The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-20

iFSl,T SEA. June %, 1S9O.-There is only
A1E one place where the great Atlantic
1%Ay liners come to complete stop, un-
less from accident, between their New York
docks and Queenstown. This is for 4 most
interesting little incident and ceremonial,
Of which frst-trippers usually have no
knowledge. and which even old vOyagers
seldom quite understand. 1t is called
dropping the pilot"
II you are still upon the promenade deck
and have got the mists of parting out Of
your eyes, you have perhaps wondered what
that trouzed-face man in citizens clothing
was doing up there among the bespangled
officers upon the bridge. lie seems the
ouietest fellow on board. His eyes are
singing out the row of ehannel-buoys, or,
with a glass, rapidly scanning the lower
Jersey shores and the cleaning lines Of the
Long Island sands, or again glaneing at this
point or that along the sea horizon. His is
an anxious face. The lines in it uucon-
Sciously picture the human look that tells
Of something lost, or of great danger that
there may be. | have seen men like him
stand where he IS with that same look, and
the peTspirati0n dripping from their faces
in streams in the coolest of weather. This
man is not the ships captain; but While he
stands there, now and then giving a low
toned order, he is absolutely the commander
OF the ship. He is a New York pilot, de-
tailed from the lower Wall-street pilot office
to take your ship to sea. In ordinary cases
bis fee would be based upon the ships ton
mage. With the larger ocean steamships
Jumped price is made. He must remain
aboard until Sandy Hook is passed. and as
Ft,r n bn az n M ~ do
sires. Ii it be pleasant weather. when you
are abreast Of Sandy Hook you will notice
row. boat, yaw-built, manned by two men,
putting out from the light-ship anchored
between your steamer and the Hook. This
light-ship Is simply New York harbOr
pltot-boat, by pilot regulations made TO do
her turn of months stand in this IN
savUry, though
OFTEN EXCITING BERTH.
Her crew are pilots 'prentices getting
their first lessons and experiences at pilots
duties and hardships. The boat being
rowed briskly toward your steamer in the
channel is called a pilots punt; and the
two Oarsmen are kn0ttlly built prentice
lads OF IS or 20 years OF age. At the same
moment the punt heads fCr the steamer the
latteT's engines slow down. The punt and
the steamer meet at the point of an exact
Tight-angle; lines are east; the punt made
fast 10 float alongside the ships port side,
and the TOpe-ladder is lowered. Meantime
the pilot has resigned his post on the
bridge The chief officer Immediately takes
his place. Stepping to the cnart-roOm the
pilot certities in the log-boo that the ship
has duly cleared the port of New York the
ships commander certifes the pilots lee,
which pilotage is duly paid by the New
York agents of the line, and in a
moment more the pilot has been
dropped" into the waiting punt. BY the
ships rail stands tile puTser, or the
mail steward. A thousand addenda good
bys have been hastily written, sealed and
stamped. and hundreds of kilograms in
dited, between the docks and the Hook.
These, last slender thread between land
and home and the iTrevocable tinality OF
your voyage, are let down by line to the
pilot, who takes them as with unconscious
tenderness in his arms. In another instant
the ships engines are again numbering.
The pilots punt shoots straight for the
light-sllip. The officer on the bridge mods to
the h0atsWain, whose shrlll whistle strikes
the flags" The Quartermaster brings down
the ships three ndgS-the blue Peter or
sailing-iay flag from the foremost, the own
es's or 'h0use" flag from the mainmast,
and the ensign from the gatf-as dead
shot hunter Will bring some gay bird Of pas
sage from its flight quIveringly 10 his feet.
a farewell cheer rings out over the port
side after the departing pilot. Your voyage
has now really begun.
There can nowhere be noticed a more
dOlOrOus change than that which i'll TWEEN
ty-fOur hours time after Sailing-day has
come over the manner, appearance, and en-
VTOnment Of from 1000 TO 1000 souls on
your great ocean steamer The quiet
people ID dark gray serges and tWeeds hold
their own handsomely. These were the
least hilarious ana 0bstreperous at sailing.
But they comprise but trfing percentage.
Nearly all the rest have come aboard as
they would attend reception or the opera,
with view to making something Of an I'M
preston. That quite forgivable human
weakness of ever being on the alert to be
thought well of has had every form of ex-
preston. This one has held a veritable
to receive all manner of needless cOrreSpon-
dence and kilograms. Another has actually
sent to choice circle p. z. e. cards, with
name Of steamer, sailing date and hour,
with a delicate intimation that the presence
OF dear friends at sailing would be
a CHARMING TOKEN OF REGARD.
This brings a score of carriages, a crowd of
folk. a dozen or so regrets by messengers,
and what Is still more acceptable, because
OF it's impressiyenesS, 4 perfect ovation in
fruits, bOnbuus and flowers. 1t is 4 feast
to this class 0f departing ones to overh ear
covert inquiries like Who are those
people?" "What party is that" High
rollers. that crowd, eh?" And the silks,
diamonds and laces of these people are over
whelming. They know it and pleasant
little thrill OF conquest comes Of it all. But
the height Of delight or despair to these
nouveauX riches is found in the matter of
parting floral offerings. The chief Steward
of the great liner upon which l am now
writing estimates the value of flowers sent
to the cabin within twenty-four hours
previous to sailing as often reaching fully
$500. One stand never cost less than $3.50.
How its possessor, wicked old crone OF 20,
hid underneath paint, wig and bangs and
bespangled with diamonds, glared with
scOrn at the $50 or 500 offerings piled upon
the cabin tables! But some of our New
York WORTHLESS are very clever about this
steamship fl0wer-show.
"Do you see that magnificent fgure?"
asked the steward, pointing to piece four
feet in height artistically formed into SEMI
blance of tile coat-Of-arms OF quite cele-
brated English house. THE lady of the
family To whom this was sent claims to be
of noble birth, although her husband sells
rum for a living. She crosses often with us;
and she usually has the handsOmeSt Offering
sent aboard. 1 know her florist very well.
She makes the order herself. lust before
'goin'-ashore' gong IS sounded, il you keep
q sharp lookout, YOU will see that her offer
ing is suddenly whisked ashore. Scores OF
'em do that"
Where is the point in the maneuver?"
"Oh, a 'crasher' on the rest of the pas
to the florists, are taken 10 pieces, and are
all sold in cheap bouquets at the ferry
houses before night"
did keep sharp lookout and did see
number. OF the finest pieces "whlsked
ashore" 1t was pretty little bit of society
cunning had failed to know about before.
Quite theatric, too. But these steamship
fOwer-shOws are something really trench
dous. At the first meal or two, their pos
SCISSORS are literally banked in flowers, to
the great inconvenience and modification Of
others. Near my own seat were a mother
and daughter in desperate way. Probably
not more than $500 or $500 worth of flowers
hedged them in like fairy chevaux de-
frse. They were contemplating another
eastellated battIement Of the same sort, fur
Their down the table, Il trifie more gorgeous
than their own. 81 don't blame you, Hell
en-" said the mother with naughty disdain.
at showed very mean spirit in him."
AN ANGRY BEAUTY.
"Mean spiritp retorted the daughter
writing in anger George is too pennrl-
Gus, that's what he is. l shall just order
the steward to pitch them overheard at
once. He said l should have the finest ON
the s,eamer-tbe brute, That settles him.
Hon get his congo at Liverpool. N0-lll