Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-21
SOUTHWARK, HO!
The Voyage Across the Atlantic from
IiverUooI to New York.

u.
life. "a ship is worse than gaol. There
is, in a gaol, better air, better company,
better conveniency of every kind; and a
ship has the additional disadvantage of
being in danger. When men come 70 IKE
a seattle, they are not tit to live on land.
This was spoken in 1916, during the dark
ages OF NAVIGATION. when the burlY auto
crat Of the British breakfast table was
nearly 0yeavs before ocean steamers, ana
nearly 20 years old.
Times have changed since the ever
Iovable Charles Dickens wrote his Amer
lean Notes. in which he told the world
that he would never forget the one-fOurth
serious and three-fourths comical aston
isnment with which on the third OF Janu-
airy, eighteen hundred and fOrty-two, |
opened the door Of, and put my head into,
a 'state-roOm' on board the Britannia
stean-packet, twelve hundred tons bur-
then per register, bound for Halifax and
Boston, and carrying her Majesty's
mails"
Times have changed since September,
1S4l, when Sir Charles Lyell paid his
"Second Visit to the United States" re-
gardiug which he writes: con leaving the
wharf we had first been crammed into
diminutive steamer, which looked
like a toy by the SIDE OF the larger
ships Of 1000 tons, in which we were to
cross the ocean. | was reminded, how
ever. that this small craft was more than
three times as large as one of the open
caravels Of Columbus in his first voyage,
which was only 10 tons burden. and with
out a deck. 1T is indeed marvellous to re-
fleet on the daring Of the early adventure
ers; for FrObisher, in 1916, made his way
from the Thames to the shores Of Labra-
dor with two small banks Of 20 and %
tons, not much surprising in size the
barge OF man Of war, and Sir Humphrey
Gilbert crossed TO Newfoundland in 1883
in bark Of 10 tons only" Now, in 1885,
THE ATLANTIC AQUARIUM nl
may be crossed in six or seven days, In
an iron or steel ship of such vast dimen-
sions, such elaborate arrangements for
the convenience and comfort of every
class of passengers, and such extensive
popular patronage, that TO the man OF
business life at sea is necessity grown
to be a luxury, and TO the seeker after
pleasure, a luxury grown to be a neces-
sity. Consequently, we find 1t no hard
ship TO board the tenderships which bears
us, with bag and baggage, to the Cunard
roval mail steamer, Aurania, bound for
New York. Now we are alongside, now
aboard, now below to find our rooms, now
on deck to watch the receding city; and
now everything has settled into quiet and
order, for we are fairly out to sea. Ev-
erybOdy is eager to secure a seat at the
table, but not every seat that is engaged
VIII be occupied. Already some are dis
quieted within them and, with loss of
courage and color, have retired from the
vulgar gaze.
A run Of fourteen hours has brought us
into the splendid harbor OF Queenstown,
where we embark malls, and more pas
sengers Of both sexes. And now, leaving
Fastnett light astern, we are on the chan
mel OF the deep which once divided, but
which now, by ships above and cables be-
low. binds in cordial brotherhood the two
nations which essentially are one. The
Aurania is a magnificent steam vessel of
5000 tons gross register, ,269 tons accord
ing to more accurate measurement. She
was built in 1888 on the Clyde, in Scot
land. Her material is of fine steel, and
her dimensions are: 470 feet long and 81
feet broad. These proportions indicate a
new departure. Hitherto
THE CUNARD COMPANY's STEAMERS
were. in length, ten times the width. But to
obtain greater stability and more commO-
diOus state-roOms and saloon, the beam
Of the Aurania was increased to nearly
an eighth eff her length. Her ships COM
pany are:
In the sailing department. ................. Sc
In the engineer department. .-............ 81
In the stewards department ............., 81
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 284
Her passengers on the present voyage
are classed as follows:
Saloon passengers. .....-................ 1864
Intermediate passengers. ................... 60
Steerage passengers ...............-...... .le5
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 500
Yet there Is room to spare, for she is fitted
tn or
sengers. Her cabin accommodations are
excellent, though some OF the state rooms
are necessarily small, and the provision
made for those who go into the steerage Is
very clean, very good, and very cheap.
The spacious saloon, which is in the fore
part OF the ship. is over 30 feet wide by 70
feet long. 1t has six rows of tables, with
seats for over 300 guests. 1t is well light
ed by SO incaudescent electric lamps, The
cuisine, for quality, quantity and variety,
is without fault ana the attendance OBJ
liging and prompt. Over the dining sa-
loon is
THE MUSIC ROOM,
containing a Colard & Collard piano Of
fine tone. The furniture and decorations
altogether afford pleasure and comfort,
and the electric lights in the bedrooms,
which may be turned on or of at the will
Of the occupants, are much appreciated
and admired. w hen we have added a
good smOking-room, an elegant ladies'
cabin, bathrooms, electric bells, and
other aids to enjoyment, we have de-
scribed in brief floating hotel, second
only to settled and happy home.
How few who pace up aud down the
deck Of this great steamer, and look up to
the gigantic red and black smoke stacks,
feet IN diameter, or listen 10 the thump-
ing OF the machinery, have any idea Of
the tremendous fires and forces beneath
their feet! Yet those smoke stacks, %
feet from the top TO the bottom, are car
rying of the smoke OF ~ furnaces, which
are burning and blazing vehemently
night and day. Down in the
depths Of this ship are six steel dOu be-
ended boilers, with six furnaces to each,
and two single-ended boilers, each of
whose furnaces are three. These boilers
contain $40 tons OF water. The Aurania
| possesses compound engines OF most
massive description, which develop nearly
! 10000 indicnted horse power, and produce
a speed OF about l1i5 knots an hour, with
"A daily consumption OF 2i0 tons Of coal.
/ Her shaft Is u inches in thickness. her
/ propeller Of four blades is % feet in d.
ameter, and by the watch we found The
/ revolutions OF her screw TO be over go to
| the minute. One day we ran i0l miles.
] but she has accomplished as much as 430
miles IN the day. She Is q grand boat,
and well worthy 10 rank with the nOblest
steamships now a1Oat.
Tho Cuuard gtnamahfn Can,nauv No