Mower County transcript., 1900-07-04
ACROSS The ATLANTIC.
The Grand Meadow "Sixitseers''
Tell Of Their Varied Expert T
ence. on the Briny Deep. :.

Tell OF Their Varied Expert. +
~ ence on the Briny Deep. =.
EDITOR TRANSCRIPT. -..s ... .c.-.
On board the Royal mail line
steamer Lake Champlain,n, Mon.
treal.-We came aboard at p. m: Of
May 31st, amid the rush, hurry, bus
tlesand clamor' Of large steamer
about to sail for Liverpool. To one
not used to the scenes and confusion
it is bewilderinR. Pandemonium,
French stevedores, jabberiDg, chains
and'windlasses Changing, huge piles
of freight yet to 60 aboard. ndsnearlys
six hundred cattle to stow away be-
tween decks All night long the,
hustle and racket is kept up until 4
a. M, when the gangway is hauled
ashore, tugs are given q cable at
either end Of the vessel, pulling in op.
poslte directions to swing the iron
monster on her own center. At 4:3O
q. m. the lines are hauled aboard
and the leviathan moves, almost Inn
perceptibly at first, as the powerful
tugs strain and pull: All our party
are up to enjoy the scene, and as
our great boat swings into. the stream
the tugs drop US and We feel the first
thrill and tremble Of our boat as she
starts under her own powerful en-.
gines, slowly at first, increasing. In
speed as we strike the current, when
the fifteen thousand ton mass
smoothly glides along, a little world
of itself, a living monster Of the deep.
moving by its own, strength, guided
by one man. the master mind OF this
little world, in imitation OF the Grand
Master OF the universe. One long
blast of the whistle and the long voy-.
age has begun. The boat is crowded
with merchandise of all descriptions.
For two days they have, been con-
stantly loading cheese and ''hog prod
uct from Canada" ss the boxes are
marked. lSalt pork. The cattle are
a fine lot Of we'll fatted steers. and
soon settle down to their comtorta bic
quarters in charge Of lot of college
boys from Montreal, who are working
their way to Paris and return. a
Jolly set, and full of fun. Onrsphoto.
grapher got one good dashot 1T Them -
they lay sprawling on tho bales OF
hay on deck. gs< ). ...:-. 80. ~. *s H. ! -
At p. m. We reach Quebec. the
Gibraltar of Canada. Forts, cannon,
bastions and barracks are all perched
on the top of the rocky hill, com.
manding the river for q long distance,
and there, under the frowning walls,
about one.third up the almost per-
pendicular cliff, stands the sign, In
gold letters, alongside narrow gnlch,
Montgomery fell. Dec. 81, 1775.";
There were heroes in the old days as
we'll as in the present times, when
men will attempt to scale such walls
as that. .".55-7@ '-~ S. M.
Slowing up in midstream, some
passengers are taken on from tug,
and again we speed towards the
ocean,, At 4 q. m. Of June End We
anchor of "Rimonski," New Bruins.
wick, for passengers and mails, the
last stop Of the voyage. At 8 q. m.
we are of again and the river rapidly
widens. Land is merely visible on
the north. The St. Lawrence is .
noble stream, and filled with ships
and steamers. The trafic Is immense.
After passing Quebec we find great
masses of snow on the north bank,
and this on June lst! It seems to
run winter too far into summer to
suit me. The air is cold and bracing
but weather fine, and the blue noun
tains to the north are fine sight. We
meet the Lake Megantic," upward
bound from Liverpool, crowded with
passengers, and as they pass within
hundred feet they give good rousing
cheers to our sister ship of the
''Beaver Line" By evening of the
3rd We shall be out of sight Of land
and lost to the world for q week.
Our amusements consist of music,
cards, reading and spinning yarns.
The cabins are full, steeraRe also,
therefore company Is plenty. The.
meals are good aud four daily, which
seems to be OVERRIDING the eating line
for lot of lazy, do-nothing passen-
gers. Today We set our timepieces
one-halt hour ahead, to keep up with
the times, suppose, but rs that
seems to be the fashion, We follow.
We have on board the four chief of
f1cers OF the wrecked steamer Mont
pelier OF the Beaver Line, which ii =
dense fog and heavy gale VAS driven
ont OF her course and carried on the