Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-09-13
ACROSS THE OCEAN FERRY.

correspondence OF the AleXandrla Gazette.
ROYAL MAIL STEAMSHIP UMBRIA,
Sept. 3.-Well, am drawing near my
sea voyage. They tell US we will reach
Queenstown some time between mid
uight and 3 o'clock tomorrow morn
log. The trip across has been all that
could have been desired. The weather
mas, with but Que exception, been fine,
the company geni and but few cases uI
~ sickness have occurred. Iescaped al
together, and consequently enjoyed the
trip in every particular. The sea
breeze has kept my appetite with a ra
zor's edge all the time, and while some
were distressed by NAL de meer l never
missed meal.
The run from Alexandris to New
York la t Friday was without incident.
reached the latter place early in the
fsernoon and proceeded to Bowling
Green, lower Broadway, where the Gu
oard Steamship Company's Office is To-.
Gated aud secured passage on the
steamer Umbria, which was to leave at
3 o'clock p. m. the next day Saturday
[ was on the ship several hours pre-
vious to sailing, during which time L
inspected my stateroom, and found that
while not among the best located, it
was amidship, where l would least feel
The motion Of the ship, and that it
was fitted with every luxury and con
yenieuce. Or course l examined the
ship from stem to stern. 1t would take
considerable space to describe the many
,hipgs belonging to modern oceau
liner, su I will not attempt it. l will
mention few things only. 10 the first
place the capacity and luxuriousness Of
such ship as the Umbria and there
are others still larger) affords food for
thought, when compared with the de-
scription Dickens, in his american
Notes." gives of the old paddle wheel
steamer Britannia, the first vessel OF
the Cunard line. The novelist com
pares her main saloon to q huge
hearse, and 80 apprehensiye was he OF
her safety that he returned to E gland
in sailing vessel.
At precisely 8 o'clock the captain as
cended the bridge of the steamer (all
who we're not passengers having
neen previously ordered ashore) and
gave the order to cast otf.
a fiuttering of handkerchiefs from
steamer and pier followed, and while
some of the voyagers were full
of elee and others moved to tears
the huge steamer, by the aid of
tugboat, began to glide out OF
The dock. 1t took twenty minutes
to turn her PROV down the river after
reaching the middle of the stream,
feat the putting and snorting little tug
finally accomplished, after which the
huge pistons of the Umbria began to
glide up and down and We we're OH
The weather had been uncomtortaoly
warm during the day, and the run
down the river and bay, famed as we
we're by salt water breezes, was de-
lightful. About o'clock we were oil
Sandy Hook lightship, where the ship
stopped and dismissed the pilot. The
engines, which previously had been
running st half speed, were subse-
quently given all the power they pos.
sess, and in few minutes the steamer
was cutting the water like shark.
The Gland of my home was now tilt-
ting from my view," and by the time
the sun was setting America had
sunk out of sight with it. The din.
uer bugle sounded and interrupted my
musings. The ship was gently rising
and falling, and swaying from right to
left and by tedtime the motion was
more pronounced. I rather liked the
sensation of being "rocked in the
cradle of the Deep" as this, combined
with the pulsations ofthe engines, act d
as lullaby, and enjoyed my sleep.
When awoke about half-past seven
o'clock Sunday morning there were
,Hat weather soon cleared, however, and
meteorologically we had nothing spe
cial to complain of during the re-