davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

that an international conference VIII be
held shortly to evolve still other means OF
lessening the chances Of ocean liners
being carried to an untimely grave with
their ever-ncreasing burden OF precious
life and treasure and cargo.
Now let us see what has been done here
in the United states in this direction since
the Titanic sank In 1911 w. w. Wother-
spoon approached the Navy Department
with a project Of fairly revolutionary
character. He proposed to make tght-
ing ship unsuitable by using compressed
air first to expel much Of the water that
might enter a flooded compartment ana
then. by more compressed air, to back
up the steel walls surrounding the dam
aged space, so that they would not col
lapse under the stresses Of the struggle
they we're waging with the threatening
sea. The scheme was so novel that the
naval experts were at first quite incredu-
lous. They listened to Mr.. Wotherspoons
explanations politely, but with manifest
skepticism. and his task Of convincing his
critics was all the harder because he was
landsman.
However, Mr.. Wotherspoon had bat
tied with water and its disturbing rela-
tives. mud and quicksand, under condl-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

X UIDEBOOKS for the benefit of
travellers abroad are by no means
~ a modern institution. With their
elaborate cathedral inventories, their baf-
fling maps, their weirdly and wonder
fully wrought phonetic pronunciation
tables and their paternal hints TO the
tourist they were well known TO our fore
fathers in the Old World before the Pill
grim Fathers made their unfortunate
cruise to New England. Those were un-
conventional days though. for a writer OF
the sixteenth century guidebook deems II
desirable 10 impress on the prospective
tourist that he shall include breeches
among his costume. and handkerchiefs,
the which come in useful when you per-
spire"
l pity the folk who boast yaingloriously
that they have never consulted a guide
book, for they have missed much Of the
spice Of life. The finest vein of uncon-
seious hunor bound up between covers
to-day is TO be found between the first
map and the last advertisement Of guide
books, especially those gotten up by the
overseas heather for the stranger within
their gates.
The conscientious writer Of guidebooks
Is never a cynic He does not describe
this jaunt or that with strictly impersonal
nonehalance. chuckling, as he writes OF
the antiquities Of a cathedral or the
scenic marvels Of a mountain top, over
the pitfalls that he knows full well await
the unwary tourist there. The pious and
genteel writer of guidebooks is always
recommending or warning, and he pays
as is only right and proper, more atten-
ton TO cheap meals and cut-price lodgings
than to the inevitable archaeological
nuances Of his field.
certain guidebook for which ! have
much affection has adopted stenograph-
&c system OF superlatives. II inserts
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
I5mze'gZc marx NatenLZYA< 6uZN1Re7oT
JCC L7zpe19<O7'

hours ere the last Of her decks or bulk
heads burst which stood between her and
doom II is not, then, so much the keep
ing of the sea out I'm the first place as
It is to conhne the damaged area.
Criticism would be useless II a remedy
could not he offered. The work OF an
American gives US cause for felicitation
But a few words OF history before we
tell our story.
When the steamship London, In 1866
foundercd in the Bay OF BIscay. with a
distressing sacrifice of life. the builders
OF iron ships at once set about trying 10
devise methods Of construction calculated
10 make a repetition of that disaster less
likely Again. in 1886 after the Elbe sank
under narrowing circumstances. further
efforts were made TO increase the margin
OF safety OF metal passenger steamers.
The recent climax to a long list Of kin
dred fatalities has once more brought
the shipbuilders OF the world face 10 face
with the necessity FOR still more radical
improvements
Twenty-three years ago a committee OF
experts met in England and drew up 4
set Of rules determining the distance
apart and the number Of watertlght bulk
heads with which various types Of sea-
going vessels then eNtant should be pro-
vided. These regulations showed graphl-
~alIy by means Of curve. covering the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

