Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-06-21

you have cut loose from your ma
tive land and that you are entering
a period of new experiences.
This being my first trip of the
kind, it produced in me feeling
that was unlike any | had ever
known. In it there was nothing
of fear. Whether it came from
leaving my native land. or from
the length OF the prospective trip
or from the great expanse OF wa
ter to lie crossed, with its storms
and winds, or the unknown coun-
try and people to be met, that, |
cannot tell.
We we're soon under way slowly
down the harbor toward Sandy
Hook, accompanied by the llarbor
Boat as an escort. Before leaving
the pier we had taken on a pilot
who was familiar with The -lrafbor
TO take the boat down to the deep
sea, when lis services would be no
longer needed and he wonId be taxi
eli off on the harbor boat, and re-
turn to N. Y. Going down the
harbor, it is necessary to have a
pilot who knows the harbor we'll,
or the boat may run aground OH
the mud banks, sometimes, with
serious consequences. Going
down the harbor we took our first
meal about one o'clock, lunch it is
called, which | enjoyed very much,
and which was the last one ell
loved for several days,
The tall spires Of N. Y. soon
faded away in the west. and at half
past 4 we passed Sandy hook light
house, where we reached deep sea,
let off our pilot, the engines then
began to work in earnest. the white
spray began fv from her sprow' as
she cet through the waves and we
were on our way across the track
less oceanS and our first stop was to
be Genoa on the coast Of the Med
iteranian sea in the northern part
of Italy. the city that gave birth to
the man whose name is familiar to
every school child, the discoverer OF
the great western WORLDLY "a
pher Columbus.
On the way down the harbor
every one is writing postals, letters
and cards, which are all collected
and delivered to the pilot in mail
sack for thepurpose who takes them
with him, back to New York where
they are mailed and sent to the'l
destination. That is the last op-
portunity to communicate with the
shore ond nearly every one awaits
himself Of it.
OF course, we had still the wire
less telegraph, by which many
messages were sent and received
even out in mid-ocean, and "A small
paper about foot square, publish
ed every night on board, and placed
at each plate at the table mex
morning, gave you a bri-.f account
of all the important news over-tb
world, including. even mention o.
the incidents Of the Thaw trial
then in progress in New York.
When communication could no
be established with the shore, news
and information would be gotteI
from vessels passing within reacl
of the instruments.
Aboard first class vessel every
thing is done that human skill cal
devise or foresight provide, to ad
to the comfort, pleasure and enter
tainment of the>passengers.
While said everything wa
done for their comfort and pleas
ure, l should have added that hu
man ingenuity had been equal
tried to provide for their safet.
Every foot of the ocean has bee
| measured and charted and the nay
igator4ean tell the depth OF til
4 ocean anywhere, Then the vess'
is constructed with what are calle
water.tight compartments, SO TIA
if a hole were knocked in her DO
! tom. the water could, BY closing a
the doors TO the compartment
stopped in there, and the vess
/, would suffer no Inconvenience
These doors are closed by presslr
an electric button in the pill
house. " here a man is always {
duty. and to whom, by electric a