The St. Johns herald., 1900-06-16
EN ROUTE TO PARIS EXPOSITION. (From our Re- ular Cor
 respondent.)
Mid Ocean, May 20. 1900.

Americans must traverse @ thou
 sand leagues of sea in order to
 reach the Paris Exposition, for the
 Trans-Alaskan Siberian Russian
 Route is not open. But in spite of
 the distance the water and the ex-
 pense of it. it is safe to say there
 will Do three times as many Amer
 jeans st the Paris Exposition as
 there were Europeans and Aslat-
 Ics together at the Chicago Expo
 sition. Next 10 the English, we
 Americans are the greatest travel
 lers In tho world and since the
 English speak the same language
 and spend more money than all
 the rest of the globe pacers of the
 world, the language spreads and spreads. It. is far more spoken and
 printed and read than any other two languages. It is no longer nee
 essary .to.know French, German, Spanish or Italian in order to trav-
 el in those countries, tho it is of eoursc more convenient 10 do so and will add greatly to the pleas. ure and education of travel. Our language is spoken in all the nm portant hotels and shops of Europe.
 Even the French, 80 impervious to anything that has not originated in Paris. have begun in the last ten years to learn English and are able now to caJole and cheat us in our vernacular.
 These reflections came to mo at sea on my fourth tr'p to Europe and my second trip to a Paris Ex- position or Worlds Fair. In 1878 in tho month ot May called on the Swevia of this Hamburg American line. The SwevIa was a boat of a- bout 5000 tons. This boat is l2, 900 tons. It took us then twelve days to cross; VIC expect now to make tho passage in less than sev- en days. These improvements are suggestive of recent progess in ship and engine building. But the danger of sinking has been redu- ced until it is nn longer possible except from coils on or fire, and he dangers from these sources have been minItied almost out of ,ight by the sefectioa of safe ocean routes and. by tireprOof construc- .ion.. Tho threo distinct achieven. ents 'fthe twin-screw system are in- creased speed, regularity in tho ar. r1val of vessels, and most impor-
 ant of all g high degree Of safety at sea. By this system the vessels ire divided into two parts each en- ,irsly separated from each other oy strong wall or bulkhead, run 'ing the whole length of the ship. Two non-commua aicsting parts hav-, ng thus been established each one s equipped with an engIne shaft md screw, working independently If and wholly unaffected by the ot the other. The ad- 'antage gained by this principle is obvious, for 8 Arrangement of the 'ngins on one si"e in no way af- ccts the other winch will continue
 's work with but little loss of peed- Each half of the ship is still urther divided by transverse bulk ieads-into numerous Watcr-tightl and a double bottom nsure from injury from below. mother advantage of this twin- crow i+ the control held over the
 iree;ion of the ship. In case of ceident to the rudder the vessel an be accurately steered by driv- lg one screw ahesd and reversing hC other. We are half way over Dday and there is no lack at sea ir. The ocean fonts everywhere. To land breeze. and no mosQuitOes
 These conditions cannot be had ( very day at Atlantic City. These ! n ts have become so luxurious | ,at many people ssil merely for .si and recreation. BHt the cost >
 about s20 per ds My ticket WAS I l25. war l~.venn lax $5, tip S5.totSl ! l35 a Chras' mulii-m'llip"alre 1; -'rad a'.' his single passage costs q . n sS00. but he has physician Ic