Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-11-04
MISCELLANEOUS.
sketchs 81 Foreign TraveI
BIZ Coz. JSo. T. G1BsoS.

At our request, our well-known and
talented countyman. Col. Jno. L. Glib
son, has furnished US with series of
interesting sketches of his late trip to
Europe, which we will give our read
ers from week to week as our space
permits, and which we are sure they
will peruse with much pleasure
Beginning, the Colonel says:
On the 2Sth day of March, 1883, at
8 O'Clock, A. A., 1 set sail for Europe
from New York for the second time
the first voyage being in October,
1854. BIy choice of steamship lines
was the Cunard, which was deter
mined by considerations of safety,
for although long established it has
never lost Tship, nor as far as I know,
met with any serious mishap from bad
seamanship, carelessness, or from any
cause whatever. 1 took passage on
the Pavonia, commanded by Capt.
Mckay, Scotchman from Aberdeen,
which set out from its dock on North
river, where all the large ocean steam
ers have their docks. Ships of a
different character and of a lesser
tonnage, in the main, use the East
river for tying up" The length
of the vessel was 44O feet, its beam
or width IA feet, and it drew 25 feet
of water. Its cargo consisted of
bacon, flooring, apples, corn, axe
helves, wooden buckets, broom han
dies, &C., &c. It's number of cabin
passengers was only Al, it being too
early in the season or too rough for
the great shoals of American tourists
which, a month or two later, crowd our
Atlantic ships for the shores of Europe.
There was no signal gun fired as
was the won't of the Collins line of
ships years ago, when they moved out
from their dock. The moorings of
our vessel we're lifted, her cables
withdrawn and she stole away, as it
were, without noise, confusion or cir
cumstance, veering her course cast
ward through the bay and over the
dark and stormy Atlantic to the ports
of Queenstown and Liverpool. With
in o very short time the city, and
shores and the murlIy atmosphere of
the great metropolis sank below the
horizon, and rs you approach the Off
ing and look sQuarely out upon the
vast waters before and around you,
SO. full of mysteries and uncertainties,
the feeling steals over you that you
are indeed in for it, and, to judge
from appearances, over the scamen
that they arc at home again on the
rolling deep and away from the vile
and sinful shore.
The distance from New York to
the open sea is thirty miles, with a
depth of water of 20 feet. From
Boston it is 100 miles, and the water
of its winding bay 21 feet deep
The distance from Philadelphia to the
sea is the same as that from Boston,
with the same depth of water as that
of New York. From Baltimore the
distance is 160 miles, affording a
channel of about 20 feet at the city
in depth. From Hampton Roads the
distance is only 10 miles to the sea,
and the depth of water is % feet
The distance from New York to Liver
pool is about 1920 miles. being the
same as that of the overland route
from New York to the city of Fran
cisco. TO Queenstown it is about 300
miles less, and the voyage at least a
day shorter and sometimes more, on
account of fog and the great number
of vessels that crowd the channel in
their passage to and from Liverpool
and the ports above, coming from and
going to all the ports of the known
world.
The ships of the Cunard line, each
and all, and at all seasons of the year,
take what is called the g Lane route, :"
which was suggested by Commodore
N1aury. 1t is something longer than
that by the Banks of Newfoundland,
but it is deemed much safer, and for
that reason many of those who cross
the Atlantic for pleasure prefer it,
tits also known as the Southern route,
and by it the fogs, field ice and ice
, bergs of the Banks of Newfoundland,
so dangerous to the navigation of the
North Atlantic in the spring, arc
avoided. The course is nearly straight
out on the 4Oth parallel line of lat
itude for about one thousand and fifty
miles to the 5Oth meridian, crossing
that line at point where it intersects
the 42d line of latitude. and thence
on to Queenstown and Liverpool
Thus they sail under or below the
Banks and rarely, if ever, is seen in
their pathway an iceberg or field ice.
They dissolve before they reach that
point southwark, and become one un-
: distinguishable part and parcel of the
vast waters of the deep.
All the grand palatiaI ships that ply
between our ports and those of West
ern Europe are well appointed, and
have, in every respect, all that can be
desired or expected by a reasonable
being. And if perchance the mind
should weary in contemplating the
restless ocean and the lofty dome OF
heaven, and begin to count the re-
naming days of the passage, there
are amusements within OF such varied
character as to relieve it of its ennui
provided one is of human and
generous make. If you should be
sea sick, there is no help for you,
though you will not want for medical
attention and kind service. On our
h0oF fhr n e.or,,1