The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-06-07
Interesting Description of q
Great Steamer Preparing
to Cross the Ocean and
the Trip Across.
First Of Series of Letters That
Will Appear In the News-Her-
aid From a Regular Corre-
spondent at the Paris
Exposition.
M1D-OCEAN, May Goth, 1900.

In order to reach the Paris Exposi-
tion, we Americans must embark.
There is no dry road thither. EN-
barkation on great liner is an act
on a great stage with comic, melo-
dramatic and even tragic scenes. The
huge vessel looms alongside the pier.
The hour for sailing is i'll, but three
hours earlier the passengers begin to
arrive with bag and baggage, scrip
and scrippage. some with family, val
cts and maids, others alone. Some
with six trunks, others with a grip
and an umbrella. Some in liveried
carriages, others on the street car.
Messengers arrived with flowers, the
gifts of friends. Some of the boquets
are magnificent and expensive. They
are now, three days out, displayed in
the steamer salon, making it look
like a floralist's bazaar. One huge
boquet of rare roses and orchids | am
told cost at least one hundred dollars.
For an hour or more before the time
for 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 sail
ing is near the screws of the steamer
are turning, but merely for practice,
getting their hand in before they
strike the long wet streak across the
Atlantic. The ships band breaks
upon the babble of tongues with a
lively promenade. 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 intermissions, play several
more airs. The time for parting has
come. Those who sail on the Ham,
burg-American Line are'largely Ger
man-Americans, and they either feel
more, or pretend to feel more, or re-
strain their feelings less than we un-
demonstrative un-hyphenated Ameri-
cans. They kiss, embrace and weep,
and then, after a breathing spell, rush
at each other and do it again. Men
kiss men and women kiss women. ct
vice versa adlibitum, 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 last repe-
tition 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 start
ing weather, but fine weather will not
prevent sea sickness in the predis-
posed, for we were not out of sight of
the Goddess of Liberty in New York
Harbor before some of the passengers
were reclining on steamer chairs and
sucking lemons.
After having crossed the Atlantic
six times, confess to a preference
for German manned boats. The SER
vice on deck, in cabin and at table is
the best that | have found. 1t is
prompt, intelligent and cheerful
without obsequiousness, and without
the perpetual suggestion of tips or
extra pay, although no doubt they
know that will come. But | prefer
these boats mainly on account of a
feeling of greater security, which
one always experiences in the pres.
ence of perfect order and discipline
In the crews which man the great
passenger ships of the German Lin
ers the German Empire has educated
a race of seamen that is second nu-
merically to that of England alone,
and perhaps not second in the skill,
courage and seaworthiness of the in
dividual sailor. 1t must be remem-
bered that these trained men of the
merchant marine belong to the re-
serve 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 coun-
trymen 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 England has traversed the
same distance with more than 0,00(
and $4,000 horses. We are no longer
the isolated people sea girt as by fire
we once were and we have not ar
overwhelming navy like that of Eng
land to protect us. Count Won Moltke
said he had drawn dozen successful
plans for the invasion of England, but
had never been able to plan success
full retreat after he had landed al
Overwhelming German army. Would
he find the same difficulty with the
United States? He, or rather his
successor certainly will if our sea
power keeps pace with our wonderful
material development and our widen
ing interests abroad.
We are now in sight of Cherboure
with its great walled artificial harbol
and collosal statute of the Great Ma
poleon, astride big bronze stallion
his arm extended pointing to the mag
nificent wall stretching far out int
the sea and inscribed below in excel
lent French, though he spoke al
Italian patois, 81 will reproduce a