The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-04-08
CROSSING THE ATLANTIC.
A Racy Letter from c. S. Fnsminger De.
Scribing his Recent Voyage.

Scribing his Recent Voyage.
There has been so much written on
European travel of late years, the press,
the telegraph, and the great ocean liners
have made near neighbors of the people
OF the two continents, our friends and
neighbors have made the trip and re
turned to tell the story over and over
again In the face Of these facts
it is with some hesitation that attempt
to interest the readers of the Press with
rehash OF this much hackneyed subject.
To those of us who have lived inland
all our lives, there is a fascination in the
great ocean. 1t is always full of interest,
whether we are watching the surf on the
beach or sailing on its heaving bosom.
There was something of this fascination
took possession OF me on the morning of
March I'd, when boarded the big steam
ship Paris living alongside Pier IA, North
River, New York. The pier presented
an animated appearance, the great cranes
were lifting the heavy packages of freight
/, from the docks and letting them down
into the hold of the ship; cabs were hur-
rying in and out with passengers and lug
gage; the ships crew and officers TAX
ing their respective positions; friends of
the departing ones, 10th to let their loved
ones go, come on board to see them off
and to say good bye. "All visitors ashore,
please" is called out by the stewards pass
ing from deck to deck. The bugle call
is heard, the gangways are taken down,
and the big ship moves slowly away from
the pier. A putting, screeching little tug
has been lashed to her, which lows us to
midstream and leaves us headed toward
the bay. The monster engines begin to
throb and our journey across the sea has
begun. There is waving of handkerchiefs
from pier to boat and boat to pier as long
as We remain in sight of each other.
We pass Governors Island with it's
frowning cannon. The statue of Liberty
on Bedloe's Island looms up against the
sky, bearing the light which sheds its ra-
dance far out to sea. There is Staten
Island on our right. That low white
vessel you see anchored off Thomsonville
is the U S. monitor Terror, which has
just been ordered by Uncle Sam to guard
the port of New York.
Just behind us come two other passen-
ger steamers which, like ourselves, are
just starting out to sea. One is the Trini-
dad bound for Bermuda and the West
Indies. She is nearest to us, and in an
attempt to pass us she came too cloee and
in an effort TO alter her course she crash
ed into our starboard side and careened
over to one side, smashing her boats into
splinters. Women screamed, men grew
pale with fear, and all was confusion un
til she was clear from our ship and right
ed herself again. The Paris was not the
least affected by the collision, but the
Trinidad stopped to ascertain the extent
of the damage and we saw her no more.
A little later we met the Vera, Ger
man vessel just getting into port with her
passengers; then the Teutonic of the
White Star line. Cheer after cheer was
exchanged between the passengers of the
ships They We're finishing their voyage,
ours was just begun, for now were are at
Sandy Hook, the last point of land we
will see until the English coast appears
There is parting word from Uncle Sam
as we sail out into the open sea-one Of
his "dogs of war" sends a column of
smoke out towards us, which is followed
by roar which suggests the thought that
the coast of our country is not entirely
defenseless. There are other forts to our
left which cannot be seen because of the
fog and the distance
the passengers prefer to remain on deck.
We are all strangers to one another, but
there is perfect freedom among us and
we soon get acquainted, and before the
voyage is finished we know each other
pretty well. There were between forty
and fifty passengers in our class who were
uSobiiiCo w NtbiOuo boito VI viz WOiit.
One man to Russia, six or seven to South
Africa, a missionary and his family to
India, several to Sweden. but the MAORI
ty for the British Islands, almost all
going in the interests of some business.
There are three gentlemen besides my
self who are going to set up American
Some are going tn study,
others returning to England after an un-
attempt at money-making in
the U. S. A.. others to buy goods and to
get new ideas in millinery from Paris and
a few on pleasure bent.
Our good ship is twin screw propeller
OF $4,000 tons burden. She carries crew
of 5l4, of which $40 are sailors and stew
ards, 10S are fremen and 81 engineers.
This ship is an American liner, but three
fourths of the crew are Englishmen. 1t
seems that the American young men do
not take to the life of sailor.
Our first day out was very pleasantly
spent and when the reckoning was taken