lets. jezerant. wagelgull, waterishness.
warfurniure. wallowish. villatic, whm-
ling. wamble and wiggy." There was also
a word, wupentake, which, am informed.
was an early Norman tax levied on
Anglo-SaXon vassals.
Where. In the name Of all the mercies.
could the authors have been looking for
them? What Is the wagelgull? II sounds
like one Of the dramatis persona in Miss
Bcatrix Potter's little tales for the young
Warfurniture. presumably. means arma-
ments. But what are we 10 say or
waterishness-probably Polsko-lrish
word for how you are when some one
has Just tossed a bucket OF water over
.ou. Some dozen of these pearls among
words sound pure Carroll Instinctvely
you blend them into a new version Of
"The Hunting OF the Shark:
Twas jaggend: and the jawy jess
Did limp and iumart through the jounce
Full kentle were the kissngcrusts
And the knucklets full OF bounce.
on. hast thou quabbed the QuatercoZ?
The Jezerant? The Jeofail? Etc.
No wonder the Trans Baikalian peas
ants. stolid folk. with the expression OF a
grazing COW but less intelligence, stared
blankly when | put many simple ques-
ton 10 them. as would a Kansas farmer
when lnterrogatcd as TO acclivous kibes
and telery absterges.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
To w. w. Wotherspoon, an American, the
World Owes Scheme for Making Ships
Unsuitable by Using Compressed
Air to Force Water from
Flooded Compartments.
Flooded Compartments.

her, satisfied for the nonce that no harm
could befall them An exaggerated faith
in that great crafts immunity no doubt
accentuated the loss of life by delaying
her abandonment until too late. That she
did not. indeed. represent a full measure
OF resistance has since been evidenced by
the costly and extensive notifications
made in her sister ship, the Olympic
The latter's builders have given the
liner what is technically termed an "in-
ner skin" and the space between these
two hulls, as IL were, is fashioned into a
steel honeycomb Of many small compart-
ments To reach a vital space a wound
must tear through both skins ere water
can food any of the big interior cham
bers. In all OF this the Olympic is largely
duplicating the hull structure required for
ships OF war, and we shall see presently
that our naval authorities do not con-
slider the cellular get-up of our fghtng
craft a sufficient safeguard in itself
against underwater injuries admitting
the sea. This is not by way Of criticism,
but an example Of how the state Of the
art" moves ever onward.
We can appreciate why this is so Ii We
take into consideration the appalling mag
nitude of the forces or stresses involved.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

length Of each class OF ship. Just where
the bulkheads were TO be placed In the
language Of the naval architect, these
were called "bulkhead curves These
curves were based upon assumed dam
ages admitting so much water, and the
bulkheads were apportlOned so that they
would limit the areas likely to be flooded
by n single wound, while the craft 50 in
undated would always be certain OF re-
naming enough above water 20 hold her
own against the sea overlooking into her
Theoretically that was all right, but there
was disastrous gap I'm practice. At least
the convention Of 1890 served to promote
concerted action and to disseminate in
formation which led to a broad effort
toward betterment.
That something else was needful was
made apparent when the Elbe swept TO
her doom I'm 1895, and the next year the
German authorities went still further ana
set a higher and more exacting standard
in the matter OF watertight bulkheads Tor
oversee passenger steamers. In Germany
these rules have acquired a legal force.
In short, the German regulations USED
the British "bulkhead curves for their
base. but improved upon these in I'M
nortant particulars. The layman rs not IN
terested I'm these technicalities save in
so FAR as they indicate the attention
this subject has received and In the news
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

The 65.0CO-ton Titanic was racing along az
a speed Of nearly twenty-oue knots when
she struck the grim wanderer from the
Northland. She received a blow beneath
her waterline equivalent TO a batterins
ram hitting her with an energy Of about
1901. 900 foot tons. In other words the
shock of a concentrated attack OF twenty
one 5O0-ton express trains running at
rate of sixty miles an hour The heaviest
steel armor that now girds the mightiest
Of dreadnoughts would crumple up like
tissue paper under an impact OF this mag
ntude How, then, can We hope for Sc
curity when the double skins combined OF
the biggest liners are not more than one
inch thick? What is 20 stand between
the sea and disaster when this plating is
ruptured?
The naval architect has striyen to pro-
vide another bulwark. OF @ succession
of them I'm the snaps OF watertight
decks and bulkheads designed 10 con-
fine the sea 10 the compartments first
flooded Alas We have many distressing
examples OF how these yield before the
persistently increasing pressure Of the
intruding waters. compartment after
compartment flooding until the vessels
reserve Of buoyancy Is sapped 90 the
fatal limit As we know, the Titanic
survived her deathblow nearly three
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

