The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-27

ued to be up to the present time, and the
company which sends its vessels out does
not know when they will return, what
thew will carry before they anchor again
in the home harbor, and in no way mas
them in control. - 49,.
from one port to another port regularly,
and in that respect she resembles a FERRY
boat. the only difference being that the
time is little longer between ianalngs s,
That is as true of the vessels which run
between Liverpool and Cape TOWN or Cal-
cutta or Bombay as of those which run Pc
tween Hamburg and New YORK. but the
tramp steamers movements become un-
known to the owners after IT has left the
home port and the second point of destina-
ton Is a matter which Is leIt enLirely 10
the iud ment of the officer IN command.
''They used to have saying among ship
ping people," he added, about tramp
steamers, to the effect that they would go
anywhere and take anything TO do bust
ness. no matter If they had to go to Green
land for icebergs, to Zanzibar for slaves or
to some enterprising yankee port Tor IRON
bound artesan wells The tramp Would
fake anything and make a strong fight
against the elements TO get IL 10 lis oestlh-
ation." ,-
"XYeary'' of the ocean Is still In the same
line of business and the class is growing
daily The vessels, besides being manned
by cheap and sometimes Incompetent
crews are not built as subs tantially as the
regular liners, although the strain to
which they are subjected is equally great,
and the consequence is that the rate Tor IN
surance is much higher
1.-THE build, the crew and the uncertainty
which attaches to this class OF steamers,
said an insurance man, give US good
cause for advancing the rates and justify
merchants in looking upon their shipments
as extra hazardous.
An Old merchant sailor in speaking of
the life on board the tramp steamers, SAID
work and less comfort between their hours
Of labor it was because they looked for
nothing better, and would be surprised at
a different state of affairs.
"They sign for year or more,' he said,
land in most cases they have been in the
same service before and know all about 1t;
The regular routine duties of a man aboard
ship between New York and Liverpool or
Bremen or Hamburg are tame and uEin-
teresting to these people. They want that
peculiar excitement which goes with life on
a tramp Into New York to-day, hard work
unloading the cargo, and then after few
days ashore, trip to South America, Gil
braltar, or possibly to Pacific port-that
Is what they want, and all the comforts OF
a modern liner could not lure them away
from the old badly built, rocking and
creaking tramps, many or which keep
above water only through accident, and
not BECAUSE their condition or their man
agement Is superior"
There come times, though, when the line
Of demarkation between the tramp steam
err and the aristocratic liners Is wiped out,
and when in the presence OF the battling
elements they send signs and signals of
confnrt and announcement one 10 an
other as two men would do when a COM
mon danger had made friends. and tramp
sailors have been carried into port by
their better fed and far less rd-worked
rivals, and the comfortless hunks of the
tramp steamers have sheltered the crews
Of wel-equipped vessels which had met
with accidents.
A man VINO was a passenger on one of
the ocean liners, which were caught in
the hurricane off the Irish coast In the
winter Of 1891, told the following story:
I'VE had been rolling and tossing for two
DAYS and nights, and the passengers were
worn out from loss OF sleep and the crew
were worn out with overwork, when. AZ
o'clock, on the morning OF the third
dav "A series OF huge waves which evil
IDENTIFY Travelled quicker than the ship,
broke over our stern, smashed IN the COM
pani0nway and matches flooded the lower
decks and gave everybody IN the first
ca bin a chance 10 take an ice-cold plunge
bath by stepping out Of their berths on
the cabin floor. II was an anxious time
while the water swashed about IN the
saloon. and men and women, with blanch-
ed faces. looked for q ray Of hope IN the
eyes OF the silent but busy officers.
Are we gOingy one man asked, as he
passed him arm tightly about his daugh-
ter who chung TO bis side.
Gods viii be done said the elderly
lady whom we had All learned 20 love.
A" Wen. N you fellows who forgot 70
put on enough clothes when you came out
viii stand stu I'll get a picture OF this
scene thnt'll make you al laugh-if we
ever get over this alive young fellow