Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-06-03
En-Route to the Paris Exposi-
ton.

reach the Paris Exposition we Amefi-
cans must embark. There is no dry
road thither. Embarkation on a great
liner is an act on great stage with
comic, melodramatic and even tragic
scenes. The huge vessel looms along
side the pier The hour for sailing is
IL, but three hours earlier the passen-
gers begin to arrive with bag and bag
gage, scrip and scrippage, some with
family, Wallets and maids. others alone.
Some with six trunks, others with a
grip and umbrella. Some in liverled
carriages, others on the street car.
Messengers arrive with flowers, the
gifts OF friends. Some OF the bouquets
are magnificent and expensive. They
are now, three days out displayed in
the steamer salon, making it look like
a florists bazaar. One huge boquet of
rare roses and orchids am told cost
at least hundred dollars.
For an hour or more from the time
of sailing the decks and public rooms
OF the great vessel are crowded, but for
the most part by relatives and friends
OF those who have come to see the
passengers off. The hour for sailing
is near, the screws of the steamer are
turning, but merely for practice, get
ting their hand in before they strike
the long wet streak across the Allan
tic. The ships band breaks upon the
babble of tongues with lively prom
enade Many, supposing the hour has
come, rush down the plank lest they
be taken to Europe unprepared; but
the more experienced await the final
signal, for the band will. with inter
missions, play several more airs. The
time for parting has come. Those who
sail on the Hamburg Line are largely
German Americans, and they either
feel more or pretend to feel more, or
restrain their feelings less than we un-
cans. They kiss embrace and weep,
and then, after a breaking spell, rush
at each other and do it again. Men
kiss men and women kiss women, ct
vice versa ad libitum, all the while
looking at each other with such looks
of longing despairing fondness as we
are accustomed to see only when the
coffin lid closes for the last time, FL
nally there is signal for friends to
leave the boat and after a last repiri-
ton of narrowing partings, the i'm
mense steel floating hotel moves slow
ly from the pier and then with in
creasing speed sails down the bay and
out to sea. We had beautiful starting
weather, but fine weather will not pre-
vent sea sickness in the predisposed.
for we were not out of sight of the
Goddess of Liberty in New York Har-
Dor before some of the passengers were
reclining on steamer chairs and suck
ing lemons.
After having crossed the Atlantic
six times, confess to preference for
German manned boats. The service on
deck, in cabin and at the table is the
best | have found. 1t is prompt, in
telligent and cheerful without obse-
quiousness, and without the perpetual
suggestion Of tips or extra pay, al
though no doubt they know that will
come. But l prefer these boats main
ly on account Of a feeling of perfect
security, which one always eXper-
fences in the presence of perfect order
and rigid discipline. In the crews
which man the great German Liners
the German Empire has educated a
race Of seamen that is second numer-
ically to that Of England alone, and
perhaps not second in the skill, cour-
age and sea worthiness Of the individ-
ual sailor. 1t must be remembered
that these trained men of the mer-
chant marine belong to the reserve
force OF the German navy and can be
called on at any moment to man the
war ships that the German Kaiser is
so industriously building. 1t should
be remembered by our countrymen
and statesmen that within the last
year the United States has sent an
army Of seventy thousand men over a
sea route of 1000 miles and that Eng
land has traversed the same distance
with more than 100000 and $4,000
horses. We are no longer the isolated
people sea girt by fire we once were
and we have not an overwhelming
navy like that Of England to protect
us. Count Won Moltke said he had
drawn a dozen successful plans for the
invasion OF England, but had never
been able to plan a successful retreat
after he had landed an overwhelming
German army? Would he find the
same difficulty with the United States?
He. or rather his successor certainly
will IL our sea power keeps pace with
our wonderful material development
and our widening interests abroad.
We are not ip sight of Cherbourg
with its great walled artificial harbor.
and colossal statue of the Great Napol-
con, astride a big bronze stallion, his
arm extended pointing to the magni-
fieent wall stretching far out in the sea
and inscribed below in excellent
French. though he spoke an Italian