moment on what guidebooks have to say
about Holland. The peculiar baseness or
this direction will he appreciated only by
those who have spent half a dollar on the
best cigar the Netherlands have TO offer
stop at Korte Hoogstraat, No. -. ana
give cents for an FL Tropo' or silva
cigar In an envelope that gives addresses
Of all shops In Amsterdam Trop' III
French means too much and spanish
is a nearly allied tongue so the signiil-
canoe Of the title of this emperor OF
cigars would appear menacingly obvious
10 the cognoscenti. The same author
helps to make tourists popular In Am
sterdam by declaring. apropos OF shop
ping. that "the proper price 10 pay for
anything is about half the amount you
think IT Is worth before asking
4 note Of tragedy is sounded in one OF
my treasured guidebooks, the author OF
which once had a distressing experience
In a Dutch cheese factory at Edam.
which. by the way. would be fine set
ting for a modern problem play. All he
has to say about Edam. which is really
quite a Jolly little place. is this: "Edam.
DO not enter the cheese factories here,
nothing 70 see and you have to pay TO
get out another catchpenny scheme
The punctuation Is his own.
AS is not unnatural, gudebooks wax
garrulous about long-sdffering Venice. At
the one extreme are the vade-mecums
which gush balled up artistic chitchat ad
nauseam, the other. the apprehensive
work which warns you to "be careful of
your health In this city In warm weather
keep away from the canals; they are
offensive and unhealthy. Engage a room
away from the canals, and never take u
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

room unless canopy covers the bed,
as the gnats (mosquitoes) are insuffer-
able"
like the pronunciation hint given in
one guidebook for the use of eXpatriated
Middle Westerners. not to ask the way
to the dogs house" when they want the
palace OF the Doges. The elite of Omaha
would do well 10 bear II in mind, for the
Italians are sensitive race and the
canals are wet and deep. Another work
sympathizes with the romantic yearnings
OF prosaic tourists and abjures them on
no account to miss a Journey out to Lido,
on the Adriatic. the Coney Island OF Ven
ice. and pay 50 centI for a sea dip from
the Cooperative Bagni Impiegnau Civil
del Regno. etc, because "a Roman toga'
is also included, in addition to trunks
and TWO towels.
Sound advice is rendered to the tourist
by certain guidebook which has just
conducted him on a fieeting hustle
through provincial England, bringing him
eventually to London. with the prospect
Of crossing to the Continent. France
should be visited after England. The in
habitants dsdain the English language
and make no effort TO acquire it. They
are polite II you try to speak French;
otherwise, they are very inattentive.'
Guidebooks In general have tactfully
little to say about the uneasy voyage
across the swells OF the English Chan
mel to Gaul. One Dutch volume, indeed.
published some seventy years ago, in
the infancy of snorting sde-wheelers,
warns you not to lean against the funnel,
for il is hot" This more sophsticat-
ed age however.
Manners none, customs beastly." as
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

stars. One star means important" and
two mean absolutely necessary" After
stating that Dresden is a very gay capt.
tai" it adds two stars l wonder why.
A noteworthy feature Of this gentle
mans wade mecum is the fact that while
he is constantly referring you TO the
Temperance Hotels of England and
Scotland, and the "Alcoholfreis" Of Ger
many and Austria, he wakes enthusiast
tic in his star-spangled references to the
best drinks along his itinerary. among
which the beverages Of Messrs. Bryan
and Roosevelt are conspicuous by their
absence OF his tender solicitude for the
sojourner in the chaste "AlcohOlfreis' he
has just been recommending In Vienna,
he adds that lager beer here at "a he'll
Ter is better than the Pilsen at 30 Nor
is the thirsty and impecuniOus tourist
at Verona left disconsolate. Verona he
announces, is the most purely Italian
city; II is rich I'm Roman remains. The
Arena is well preserved free Sunday;
the Giardino Giusti has many old trees.
Valpolicela (either rosa, red. which IS
the best, or bianchi, white is fine local
wine, 80 cent? per bottle. Always drink
gasosa (effervescent soda, 10 ceni per
bottle) with your wine 1t makes 1t close
ly approach champagne OF Salisbury
we learn that Humboldt said he consid-
cred It the loveliest city Of the world.
The wines are good, and in some cases
famous"
As for this guidebook's itinerary down
the Rhine, it would seem to be next to
l., ,laV for a
probable length Of time. 30 soon as
you have awakened on the boat. taken
a bath and cup Of strong coffee, an
other town with superb wines looms up
athwart the bows, and The potential
tiles of Boppard on Rhine are aptly con-
densed. Four facts are given about Bop
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
YOUR CJDEBOOK MAY NOT GUIDE YOU BUT IT WILL ENTERTAIN YOU

