The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-04-23
Sailed the Ocean Blue.
Cunning for Pirates on the
Chesapeake.

Passenger Agent Of the B. & o. X. r. accom-
panied by George and Bob the two youn
men who use the scissors and paste an
shove the pencils on this paper, left 70
Baltimore, where they joined three othe
gentlemen on trip to Old Point Comfort
Va, and thence to sea on Pilot Boat. A
s p. m. Saturday evening the little party o
six embarked on one of the Bay Line steam
ers and we're soon steaming down the Chesa
peske at the rate of twenty miles an hour
One gets better idea OF the business don'
in baltimore from the deck OF a moving
steamer than from any other point of obser
walton. A thousand vessels lay alongside a.
many docks unloading and receiving car
goes that could not Gail to1impress the oh
server that Balumore,sgets..therei just th'
same although she don't boast much abou
the great business she does.
These large steam vessels are ''eye open.
ers' TO the country Jake who has never
been accustomed to navigating larger body
of water than ksntner's dam. The cabins
are luxuriantly furnished with the most
inviting easy chairs and diysns. handsome
paintings and ornamental carvings. The en-
tire ship is lighted up by electricity. But
the most enticiting part about the boat is
the dining room. ''0h, let's talk about any
( thing else than things to eat. All right
but spring chickens and Strawberries don't
rippen in Somerset county in April We
spent so long a time discussing the bill
of fare that it was too dark when we GOT on
deck to see anything, but the lights along
shore, and after disposing of half-dozen
/ tobies we sought the shelter that the cabin
grants" and shortly afterward our state
rooms where we found as comfortable beds
and just as neat and clean as we are accus-
toned 10 in our country homes.
At day-break porter raped us up to
dress as We were nearing Old Point The
F, hour was an unusual one for any of the
members OF our party to arise, bat all were
repaid for the unkindly yexation caused by
the porters knuciles, when the morning
sun peeped above the waves.
On the wArf we were met by Captains
Coleman and McClay and were conducted to
their row boat near by and soon were bounce
ing over the foaming pillows to the two
masted schooner pilot boat, Baltimore
Onee on board the schooner all hands cast
their eyes aloft to see what they could see
and there they espied the pretty fair rays
of "old Sol kissing the tops of the waves in
the FAR east and painting them thousand
brilliant colors. Captain Bob McCIay
''swore he never would tell how many
suns he had seen come up in the heavens
and he didn't strike us as being excessively
modest. but he vowed that he had never seen
a prettier sun rise than on that Sunday
morning.
The boat was soon gotten under way and
not long after nine O'Clock we had rounded
! Capes Henry and Charles and were well out
to sea. A mountaineer experience mighty
+ queer sensations just about the time he is
about to pass out Of sight of land wish /
could explain mine. But we got there and
/ had not sailed far when we sighted the steam
( pilot boat which headed for US and was soon
along side. A number of the pilots came
abroad our craft and pirtook of mild de-
coction that the colored chemist. Isaiah,
I skillfully and rapidly compounded
The pilots OF the Chesapeake bay have an
organization Of about forty members. They
/ own the vessel our party was aboard, and
the steam vessel that we met. The schooner
plies between Old Point and the capes, while
the steamer never comes inside Under ex-
isting laws no ship is permitted to enter
port without pilot on board. The steamer
! supplies the incoming ships with pilots,
while the schooner in turn supplies the
steamer The pilots are all young men of
good education and birth and most of them
are ready TO retire from business when they
I reach the age OF fifty.
After the steamer left us we run within
two or three miles of shore and as the wind
was unfavorable TO return to the Point, cast
anchor. The evening was delightfully."- warm
and all hands whiled away the hours sing
/ ing and smoking. A breeze sprung up dur
! ing the night. and before three o'clock Capt.
Coleman had his boat under way, and by
daylight we were in sight of Hampton
Roads. The deserted ripraps looked very
gloomy in the mornings grey, but the Gov
ernment school-ship 4" Jamestown" anchor
ed in front. was ali alive. 1t was washday
on board. and the would-be sailor boys had
the rigging filled with linen, which, at our
distance, looked like display of the flags OF
all nations. The great. silent guns OF the
I Earfr raSs walls frorpa1 loun az, ,,r a. ,-,
sailed under them, when further o5serva-
ton was cut or by a call from Isaiah,
/" breakfas is ready. Mastah Captain. A
most delicious breakfast of fresh sea fish,
crabs and oysters was served and dispatched.
after which all hands donned billed shirts -
and went ashore anchor having been cast
Immediately in front OF the Hygcia Hotel.
This hotel is an immense structure-so large.
in fact that invalid boarders are compelled
TO ride TO the dining room on horses, so far
is It removed from the sleeping apartments.
4 large open wagon conveyed our party
over the Point to historic Hampton, where
are located United States Indian School,
and a Colored Normal School, in both
trades. The grounds and buildings are
kept in the same neat and clean repair
that Uncle Sam keeps all his private posses
sions. The day was balmy and fair; such
a one as we in the mountains are won't to
call rare in June. The roses in the gardens
were in full bloom the leaves on the mag
nolia trees more than half grown. while the
magnoliss themselves were just about ready
TO unfold their petals and send forth their
sweet perfume. Indian boys and girls
/ dressed in civilians clothes are no more Of a
curiosity than are colored children. but
somehow or other Dams searching eyes
discovered several Pocahontases reposing on
! the green sward.
Hampton. is decidedly an interesting town,
and. one Of its most interesting spots is st.
I Paurs Church built by the English colonists
almost two hundred years ago. The ediiice
itself shows no signs of decay and is kept in
excellent repair After half hour in the
churchyard, lettering among the grave
stones reading the quaint inscriptions over
/ old fellows who have been under the ground
I for more than century, we returned to Old
Point and went inside the Fortress. Fort
ress Monroe is the largest and strongest
foriiication owned by this government, and
( contains several hundred acres inside the
ramparts. The entirei Fortress is surrounded
by water. an artificial channel separating it
4 from the land, over which foot bridges are
case of an attack. Right inside the entrance