The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-10

Iimpromptu minstrel shows crowded the
decks at nightS We anchored at Port
Said. Egypt, almost at the door OF the
Turkish customs house. Imperative or.
ders from Washington gave us almost
the only news available with reference
to the troubles that seem TO await us
upon arriving at Manila, hence at Port
Said the orerseer's whip cracked more
sharply about the bare backs OF the
poor Egyptian coal beavers and in less
than twenty-four hours we were In the
canals basin. The fame OF the Suez
canal is due rather to It's commercial
importance than to any marvel OF engl-
neerlng or technical skill required in
It's construction.
THE 6UE2 CANAL.
De Lesseps, II, 1869. simply restored a
connection between two oceans which
some freaklsh rising OF the desert had
severed. A more Interesting trip than
this ninety miles OF canal could doubt
less be found nowhere. The dirt, the
flies, the naked street urchins, which
seem to be colcomitant OF Egypt's
fertility, soon give place 70 cleanlier. II
less picturesque scenes Of the Arabian
desert, which stretches It's interminable
plain In every direction. A dreary ex-
panse this desert would become were 1t
net for the magic cities that wall either
bank of the canal. Ghost cities are
these-citles which every Arabian wind
| Is apt to create from the shifting sand
and Just as ruthlessly destroy. Like
the frost gardens OF northern window
~, thatr -tryv, 10 IN ~ "a or In rot hnu
Itiful. Palaces, mosques, pyramids, ca
thedrals seem TO await some strange
people to inhablt them and as II i'm
patient at their delay In coming, melt
away into shapeless mound. More
real, yet almost as strange to American
eyes, are the GASES which are frequent
near the canal, Tall. stately palms dis
close them from distance and nearer
you may discover n caravan Of camels
with animals and beturbaned owners
alike stretched out in the shade. Moth
| ing could be more beautiful In this
cloudless country than full moonlight
| night. As IL to leave as splendid On
impression as possible, the disk OF the
moon seemed to come from the desert
just as the sun disappeared. We had
forgotten, until shutdown. the custom
OF these Mohammedans to kneel where
ever they are. and, with swaying bodies
turned toward the Mecca whose outlines
we were soon to see, to worship. in a
way that is not surprising in land
where there Is so much of nature and
SO little civilization. Owing to the
company's regulations Of speed we were
In the canal almost day and night.
| each as entertaining and almost as bril-
| liant as the other. Early morning
| ~ ri,t all 80 plr Wit A IN
beginning Of as pleasant sail as even
the most timId could ask, through the
Gulf OF Suez, the Red Sen and the Gulf
OF Alden.
A YEAR OF STRANGENEss.
It has been strange year to most OF
u.s. The mid-winter of the states had
given place in less than two weeks to
the spring OF the Mediterranean and
duck suits seemed all too warm in the
summer OF the Red Sea. Bleak and
| desoate are the shores Of this inland
ocean and small wonder was 1t that the
wandering tribes OF Israel became dis
Outraged and disheartened as they
roamed through the ncver-ending Will
derness. It was the original intention
10 make Alden. Arabia, the third sta
| ton. but owing to the necessity of
| haste the little island Of Perrin In the
Gulf OF Alden. was chosen. The harbor
here offered but little Of interest aside
| from Its noisy natives and its volcano,
"Old Faithful" which somehow or other
has allowed coal beds to remain undis-
turbed near its base. From Alden, the
Arabian Sea stretches into the broader
Indian Ocean, both part Of the calm
| old Pacific.
Transport life In itself would doubt
less be interesting to those unacquaint-
ed with Its details and l shall touch up
on 1t briefly in conclusion. 1t required
considerable ingenuity to crowd the
Third Infantry with its 1,4OO officers and
enlisted men, the Second Battalion Of
the Seventeenth, with Its 450me 4 crew
OF 160, togethe.: with half hundred
women and children, into medium
sized vessel never Intended for the
transport service. Moreover, the dis
tance to be traverscd, nearly $4,000
miles, was the greatest over which any
nation was ever called upon to trans
port its troops. The difficulty Of finding
sleeping quarters between decks for so
many was overcome by constructing
frame works of gas pipe. reaching from
| floor to ceiling, wherein canvas ham-
mocks were hung in tiers Of three. The
narrow aisles between tier5 are well
lighted by electricity and well ventila-
ted by means of conduits which force
cir to every compartment. 1t was sim
ply matter of calculation to provide
rltions for the voyage and the fact that
over $4,000 was expended for the pur-
pose, seems an indication that no one Is
to SO hungry A dozen butchers look
after the III. 900 pounds of fresh meat in
the cold storage department, larger
number of bakers turn out 1.S00 loaves
of bread each day and score or more
OF cooks, using the ships steam cooking
apparatus, seek to satisfy Zoo healthy
nppetites. The hospital owes its COM
plete equipment to the generosity OF
Miss Helen Gould and the fact that but
two deaths have occurred since our de-
parture, shows It's efficiency.
With heavy canvas awnings creating
a shade on deck. with wide coal ports
flung open to admit light and air to
every part OF the vessel, with cool
breeze stirring by day and the glorious
Southern Cross as n guide by night, i;
I would seem strange that anyone should
desire to change his present life for the
less prosa!c, II more comfortable, life of
his friends on the other side OF the
earth. ERNEST G. SMITH,
First Sergeant Company L, Seventeenth
Infantry.
II Coffee DiGcsts