the concise tourist OF legendary scrubbed
I'm his diary, on going through the
Douane at Boulogne-sur-M er. But there
is not a bad little meal awaiting you in
Paris, according to one Tourists Help
mate on my shelf THE Restaurant de
la Jeune France, 70 Rue -, gives the
finest meal in the city," it remarks. buoy
antly. The cost is 1 fr. 10 centimes (22
cents American money!. Potage soup
or hors-d euvre appetizer such az pate
de foie gras. which is very good. one
plat de viande (any roast or stew, with
vegetables. one legume or poisson Zone
plate Of special vegetable or fish, dessert
many varieties), one pint bottle Of very
wine (one-half bout, Vim rouge or blanc).
beer (biere), or milk GaiD. An unlimited
amount of bread about a Yard is fur
nished"
or Germany remarks another guide
book. somewhat graphically: "A society
of associated hotel keepers called Yer
band Christlicher Hospize." aim to give
friendly welcomes and the best returns
for the very moderate prices charged.
They are open 10 all, and are largely
patronized by wise tourists and ladies
travelling alone" And ambiguous sol
ace is given to the unappreciated tourists
in the assurance that you will be well
come in the office OF any shipping hrm
in any city OF Europe"
Finally. It might be noted that the con-
stantly recurring comment 'low" In
guidebooks is rarely quite clear in ones
mind. Some say it refers to the charges;
others that it means the atmosphere. But
"Iow" is only one OF the many pleasant
mysteries OF guidebooks.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
Successful Test Of the Apparatus Made on the
War Vessel North Carolina Leads Many
Experts to Belief That Ships Of
Commerce Will Be Equip
ped with 1t.
ped with 1t.

tions which had given him veal eof
practical experience, and he knew 'how
these, even at the worst, could be met and
conquered through the agency Of COM
pressed air. Besides this, this young en-
gineer had made a name for himself in
carrying through a number Of difficult
salvage operations, and he had even re-
hoated a sunken United states cruiser
when other wrecking enterprises had
abandoned the work after futile efforts
Mr.. Wotherspoon's facts and persuasion
finally won the day, and he was con-
tracted with 20 equip about two-thirds OF
the North Cardinals water tight COM
partments with his system. The naval
constructors grudgingly granted him a
limited allowance Of material: only few
Of the experts believed he would make
good. Just the same he did, but the de-
tails of that accomplishment are not
part of this story.
What concerns us is that when his APP
paratus was ready for trial the captain
OF the North Carolina determined to make
the test a conclusive one. II the installa-
ton was to measure Up to its designers
promises, then IL had TO prove equal TO
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
VERY shortly there will be held in
London an international confer
1901. of naval arc bitactS shin


" London an international confer
ence Of naval architects, ship
builders and other maritime experts for
the purpose Of formulating new structural
rules which will make all big seagoing
craft better able 10 withstand damage
from collision. with less probability Of their
laundering Although more than a year
after the loss of the Titanic this meet
Ing Of experts has its inspiration in the
dire and sudden sacrifice Of that ocean,
going giant.
The coming Of the Imperator upon her
maiden trip shows us, however what the
German builders have wrought in the
last twelve months to make travel upon
the sea less hazardous, and the public
has the best of reasons for taking an in
telligent interest in this vital topic. The
bigger the ship the greater the risk Of
life and property in transit and, there
fore. Just so much more reason that these
floating cities should be the sturdier and
better able 10 withstand every hazard
that may beset her upon the trackless
deep
Remember, the world thought the Ii
tanic unsuitable. People that had always
been timid of the sea took passage upon
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
THE FAR EAST GUlDEeooK.

japanese guldebooks. like the Constitu-
ton Of Utah, can always be read with
pleasure and profit There is a dainty
fastidIousness running through their
comment and directions. OF Shokoshai,
near Dairen. in Southern Manchuria, the
Manshu Annaisha guide remarks: THE
Chinese town is situated a mile south or
the city, but we can go their on the
ilectric tromway. There Is nothing TO
attract the foreign visitor for as race
the Chinese are not OF clearly habits"
And OF the Hyakuana-no-Ato caves at
Nagayatou, in Yoshimmura, the Hachi-
suka manual says: THEY are said TO
have been the dwelling place Of a
Japanese tribe called Truchi-Gumo. or
Earth Spiders, In very ancient times.
These caves are not very clean and
rather unpleasant. but they may be In
teresting to some visitors" The Taxed
Hotel. in Kysusha, is delightfully."- stu
ated I'm the midst OF charming sceneries
at all seasons OF the year; II has curbed
its rowing disposition. in fact. The MI
kasa Hotel. at Karuizawa. in addition to
fine Views OF the volcano Asama,"
"acetyline lights throughout" and
"sumptuous furnishings" has Joiner
workshop provided for the guests" What
more could mere mortal man crave?
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
DUTCH CIGARS.

