Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-04
Kennebecer In Cuba.

Mr.. George f. Mason of Augusta, who is
on voyage to Cuba, writes an interesting
letter to his friends at home, dated March
9th, from which the Maine Farmer makes ex-
tracts.
Mr.. Mason writes: Leaving Portland on
the 2lst of February, the second night out
we had a severe gale off Cape Cod, and were
hove to for l2 hours. it blowing q perfect
gale all the time On the 29th. there was
another gale, and terrific one it was, too,
in the Gulf stream, during which we were
hove to about all the time. This ex-
perience continued nearly the entire
voyage. thought / knew something about
heavy sea, but found knew nothing. The
nearest can come to an illustration of the
sea during these gales, is to stand in Market
Square and look up Winthrop hill, and i'm
agine it coming down on me. That is the
way the waves ran, one after another without
any exaggeration.
After his arrival, Mr.. Mason writes: "We
have just dropped anchor in Cardenas bay,
| it having been 10 days, hours and 30
minutes since we left Portland. This morn
| ing we can see where we are. The town
| is about two miles off and we are sur
rounded by vessels of all kinds
have been ashore, and find that the build
| ings are just like the pictures | have seen
of them. The streets are long and
straight, and cross each other, forming
perfect squares. The horses are very
small, not over IA hands high. They use
here for business a great many oxen and
bulls, the yoke being fastened to the horns,
which looks queer enough. The people sll
wear linen suits, and some have no clothing
above the waist. 1t is almost impossible to
make any one understand what you want, as
they all talk Spanish. The people have very
small feet, some Of them wearing No. or
shoes. The shoes have heels about two in
ches high"
4 Shipbuilding Enterprise In the south
A new enterprise just organized in the
South by New Englanders is the Virgins
| Iron Shipbuilding Co, with a capital of a
million dollars which will build iron and steel
ships at Alexandria. The Co. is composed OF
wealthy and energetic business men of Bos-
ton and Maine. among whom are Captain j.
B Thomas of Boston, Capt. G. c. Goss OF
Bath, Mr.. C. f. Moody of Boston and Other
men of like character and prominence. They
have purchased a large area of property
having . frontage of thousand feet on the
Potomoc, with depth of thirty feet at the
shore. Here they will obtain by a compare.
| finest iron ship yard in the United States
; These capitalists have carefully considered
this matter and acted advisedly in selectieg
Alexandria as the place to establish this great
enterprise. They believe it to be the most
favorable point to which to bring iron and
coal to tide water for shipbuilding purposes.
They expect to bring their entire force OF
working men from elsewhere, as there are nc
available skilled mechanics such as they de-
sire in Alexandria. Two prominent Boston
gentlemen will soon sail for Scotland to Sc.
cure force of wurkingmen from the Clyde
establishments, where shipbuilding is now
very dull, The main advantage possessed
by the locality selected is that of climate. II
is believed that workingmen in that climate
can labor out of doors more days in the year
than anywhere else in the United States. A
still more important consideration is that the
medium temperature makes it a much better
place to rivet iron and steel plates together
than any point either to the north or the south
of the Potomac. 1t is expected that work
will be begun on 20OO ton iron vessel during
| the coming season