Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06
AN OCEAN VOYAGE.
Oliver Optic Describes a Trip Across
the Atlantic Ocean.
LIFE ON BOARD THE STEAMER.
Valuable Hints for People Who Intend to
Travel.
THE BASHFUL MAN HAS NO SHOW
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

I have crossed the Atlantic ten times in
the last "a years, in as many different
steamers. My first trip was in the Persia
"a years ago. She was the last but one Of
the slde-wheelers, the Scotia continuing to
run few years longer because she was a
fsvorite steamer. She was very fine ship,
and quite as comfortable as any OF the mod
ern craft. She was commanded by Captain
Lott, for some time the commodore of the
line after the retirement of Captain Judkins.
1 returned that year in the Australasian,
afterward called the Calabria, Captain
Cook, who was the senior commander of the
line until his recent retirement.
These trips were made before any of "our
boys" were born, and as I am writing
mainly for them, they will think my narra-
tive is rather musty with age. I shall,
therefore, tell them something about life on
an ocean steamer, what they would have
seen if they had been my fellow-voyagers.
Three weeks ago landed from the Um-
bria at New York; and perhaps her trip
would afford as good specimen o. an ocean
voyage as any 1 could select. The Etruria
and the Umbria are the two "crack ships"
I of the Cunard Linz and till the City of
Paris appeared this last summer, they had
made the quickest trips on record. They
have been beaten in speed, and now 1t is
said that the Cunard Company will build
two new steamers to keep the line up to the
requirements OF the times.
The price of passage across the ocean
varies from S35 up to SIPS, though there are
staterooms on some OF the lines Tor which
$500 passenger is paid. Return tickets are
sold at discount of about $40.
will suppose that you are in Liverpool,
my boy, with your ticket in your pocket.
If you are not overburdened with baggage
| q take only 20-inch valise and a small
hand bag) you call a hanson to convey you
to the landing stage, which is floating
wharf, for the tide rises and falls over 20
feet in the Mersey. You will find that this
stage is quite a city of itself, covered with
storerooms, custom house apartments, re-
freshment saloons and other rooms, connect
ed with the shore by bridges which rise and
fall with the tide.
READY TO START.
The landing stage is crowded with pas
sengers for the Umbria, though there are
several steamers alongside of 1t. The
Skirmisher, very large Cunard tender,
takes you to the steamer, anchored mile or
more up the Mersey. She has been in
dock to discharge and take in cargo, and
only came out into tine river in the morn
ing. A dock in Liverpool or London is an
inclosure of water, walled in, large enough
TO contain hundred or a thousand vessels.
The entrance is provided with immense
gates, opened only at high tide, when ves-
sells go in and out. As the tide goes down
the gates close, keeping the water IN the
dock. 1t is always high tide within the in
closure, so that the ships float in deep
water at all times. 1t is surrounded by
warehouses, where vessels load and dis
charge cargo.
On board of the Umbris, your first care is
to find your stateroom, which is No. rs.
You are on the upper deck, which has a
deck house on nearly Its whole length. Near
the rail are a dozen or more of large life
boats. Near the bow is the bridge, on which
the officers are stationed. The ship is steered
by steam, and the wheel is in little room
over the house on deck. Forward of the
officers bridge is another for the lookout.
You find in the house various openings,
some of which lead to staircases, by one of
which you descend to the next deck. By
the forward stairs you come to large cor
ridor from which opens the music room,
which is large apartment with piano at
one end and an organ at the other, with a
cushioned divan all around it. 1t is lighted
by round ports, and an immense skylight
overhead. In the middle it has large
opening in the floor surrounded by rail-
ing, BY which light is admitted to the din
ing saloon below. A door on each side of
the corridor leads out on the deck, where
you can walk nearly the whole length of
the ship, under the upper deck, but with
nothing but network railing between you
and the water. The open part of the deck
is about II feet wlde and from it open
many doors leading to the engine and fire
rooms, the galley or kitchen, the bakery
and other rooms. The doctor and the pur-
ser are located here, as well as many of the
officers.
From the corridor you descend to the spar
deck. on which is the dining saloon. 1t is
ship, with tables the whole length, at which
about 800 passengers can be seated. 1t is
elegantly fitted up and furnished, with
divans on each side and revolving chairs at
the tables. From the corridor you find a
gangway or passage on each side of the
vessel, from which open the state rooms.
On this deck you ind No 78 1t is rather
small, though it contains 5000 berths
You find in it a divan, washstand in
which the bowl drops down or is closed
up, like fall lid desk, space for your bag
gage IH0 Dcrbu anu UOOhS your
clothes There is a ventilator over the
upper berth, and you will sleep with the
door of the room about three inches aiar,
secured by hook.
THE RUSH FOR SEATS.
A steward has in formed You that there are
$50 pa, sengers on board. all frst-class, and
your next care is to look out Tor your seat at
the table. The second steward is giving out
the places, and you take your position in
line with about 200 people ahead OF you.
You soon find yourself very impatient, for
you wish to go on deck and see the sights on
the river or on the coast. You come to the
unanimous conclusion that this system of
assigning seats is very stupid and trying
one, and that the seat at the table ought to
be given to you when you buy your ticket.
About all in front of you have prefer |
ences. Some wish to be at the captain s
table, some at the doctors, some near the |
doors, and some object to sofa seats. The |
second steward has to discuss all these mat
tiers with the difficult ones, and it takes |
time. Then two services are required at |
table, for the saloon will not seat even half |
the passengers and some must take their |
meals in the area further aft After two |
hours. waiting you obtain your seat at the |
frst service. You will breakfast at s, lunch |
at 1890, and dine at 3.
Then you take a stroll on the upper |
deck, and you find that the space between |
the house and the boats is crowded with |
deck chairs, in which the passengers are