The Hainuzuka wade mecum fills long
felt want by appending a number OF
phrases for flirting with geishas. No
longer need we remain tongue-tied In the
dainty presence of Miles. Chrysanthemum
and Cherry Blossom. We are shown how
to say. in coherent Nipponese' Beppin'
which means nice girl; Utsukushi. very
beautiful: Anata wakari masuka, can you
understand me: Nihon no uta, give us
Japanose song; Utainasai, sing a songe,
do please; Odori won't you dance
Watashi atata sukdesu, love you; Mata
alma sho will see you again; and so on.
While gayly prattling on the topic OF
rickshaws. 1t is this work that reminds
us that fares ere augmented "2VPo In
renny weyther; 1870 in knight"
Back in Europe again, let US browse
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
A poLsko.lRIsH GLOSSARY.

AT the end Of the appendix was
glossary. which contained among a mass
of Chauccrian English: Abb aoditive'
abduce, abece. abnodate, abroach, alb
sterge acclivous. Neptunian kissing
crust jeofail. ,quatercoz Miss. nissardish'
tacent. jackketch Ejaculation. jaggeni-
ness. Jasey, jawy. jazerant, jeofail. jet
ter jimpson. jounce, jumart. jutty' kam'
kell, kentle, kip, kibe, quab, quap' qHeiiy'
telary. windowy. wager. yeanling' yelk'
yark. yungest, violation, kentle, knuck-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06

pard. "Boppard Is picturesque. Zu den
y Apostolen'. g Ober str. ,centraD; room
and breakfast. Nix. Good strong Rhine
wine at restaurant bakery next corner
above. 10 pr large glass. Many Germans
here" The fact that there are many
Germans here IS not unusual-or perhaps
ne means that there are many Germans
AT the restaurant bakery, where good
strong Rhine wine IS 10 pr. large glass
which is even less unusual There Is
subtle beauty however. in the thought
that the conscientious tourist can wander
home in the wee sma' hours to the Twelve
Apostles Inn. 10 slumber until the next
boat whistles its readiness 70 WAIT MIN on
TO the next point Of interest on the Rhlne'
one can concur with the guidebook III
its declaration that Bopard Is picturesque
Nor is the food on the Rhine negligible
quantity. as Is evinced In reSrettul
note that the Rhine gorge practically
ends at Bngen."
The excellent description Of Berlin Is
plentifully sprinkled with starred recon-
,nendations and warnings. Berlin Is
city Of grand sculpture. II IS Drli''a"'
capital and gives an admirable impress
sion of the power, wealth and the might
OF this great nation. DO not enter
any side-courts leading off Friedrich
strasse."
A CONVERSATIONAL APPENDIX
The first time / went to Russia ! took
along a guidebook. II purported to have
been composed co-jointly by an lrishmah
and q Polish jew with several rs IN
his name. / doubted the possibility OF
such a collaboration when | saw their
names on the cover but glance at the
contents brought conviction. It boosted
OF a conversational appendix neces-
sarily brief and comprising phrases OF
great moment 10 the traveller. FROM
this | quote slab:
"Where is my daughter? She is still IN
bed. Has she not got up yet? NOT YET
but she is going to get up directly; she
thinks differently from what she speaks
She must get up earlier in future. Her
sister always gets up early. Why can't
she do the same? She went to bed iate
and she says she is very tired. won you
allow me to remain in bed little longer
Gather? I have already told you that 1t
can not be, that It must not be; In short
will not have It."
Evldencing all this solicitude for the
traveller encumbered with slug-a-pe1
daughter. the authors might be expected
TO care for the sick man. | happened 10
fail very sick at Tcheliabinsk. on the ST.
berian frontier, and this Is the CONVEX
sation the Polsko- Hibernian combina-
ton rendered to enable me to explain
my symptoms to the Russian doctors;
How do you do? How are you?
hope ! see you well. am very wei.
How are they all at home? How is your
father? How is your mother? She is
rather better to-day. Much better? Toll
erably well. / thank you"
A PoLsKo-IRIsH GLOSSARY.
AT the end Of the appendix was
glossary, which contained among mass
Of Chauccrian English: Abb. abditive'
abduce, abece, abnodate, abroach, alb
sterge. acclivous. Neptunian, kissing