Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20

the cabin table with his father, while many of
the passengers sat in their steamer chairs on
deck, wrapped in shawls and rugs, and had their
meals, consisting largely of fruits, brought to
them by the stewards.
On the morning of the second day the quarter
masters fahrenheit, placed IN bucket of sea
water, indicted sixty-fye degrees. We had en-
tered the gulf stream. The temperature of the
air rose with that of the sea, and often during
the remainder of the voyage both showed a
coincidence of sixty-fve to sixty-seven degrees.
The mlldness OF the weather was also due
largely to the course we took, steering directly
for the Azores We knew nothing of winter
after we got well away from the American coast.
Quitting our berths the morning of the
third day we noticed that the ship was rolling
uncomfortably. Upon going on deck we found a
gale piping. The sea was rising; white-capS were
leaping and flying, and the spray was blowing
like wild StreamerS from the top of the waves.
Huge swells were glittering, humping themselves
ana crawling like enormous measurements, on
the horizon. The racks were not vet put on the
tables, and at breakfast a startling unsteadi-
ness OF things eliminated IN complete land
slide of chops, steaks, coffee cups, milk mugs,
and marmalade dishes sweeping OF our side
of the board and crashing upon the floor. 1t
was probable in anticipation of some such pos
Slble result of the ship lurching that the cabin
carpets had been taken up within an hour after
we left New York. The girls and their mother
escaped TO their staterooms, but Ariel, whom
1 had protected by stretching out both arms
against the table before us, heroically kept
his place. and after moments comlcaI aston
ishment burst into uncomfortable laug liter. In
the wreck of the breakfast he nothing but
joke. Wind and waves were astern and to keep
the ship from rolling, we'll as to help her on
her course, the smoke blaCkened foretop-sail
had been set. But when the sailors, high in the
dizzy yard, were UnfUrling the immense foresail
it suddenly burst with sharp thunderclaps and
flew into black ribbons in the gale.
1t was well to have brief experience of the
power of wind and waves, and of the magnif-
cent beauty of the reused ocean. We had during
the day alternate sun and showers, squalls and
rainbows. The tints of the pillows varied from
a tn
white. Now liquid hill, chasing US, towers
over the stem, and seems for moment rushing
to Overburden US; but the ship rises on it, get
ting at the most only splash that sweeps
the deck. Sometimes the floors stand at
angle of 45 deg, to roll suddenly back to the
same inclination in the opposite direction; no
body can keep his feet. Even the sailors have
to be assisted by ropes stretched along the decks
The great length of the steamer-370 feet-pre-
vents her from nitcbinp verv bsd1v lint che
tumbles like log. Much of the time the screw
is partly out of the water, so that, even
less speed than in calm weather. There is a
strange fascination in watching the waYes-from
some safe but commanding position, like the
hurricane deck or the officers 'bridge''-and
the slow, majestic, powerful swing of the huge
three-masted, black funneled hull as 1t plunges
and rolls, now high the pillows backs and
now in the vast sea hollows.
The gulls have disappeared, having followed
us for three days; so have the Italians, being
mostly driven below by the waves sweeping the
decks. A few brave the wet and lie upon the
matches. declaring that they can not endure the
bad doors below STAIRS. And no wonder. The
portfolios are closed, and all the air they re-
Ceive enters their close and crowded quar-
ters through the crooknecked ventilators, to be
breathed out again by the ''between decks''
gangways, a marvelously sour breath, as we
perceived, when, taking advantage of a mo-
ment's steadiness OF the ship and lodging the
seas that splashed aboard, the more vent
uresome OF US make running trips to the
captain room and the bridge. We were all
glad enough when the gale subsidized and the
sea went down, after the one day and nights
terrible shaking up they gave us; but fancy
the emigrants were doubly glad. They swarmed
on deck again, playing cards what dirty packs,
''morra,' and other peculiarly Italian games,
and dancing their astonishing spider Dance
to the amusement of such of us as watched
them from over the rail of the hurricane deck.
There were only fifteen women among them, and
a few children; for these peasants of Southern
Italy 90 not commonly go to America
to remain, like the Irish and Scandinavians, but
only to work during the summer months, and
then to carry home their earnings and spend the
winter with their families or friends. They
proved to be an exceedingly good-natured lot
notwithstanding the Italians bad reputation
for quickness and vindictiveness Of temper:
there was not a serious quarrel among
them, nothing that approached a row during
the entire voyage. In fine weather many of
getheT with their wine, pint cupful of which
was allowed them by the ship. The cooking of
their vegetables was mostly done on deck, in
barrels, into which Jets of steam were intro
duced through rubber pipes. Some OF them
looked miserable enough particularly the
women; but we noticed that one of these, with
washing of her family under circums tances the
most discOuraging imaginable.
Ariel, who wished to and understand
everything about the vessel, from the steam
steering apparatus and the engines 70 the deep,
black, grimy. internal hole where the stokers,
like demons in pit, fed the furnace fires, want
ed to visit the emigrants' quarters also; and one
fine day, when they were mostly on deck, took
him along in company with the captain and doc
tor, who were making their midday rounds of in
spection. Imagine two narrow aises between
tiers OF rough wooden bunks-one tier
above another-each bunk barely two feet wide,
and divided from its neighbors on each side BY
an inch board; dirty mattresses, on which a
few sick emigrants were groaning. and a per-
sistenU foul odor, which even the open port
holes and recent cleansing of the floors failed
to eliminate; part of the hulk, as well as the
: between decks packed in this way; then
think of our T6S dirty Italians all under cover
there, at night or in foul weather, and you have
a faint idea of the steerage passage.
Il shouldn't like to live here, would your
says Ariel, with wry face. as we regain the |
upper air, and he turns contentedly to the clean
and his swing under the boom.
II was amusing after we had been q few DAYS |
out to see the little fellow with his ''sea legs'
on. He had learned instinctiyely to balance |
himself with the swaying Of the ship; and he |
appeared as much at his ease on deck or in the |
saloon, among the sailors and passengers, as |
he ever did at home. There were not so many |
passengers but that all became well acquainted |
with each other after q snort time, and formed |
congenial family during the remainder of the |
voyage. ''Shufleboard'- was favorite game on |
deck for old and young; and often in the even |
ing. when We were not walking the decks by |
moonlight, or watching the stars and meteors |
among the swaying masts, we had lively enter |
tainments, with songs and Rotations, in the /
saloon.
One day sparrow appeared on board, hop /
ping about on the spars and rigging in q be- 1
wildered way, but refusing to pick up the crumbs
that Ariel scattered for II on the deck It re- 1
manned with all one afternoon, but the next /
morning it had disappeared. Where did it come |
from, hundreds of miles from any land? Had It /
been blown out 70 and found rest for its tiny
feet other ships before 1t alighted own? |
uvITr nar had
shed as mysteriOusly human SOUL visiting |
this wandering craft we call the world.
On CAMPING OUT.