Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-12
A VOYAGE TO BERMUDA.

Victoria Lodge, Hamilton, Bermuda

Passage to the Seagirt Island
Victoria Lodge, Hamilton, Bermuda,
February 20.
BY what process has the scene of seven
short days ago been so changed? Then snow
and ice and biting blasts and home-now
roses and birds ana growing plants and
a foreign scene, where we find ourselves
established with such small objects of
familiar Use as are to be found In our
trunks, scattered about in the attempt to
be at home though far away.
We left burlington on the 18th, with
the thermometer 25 degrees below zero.
This extreme cold made the running of
the trains n precarious and after we had
passed Albany an exceedingly slow pro-
cess Creeping onward through the night,
we finally reached New York
In safety, little less than
five hours overdue. Bitter blasts
swept through the streets of the metropo-
lis, suggesting to the seward bound
passenger unpleasant probabilities at sea.
with passage taken for a land of eternal
spring. however we unhesitatlngly step
on board the steamer and resign our
selves to our fate. In studying up for
our trips we had noticed In an Illustrated
pamphlet how the first day out we might
expect snow and ice IN the harbor; the
Statue of Liberty to be hung with cces
and snow wreaths; but the second day
we might look for summer seas and
bands of mermaids to draw our ship
onward to its destination. one cannot
say what may have happened sometime
we report only from our own experience.
The statements of the illustrated pam
phlet were perfectly correct as to the
first day, but widely different as to the
second. The third day brought the sum
mer sea of most cerulean hue though
Swallowed by heavy clouds and tossed by
northern winds
Wednesday. February 49,, at 10 a. m
we were scheduled to leave New York
on the other side of tho pier lay the
White Star liner. THE Germanic." with
steam up scheduled to leave at the same
hour. She pushed out ahead of us and
preceded us down the harbor. Ensconced
behind the wheel house we watched the
receding city until passing out
through the Narrows, we lost sight of
the icy goddess and became conscious of
the swell and heave of the ocean. Bitter
cold 1t was but we watched the sending
off Of the Germanics pilot and then of
our own on the same boat; the stinening
wind, the cold and the sleet at last drove
us below, but with dark forebodings, all
too soon realized. One glance at the
crowd who We're at lunch in the main cab
In was sufficient: haste marked our pas
sage to our stateroom and misery our
condition for many hours afterwart. Day
and night were alke-lark and dismal
within. for we had sailed into a gale
helpless and ridiculous by turns within.
The NAL dc mer of my young companion
was of the ordinary type and of short
duration but followed by extreme pros
/ traticn-for myself 1t took the form OF re-
peato1 swoons followed in each instance
/ by n sort of brain excitement which
would carry my thoughts with restless
haste over the entire field of my know
ledge or experience TIL having perhaps
reached some new point of mental vision,
suddenly all would be swallowed up In the
blackness of complete INCONSISTENCIES
From every direction came sounds of woe
and with each lurch of the ship as she
rolled heavily onward often trembling
from stem to stern with the violence of
the struggle, came the clangor of the
electric bells calling in frantic haste for
help at the hands of the stewardoss
and her assistants. Occasionally one of
them would give an inquiring glance to
us, but we were quiet and comparatively
comfortable and made few demands on
their time or skill. When, however, the
cabin boy appeared with offers of dinner
he probably realized once more that APP
pearances are often deceitful.
~At last the long hours of that night
were past and with the morning we found
ourselves still safe In our berths, rolling
and humping about to be sure, but I'M
harmed and altogether alive Things
seemed more hopeful and with such cheer
of tone as | could muster called out to
my companion in tho upper berth, who
had the port hole at command, "did you
SEQ the sun risc?" There Is not any
sunrise" comes down to me in reply in
accents of despair. "Oh, ! wish | hadn't
come"
/ The cabin boys offer of breakfast, how
ever, is not refused and after some de-
liberation we decide on an orange and a
sea biscuit and in due time dispose of a
ef,ND1 N q
assuring, and in due time creep out of
the dark hole of the lower berth and take
to the sofa which gives me a view through
the port hole. Confidence growing with
each fresh experience we now begin to
have interest in the rolling pillows from n
scientific point of view and watches In
hand attempt to time the recurring great
waves as they sweep over ones field oc
vision, their black waters breaking into
green lights and flashing foam as we sink
down, down below the surface. Before long
the cheer of youth and native courage re-
assert themselves in my light hearted
companion and low pipings of popular airs
begin to sound from the upper berth, an
answering refrain greets our ears from n
neighborinG stateroom and then another
from the other side and soon the air Is
vocal with snatches of melody with bird
calls. even with laughter--so CONTAGIOUS
Is happiness. Supine and powcrless we
| Keep Il HoTlZOntal position all day; the
weather is too bad to think of attempting
to get on deck. few spoonsful of chick
en- broth at noon appease any cravings of
hunger and an equally solid repast serves
Tor our dinner; we certainly were not ex-
ceeding our first allowance for board.
The second night was upon u.s. not a ray
of sunlight has frightened the day: not n
moments rest from this terrible lIrchiuq
and grinding and rolling. We had heard
that this crossing the gulf stream trans
versely was terrible; we are now sure OF
1t.
Morning found u.s. however battered
and bruised still alive and above the
waves at least part of the time and soon
ready to respond more heartily to the cab
In boys offer of breakfast. The weather
was warmer, he said. and l decided at
once for the deck and fresh air. The pro-
cess of dressing was completed and con-
sumed much time but under the circum-
stances time was of 10 account
Having at last succeeded in my efforts
with promises to report to my companion
and beginning to feel something of my
former accustomed exhilaratlon when at
sea, went on deck, The rolling OF a ship
at sea experienced from the deck is quite
different from the narrow confines of your
berth below. We were founderng through
mountainous seas, rolling so heavily that