The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-14

fortunate people who were stricken down
with smallpox. This was % miserable
looking place, I can tell you.
The sea was quite rough while we We're
passing through the Straits of Juan de
Fuca, rs they are not very wide and the
winds from the ocean had a clean sweep
through them. There were several rocky
islands and headlands on our way out,
and in a short time we entered the ocean.
oh. how beautiful the waves were. as
they broke over the rocks at Cape Flat
terry. There were numbers Of rocky
islands there. and the waves striking
them would break into spray and run off
i'm streams from all over them. Near by.
/ saw a waterfall. and on one of the
islands there was a lighthouse and other
buildings. Imagine. if you can, several
huge rOcks-as they seemed to me-stick-
ing up out of the sea. and these covered
with moss. and the waves breaking white
into spray over them, and the light
house standing there like the grim watch
that it is and YOU have Cape FIattcry.
at the northwest extremity of the United
States How the ship did pitch and roll
as we rounded this point Sometimes,
standing on the rear deck OF the ship. L
would think we were going right down
into the sea; but in a. few moments it
would look like we were starting into the
sky. The wind kept up such mournfu
sound that L felt like / had lost my last
friend. But when the ship began to'roll
from side to side until we had almost
vertical decks. then that wonderful sick
ness came over me. ''Seasickness," it is
called, but the sensation is hard TO de-
scribe, and only those who have expert
enced it know what it is. L never felt
more wretched i'm all my life, and did not
care whether l lived or died.
After leaving the vicinity Of Cape
Flattery the sea was calm, and / spent
most Of the time on deck. The next
is a rocky promOntory, on which L could
see several houses.
On Wednesday evening the first officer
OF the ship took my roommate and 1
down into the engine room, where we
spent about two hours. We went TO the
very bottom of the ship. with the eXcep-
ton of two or three feet. While in the
lower part we went through the tunnel
of the ship. where there is "A shaft of iron
13S feet long and 1872 inches in diameter.
This is the shaft that drives the propel-
Ter. Next we went into the fire room,
where there were eight or ten men busy
shoyeling coal; il was very hot there.
Imagine a room eighteen by twenty feet
long. by six or eight feet wide, with
furnaces in the Sidewalks and YOU have
the room in which the men work day
after day on the ocean steamers. Next,
we went up a flight of iron stairs and
peeped into the tool room. Some of the
shafts in this part of the ship. only a
few feet in distance, weigh over nine
teen tons.
Well, the next place we passed was
pretty place. When we were as much
as fifteen miles from the shore I could
see the waves breaking there and rising
into the air white as snow.
Off the last named cape / saw num-
her of whales and porpoises rising out
of the water the shin was
rough here again and the ship rocked
Ike cradle. In few hours we steamed
into San Francisco, but had to stay
aboard the ship for several hours after
ward, for our baggage had to be eX-
amined by the custom house officials
all Of which I think a great annoyance
for nothing. Stayed several hours in
San Francisco and took in some of the
lovely sights for which this city Is noted.
Some Of the places seen were Golden
Gate park. Seal rocks, Cliff house and
Lone mountain, besides other places
that 1 no longer remember. L think if
there is such a thing as paradise on
earth it is in Golden Gate park. Spent
two hours there. but the many lovely
and curious things 1 saw there are too
numerous TO mention.
Enjoyed the ride across San Francisco
bay on the ferry and was really sorry
when il came time to enter the cars
and proceed on my horneward journey.
Oakland is a very pretty city. much
more so than San Francisco, because it
is level and well-shaded, while san
Francisco is very hilly Around Fresno
there is some OF the most beautiful
country L ever saw. Next L came TO
Byron, where it was necessary TO wait
a long while on account of a train that
had been wrecked ahead OF US.
The last thirty miles of country be-
fore reaching Los Angeles is very
Il no lag aI
city is a good country filled with fine
orchards, vineyards, etc, and this, with
the valley of the Sacramento, is the only
good section Of country L saw in south
ern California. What change three
hours time brings in travelling through
this statei At noon we We're passing
through lovely valleys-by beautiful
homes--gaw bright flowers and luscious
fruit. but just after leaving Palm
Springs we began TO cross an alkili desert,
and what a change. The ground looked
very whne and was covered with cac-
tus and sage brush and was bordered
on one side by the Sierra Nevada mount
aims.
The atmosphere was so clear here that
at night it was almost as light as in
daytime. Awakening one night / looked
out and thought il was almost breakfast
time, and was preparing to eat when [
looked at my watch and found il was only
little past midnight, 50 ] concluded 10
wait awhile before eating. When MORN
ing came found that we were at a
little place i'm the desert in New Mexico
But TO go back little. / crossed the
Colorado river at Yuma, a quaint old
town of Spanish style. / was greatly
disappointed i'm the Colorado river. 1t
isn't near so large as / had thought it
10 be.
At SaltOn there are salt mines of con-
siderable Importance. This place is $50
feet below the sea level. about the. only
place in the United States so situated /
persume. This salt basin appears to
nave been at one time a part OF the
gulf OF California.
Near the boundary line Of Arizona and
New Mexico / saw a natural image I'm
the mountain peaks, which is called
Pachisi's Head. from an old Indian chief.
who once roarned over this country. tt
is i'm the shape of a human face and
can be dicerned for miles along this road.
A few miles farther on | saw several
mirages. The first one appeared TO be
a beautiful, blue lake stretching awav in
the distance, which has, no doubt fooled
many a poor traveller. Another one