Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-04
THE RED SEA PATROL.
Disconforts to Re Endured by
 Russia's Volunteer Fleet.
4 HOT PLACE FOR CRUISING

| " AAAAE S~s%NNAAAAAes ~ VI kOMNEHBAMG
 Goods the Russians will Traverse l Waters That Often Measure on the l Mercury 90 Degrees F.-Facts Abou, Alden, suez and Port snAd.
 The Red sea, where the Russian vol
 urteer fleet has been assigned to patro l duty in search of contraband goods. is l about the hottest place on the face o1 l the earth. says the Washington core spondent of the New York Post. Tc go through there is bad enough; to be l assigned to a cruise there must be in l tclerable. The coal stokers, who are usually Lascars from Hast India, and hence hardened to high temperatures l often give way under the terrible heat Such of our own transports as go to the Philippines by the Suez route are compelled to proceed very slowly over this part of the journey on account of very short intervals.
 It is about an even four days run on the passenger schedules adopted by the great lines which ply between Europe and the east between Alden and Suez Tramp steamships take a much longer time. How the poor Russians could stand anything like permanent patrol duty within that fiery furnace is hard to imagine. The only relief would come in running the ship in such way as to meet the breezes. Peninsular and Oriental steamers have often turned back in their course to do this, to give their passengers the invigoration Of T short period of fresh breezes. But Rus sian naval commanders are not likoly to do this. Their whole system is char acterized by luxurious quarters for their high officers, while the men in the ranks are treated little better than cat tie. Persons who have travelled on the Russian line which runs to the far east, made up of the vessels of the volunteer fleet, have many tales to tell of the spacious accommodations, with double bedstead standing out in the room, when they have happened to get the quarters which in time of war would be assigned to an officer of rank. With this autocratic theory 1t is hardly likely that the course of the patrolling steam CTS would be greatly modified for the comfort of the poor boys from Finland who were swaltering below the decks.
 The reasons the climate of the Red sea is so extreme, aside from its near ness to the equator, are the ,cloudless skies overhead, the aridity of the neigh boring lands, such as the great stretches of Sahara and Arabian des- erts, and the absence of anything which would mitigate the force of the sun. The Red sea water often measures on the mercury @ degrees F., and has been known to go above 100 degrees. The air is usually cooler than the water, especially at night, when ra- diation becomes very rapid. The evap- oration Of the Red sea is naturally excessive, so that the humidity of the air is great. The Red sea basin is cut off from the general oceanic circulation by n barrier rising to within 600 feet of tue surface in q channel which IS comparatively narrow As no rivers enter the sen and little rain falls, it becomes an eyaporating pan. The sea Is naturally much saltier than the out side ocean, but the whole place would be bed of salt were 1t not for under currents of salt water passing out to the ocean.
 Westboupd passengers get a taste of what is before them when they land at Alden, which is on the Arabian side, naar the strait of Babel Mandeh. If the ashes from coal burning furnace were pounded down under steam roller, they would not make drier foundation upon which to build city. The city's water is obtained by distill- ing ocean water with coal brought from England, although there are in the up- per part of the town large ancient res eryoirs for the storage of water con veyed for distance from natural sources. The only green things grow ing in Alden are three box plants in front of the government house, which have soil of their own and are con- stantly moistened with fresh water. Even then these plants are kept alive with great difficulty.
 Alden is q great transshipping point. The leading steamship companies main tain machine shops there to make the repairs sometimes necessary en route. lG bILtloA 1AiA1hNAAAAo q workshop, It is a great place for the sale of ship supplies, since the traffic Of all nations passes through. The ho. tels are miserable, i'll spite of the fact that not few people have to lie over there in changing from the regular through steamers to branch lines con meeting with side ports, like those on the east coast of Africa The popula- ton consists of Arabs, East Indians, Portuguese and various other groups of Europeans The British flag floats over the town It's Notifications indicate that in time of hostilities the passage oe these straits by ships at war with Great Britain would be attended with some difficulty.
 The population of Alden seems to live off the travellers. They are all mer- chants, selling ostrich eggs at 10 cents each, ostrich feathers at anything they will bring. various woven goods of the country about, and the like. But their efforts to get cash out of the tourists are mt confined to such things They