Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-03-16
THE TRIP TO PANAMA.
CONTINUED from page u

ing scenery. Ships from many for
eign ports were tied up at the vari-
Gus wharfs, and plying up and down
the Father of Waters" We passed
the great United States floating dry
dock, the second largest in the
world, the immense refinery of the
American Sugar Co., the largest in
the world, the famous battlefield of
the Battle of New Orleans, 1912 and
for several hours after we left the
city steamed past immense sugar
plantations, with their large man
sion houses surrounded by negro
cabins by the score, and the large
sugar factories for crushing the raw
sugar from the cane. Here the
river is several feet higher than the
adjacent land, and all along levees
protect the country from being mum
dated, which are carefully watched
and guarded, to prevent their break
ing away.
About three o'clock in the after
noon we passed the old Spanish fort,
st. Phillip, and soon came to the
oyster beds, where the bivalves are
secured in great quantities.
We were now in the famous Delta
of the Mississippi, where the river
divides itself into three channels,
and flows in different directions to
the Gulf. Our course south was
among the jetties, upon which the
government is constantly at work.
Great mattresses 200 feet square
and about feet thick are made
from willow brush tightly bound to-
gether, which have been sunk in
the swamps and low water on either
side of the channel, one on top Of
the other, which fill in with sand and
silt and soon become a substantial
earthen bank, between which the
canal or channel of the river tows
and maintains a depth sufficient for
the largest ships to navigate. There
were twelve miles of these jetties,
when We arrived at the bar" or
entrance to the Gulf. 1t is guarded
by an immense lighthouse, with re-
volving prism light, which casts it's
rays out over the Gulf to a distance
of eighteen miles. The government
quarantine station is also located
here, which We became acquainted
with on the return trip.
Just before sunset we passed out
into the Gulf of Mexico. The divid-
ing line where the muddy, fresh
waters of the Mississippi merge into
the deep blue salt water of the gulf
is as distinct as chalk line upon a
blackboard The beauty of the sun
set on the water attracted the at
tention of everyone. 1t was a sight
such as one never sees on land, and
will long be remembered by all who
witnessed it for the first time.
We soon turned in for the night,
and during the next day out the time
was occupied in an inspection of the
great ship which was speedily carry
ing us southwark. It's ponderous
machinery, its electrical equipment,
the kitchen and culinary depart
ment, all were viewed with interest,
but the wireless telegraph room
seemed to be the particular attrac-
ton for everyone. We have all read
and seen something of wireless tele-
graphy and it's wonderful achieve
ments at home, but one does not
realize its great commercial value
until he gets three or four hundred
miles away from land on every side,
and then sees and hears the record
ing instrument literally pluck from
the air the news of the world, bring
ing word from the dear ones at home
and sending replies in return, so
that at no time We're we outside OF
communication from the outside
world
Monday evening the passengers
were entertained by lecture by Mr..
j. A. Fox, of Washington, ID. c., a
member of the waterways commits
sion, giving us much valuable pre-
liminary information concerning
what we would later see at Panama.
Tuesday things didn't look so
cheerful When We awoke the great
ship was rolling and tossing upon a
very heavy sea; the wind was blow
ing a gale, and from that time on
until the last day the number who
went to the dining saloons to meals
steadily diminished. We were near
ing the Caribbean Sea, and the great
waves swept up the sides of the
ship and into the port holes of the
state rooms that were not closed,
waves fifty feet in height, and out
of 10 passengers the number who
were not sea-sick could have been
counted upon ones fingers. AS
Bailey of Britt said, things were