Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-13
DWELT ON OCEAN.
Woman Spent Years as Passenger
Aboard Big Liner.

rev 1OTk, sept. lE-rOE tHe HFSt
time in many voyages the Cunard liner
Etruria will sail next Saturday with
out the name Of Mrs Elizabeth ROhr-
back, of Chicago, on the passenger list.
She has just died Of apoplexy at sea
aboard the ship.
Mrs. ROhrback had a passion, hered-
itarily inculcated, for sea travel. She
got it from her mother. Mrs. Elijah
Carson. of Chicago, who practically
made her home on vessels OF the Cum
ard Line for nearly twenty years prior
to her death, in 1887. Mrs. Carson. in
her lifetime made close to 400 round
trips across the Atlantic. and Mrs.
Rohrback had more than 100 when
death cut short her career as
traveller.
Mrs. Carson was born and reared on
4 farm in Iowa. Left widow IN the
late '70's she took trip to Europe.
The sea voyage fascinated her, and she
took another Before long she was a
confirmed ocean traveller. She was a
passenger on the Lucania the first trip
that vessel ever made, and divided her
time between the Lucania and Etrurla.
Her husband left her big fortune,
and she could we'll afford to crafty her
taste for riding between New York and
England on an ocean liner. In fact,
the cost did not greatly exceed what
her expenses would have been had she
remained ashore.
Her daughter, Mrs. Rohrback, prairie
bred. reached womanbood without ex-
periencing the fascination exerted by
the sea. She could not understand her
mothers passion for ocean voyages ana
at one time went into the courts ana
sought to obtain an order restraining
Mrs Carson from continuing her ocean
trips.
Mrs. Carson showed to the satisfac-
ton Of the courts that she was perfectly
sane and that she had as much right
to spend her time on the sea as on the
land. Thereafter no attempt was maze
to interfere with her.
Then Mrs. Rohrback took a few Voy-
ages with her mother The grip or the
sea soon claimed her. too. Mrs. Carson
died in January, ten years ago, while
on a trip Of inspection over some farm
property in Iowa. .,
TIE daughter could not resist the call
of the waves that had lured her moth
or. She became a regular passenger on
the Etruria, occupying the same state
room that her mother had used. NO.
245, on the hurricane deck amidsnlps.
But Mrs. Rohrback managed to miss
A few voyages now and then. on ac-
count Of changes in the crew OF the
F,truria from time to time she d1d not
become as we'll acquainted as her moth
or had been. Nevertheless she was re-
carded as one Of the ships company.
Rut the intervals between her voy-
ages were growing shorter. and had
death not claimed her she would UNI
doubtedly have spent all her time
aboard the ship while the vessel was a'
| sea.
cant. Potter, who has been In COM
mand Of the Etruria for two years anu
Purser Wall, who has been with .he
| shin for the same time, were pecolil!is
| accustomed to seeing her reach 'he
| shin at New York and LiVerpool Jus,
before sailing time. as her mother hau
done so many years before her.
There is but one member OF the ere"
| of the Etruria to-day who sailed IN hel
| at the time Mrs. Carson was estapllsn-
ing a record as an ocean traveller. he
is a state room steward ard well &C
| ouainted with both women.
| 1--WE had Mrs. Carson for L ooni
know how many trips" he said. she
| was the best woman sailor that ever
saw. In the scores of voyages loon
| with her she was never seaslcK. we
| looked upon her as a member Oh tne
ships company.
"She knew all about the vessel anu
was we'll posted in navigation as the
| average navigating officer. The Etru'
r,a was her hotel. She knew every
| man and woman on board and was
genial, kindly favorite.
"Mrs Rohrback was as good sailor
as her mother, but she did not appear
on every trip The craze was CROWNS
unon her. however. and we would soon
have had her for a steady passenger
had she lived
cant. Watson, the veteran superIn.
| tendent of the Cunard pier. was a grea'
friend of Mrs Carson and Mrs. rom
| hack. He said today that ne hao ne
heard Of a woman possessing SUI.
mania for sea travel as that WHICH
| nrompted these women to spend the''
lives afloat.