Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-08-29
Tor the Observe.
Letter from Rev. j Os-
w. Murphy.
HANOVER, GERMANY.
July 29'h, 1891.

of my movements, and OF l
have seen and heard and thought
luce | EFT old Hlllsboro and reach
ed much older Hanover, or Han.
mover as they spell it here, accent
ing The second syllable.
| left IIillsboro on the lst OF July,
and after a halt Of a few hours IN
Washington City and a few days IN
Baltimore, Elizabeth, n. j. and
New York, sailed from New York
(Which city | found wonderfully
charged since my last visit there in
1870 on the good ship Waesland
OF the Red star Line on July 9Th
TIE ship was built in 1880 at Bel
fast, Ireland, and is in good condl
tor: She is 445 feet long, 43 wide,
and 81 deep, has tour decks, and IS
said to Accommodate 100 cabin and
1900 storage passengers As TO
cabin passengers [ should say the
full number could b. right colltort-
ably taken care vi, but eve Doe
sleerage passengers YOU'D III my
opinion be Intentionally crowded
In addition there would be 100 per
har- belonging TO the snip, officers,
crew, and stewards. He We're, |
suppose, all tod, rot beyond 500.
These al White, aud equal, l sup
poss, to the white population OF
IIillsboro. Think Of them as ali slut
up together in one vessel tossed
about 10y the waves in the middle Of
tho ocean 1900 miles from land. The
officers Of oar ship and the cabin
passengers included quite a variety
# people, from Mexico on the South
to Canada on the North, and from
California On The West to Belgium,
Holland, France ard Germany on
the East. Close companiouship On
the sea leads TO overlooking Of dis
tinclions tor the time beng, and
very pleasant association, bot does
not make necessary afterwards aty
more than a slight bow. Here let
me say, while | think Of it, that in
Germany true politeness is o
general Than IN America OF in Bel
pium. The difference is observable
as soon az u crosses the frontier,
III travellers: railway officials, hotel
keepers, customs c~ilicers, shop .eo-
pie, ali with whom one has a anything
to 60,
But to 90 back. the start from
New York was in rain which lasted
two days, though without any hing
like q ,orm On the third day,
with the night before, we passed
over a part of The sea not vet settled
down after a storm. Then re had
quite q rough time. the sea c~outin-
ualIy washing over the pronenade
deck and occasionally breaking even
over the root. This made necessary
the fastening of chairs by strong
cords or straps to some secure place,
and the stretching 0: ropes for PEG
pie ,enturlng to walk to grasp when
in danger OF falling. Frames also
had 10 be put on the tables I o hold
the plates ana dishes. Some of The
people were sea sick even before
this, white now many were unsettled,
aud a few continued SO almost 10 the
last. Your correspondent was not
troubled 10 that way at al during
the voyage. After the Sd day}w We
had no rough weather at all, AID 10
tact the sea was as smooth as in
Chesapeake Bay or A.bemarle
Sound.
1t is often said that ocean steam.
ships rise up out OF the water Ike
three story houses, AMI that the
waves are mountain high. Both
statements are e~Xtratagant. AS to
waves, on this voyage the greatest
IN height seen were probably u,
more ,haa twenty feet, counting not
from the general level Of the ocean
Int from the bottom = a furrow to
the crest If 4 wave. OF course IL
storms tie height is greater, but |
should suppose not beyond to.ty feet
The highest, A to tie height uf
steamers, OF course they vary. The
promenade deck of ours stands Der,
hals fifteen feet above he water
There are two decks higher thar
this, but they are very limited in tx
tcut, forming "ha, is called the
bridge, being the LOOKOUT used by
the officers CT the ship.
" the beginning of the voyage
those having friends to TART with
feel very sad, those who have none
more SO, especially if the voyage he
q FIRST one. Then comes tie an.
~nonncenent that there are letters
for passengers OF the saloon table,
lhls rrigh.eGs o"e up IT lie is SO for.
tuna,e. rs was the writer, in beiag
well remembered. The replies are
$ hastily peuned To be sem back By
! the pilot, and so the sadness OF look
(, ing back at the receding Of The
home shores is avoided and present
} ~ we fluid ourselves we'll out at sea
Getting acquainted with fellow pas