Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-10-27
DRAMA ON THE DEEP

q voyage across rhe blue Atlantic in the most luxurious slip of the line ! Was looked forward to "a period of rest, when ,he ordinary affairs of life were suspended for one glorious week of communion with natures vast nys- ;erH' the sea. In those days the pas Sen@er who stepped upon the deck or a ship Il New York expected to bc completely isolated from the world until he landed on a foreign shore, and he bade his friends goodby with the feeling that for {. few days he would vanish as completely as if his voyage were made into the limitless reaches of sidereal space.
 Nowadays, what We indulgentlv term 'prOgress" has invaded the pro- cesses of sea travel, and the ocean trip has been robbed of much of ifs old charm. For the busy man of af- lalfs there is no rest in making the transatlantic ferry. He loses little of that supervaluable element, time. He simply transfers his office from Wall street to his cabin and contin- ues to work. The modern steamer making the crossing is no longer an Independent community of human be lnSs cut off from the rest of the world Inc passenger gets his daily news paper with the salhc regularity as at nome. In this he finds well edited news from the four corners of the earth, the stock market reports in- cluded. The wireless system of com munication supplies the paper with daily service. and the same system permits the busy passenger to trans init orders and attend to business. FL evators, cafes, tennis courts, symna- siums, swimming pools. flower shops, and now the latest thing on an ocean trip-the theater.
 When the announcement came few days ago that arrangements had been made to install regular theatrical en- tertalnmentS on some of the finest passenger steamers that cross the At lantic there were q few old-fashoned people who received the news with signs of regret. Of course, it is all very enterprising and up to date, but it has placed the capsheaf on the commercializing of the sea Here after passages will be booked with special reference to the theatrical at fractions offered, and those contem- plating transatlantic voyages may ex- pect to see the advertisements of com-
 petitive carrying companies read something like this:
 Notice-The Oceanic with the most perfectly appointed theater afioat wi sail for Liverpool Wednesday, offering for five nights and two matinees the famous Conried singers in repert2ire. Reserve your seats now and beware of spectators.
 Or this:
 The beautiful Lucania has arranged at great expense to produce Ben Hur" on it's forthcoming trip across the Atlantic. This is the most stu pendOus production ever offered at sea The famous chariot race will take place around the promenade deck and the great wreck of the galley ship will be reproduced with start ling realism on the water, the Lucania l being stopped for this part of the each afternoon and even ing. Fireworks will be feature of the sea illumination.
 Or this:
 The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse which sails Saturday will have con- .inuous vaudeville from New York ,o Hamburg. As two entire companies nave been engaged, the entertainment will continue all day and all night. Each afternoon there will be a bal oon ascension with parachute de- scent into the sea. If the balloon st falls on the ship he will he saved: otherwise it is his loss.
 Or this:
 Announcement extraordinary! The leXt trip of the Lusitania will be the most notable in it's career, as it will ,arry the most advanced vaudeville he delirium of man has conceived. Every feature a star. Professor Ruff lack will exhibit has colossal troop ,f trained monkeys, which will do stunts in the rigging, and Doctor Cutter the world renowned eal trainer, will give his startling exhibition alongside the vessel which will be going at the rate of forty Znots an hour. Dog and pony show omplete as an afterpiece, followed by Hiss Ellen Terry and Death Valley 'cottie" in a singing and dancing { crobatic turn. ,