs and inward qualification for our suffering
There was dear Ietsn lc friend on hama who vi
60 glad TO see me EHtrC nous, she had Il most dii