San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-07-08
Correspondence Of FREE PnSss. ]
Trim Across the Atlantic.

/
We board the great steamship
"City of Rome" the largest passen'
gor vessel afoat, $50 feet IN length
52t feet in width, strongly and beau
tifully constructed, employing 26t
men, burning 270 tons of coal pen
day. Pecisely at IL m. the gang
plank was raised and the great float
ing palace steamed out of the harbor
Waving a goodbye to the multitude
of friends upon the pier we turn our
faces toward the blue waters OF the
Atlantic. We pass the foots of the
Pedestal of Bartholdi Statue, Coney
Island, and drop our pilot of Sandy
Hook. We are now upon salt water
and our beloved country soon fades
out in the distance. Farewell, the
dearest spot on earth is now behind
the midst. Our attention is now
turned to the passengers on board
We are four of eight hundred, most
of them are of foreign birth return
ing to their fatherland. Only few
native born Americans.
Night comes on and the third day
comes to close This is the 29th
of May and we remember that to-day
our friends will scatter flowers upon
the graves of the honored dead. We
cannot help but think of home and
how appropriate it would be if we
had q few of your beautiful flowers to
decorate the graves of them that
sleep beneath the rolling deep. An
other day is gone. Sunday is bright
and beautiful. We attend church
services in the saloon and had the
pleasure of hearing sermon from
the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of
Carlisle. This was the event of the
day. All quiet at evening. We lie
down and wait anxiously for the NOR
row. 1t comes, but dark and gloomy.
Our spirits are heavy and we are get
ting tired of sea life. We have
counted the hours before landing
over and over again. We look at the
water and imagine we are making bet
ter time, but the sailors warrant us
that we will not see land before We'd
nesday night and that we will not
reach Liverpool before Thursday
night. We console each other and
lie down to sleep. Tuesday morning
cold and cloudy. Passed vessel of
the Cunard Lime bound for New
York thirty eight hours out OF
Queenstown. We take courage and
are jubilant and happy. The day is
quiet. At evening a concert was
held in the grand saloon. 1t was o
brilliant affair but space will not per-
NIT of commenting upon it. The en-
tertainment was to close with the
'.Star Spangled Banner" and God
Save the Queen" What few Ameri-
cans were present hadn't the courage
to sing the former. The latter met
with a hearty response. A collection
for the benefit Of aged seamen was
taken and twenty-six and one-half
pounds sterling were the receipts.
Wednesday morning cold and
rainy, the sea heavier, and the sailors
are lashlng down everything loose
about the decks. We have digested
our last square meal I suppose, for
they say that this is a sure sign of q
storm, and that the fortunate must
soon share the fate of the unfortu-
nate. We are ready, "Blow ye your
trumpet" Morning, we are still
: alive, kind Providence in his mercy
changed the course of the winds. and
the storm has passed around. Land
Land! is echoed along the decks, We
hasten up, and the rocks of Old Ire
land loom up in the distance. None
but they who have passed over the
great waters can put true estimate
on the value of q little real estate
We arrive ut Queenstown. Two small
boats called tenders meet us some
distance from land, and take of mail
passengers and baggage bound fol
the Emerald Isle. We wave q good
bye as our vessel steams maiestically
} up the Channel. We pass FukoI
Light House at 11:20, Holly Head
Skerries Rocks, beautiful spots on the
sea, and reach harbor at Liverpool at
III N m VAN DE VENrFR.