Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-03
PERSON. AL
TOther IS.arsonaIe nm poca Y
DR.. CARSON COOVER
WRITES Of VOYAGE
Harrisburger Gives Interesting Ac-
count of His Trip to
Europe

DR.. Carson Coover who is now in
Europe pursuing his medical studies,
and who will give special attention to
surgery in Berlin, has been writing
some interesting letters to his father,
DR.. F. w. Coover. These letters are
in the form of a daily diary and give
a comprehensive narrative of his I'M
pressions on the voyage and abroad.
DR.. Coover sailed from New York
on February "a and his first entry is
an appreciative record of the, flowers.
fruit and literature which reached
him with the compliments of Harris
burg friends on the outward bound
steamer. He speaks of the rough
weather for the first day or two and
his experiences as sailor. He found
his cabin an extremely comfortable
place and intimated that most of the
passengers had deserted the dining
saloon. His experiences for the first
two or three days were varied be-
tween study of his own sensations
and of his fellow passengers, several
of whom were interesting foreigners
who had been residents of the United
States a number of years and who
were on the way for a visit to their
native land.
Pass Derelict
On February % a derelict schooner
was passed with the stumps of two
masts above the water and the same
day one of the passengers was buried
at sea, having died of pneumonia. His
first Sunday out was most disagree
able. There was a high gale, rough
| sea, rain and spray, making the con-
ditions on board quite uncomfortable.
, Religious services were conducted in
the morning, the purser leading the
service.
On the following day the passengers
began to sit up and take notice and
indulged In deck sports, including bag
races. etc.
Among the passengers whom DR..
Coover refers to were q number of
American students going abroad for
the study of medicine, music and art.
Most of the first part of the trip was
too cold and raw to allow sitting on
the open deck and the sea was too
rough for comfort.
AT Madeira all enjoyed the stop and
the excursions which were planned
before the steamer arrived. Here the
weather was balmy, the passengers
landing on tenders. AS usual, the
souvenir shops were invaded for post
cards and native novelties. The
flowers of the island were much ad-
mired, the English settlement being
particularly interesting. Here the
diving boys who surrounded the
steamer attracted much attention.
After most of the day at Madeira
| the steamer left for Gibraltar, DR..
| Covers diary here covering many
personal interviews with interesting
people and giving a fine impression
| of the south Atlantic trip. He found
much of interest in entering the straits
of Gibraltar with view of two con-
tinents. OF the Rock of Gibraltar he
says: "On the surface one saw no
great evidence of its strength as a
fortification. Marsoni towers and oe-
casionai piles of maso.ry were all
the external disfgurements which the
rock itself has apparently suffered"
At Algiers
On the following day the steamer
sailed through the Mediterranean in
sight OF the African shore, and the
next Sunday was spent at Algiers,
where they arrived in the morning.
DR.. Coover gives a fine description of
the scenes and incidents and the pecu-
liarities' and customs of the people.
He says: I'VE sat down at a table
on the sidewalk and slipped iced cof-
fee and milk and watched the chang
Ing crowd. 1t was fascinating to see
the queer style of dress among such
modern surroundings. A Turk with q
fez as motorman, an Arab of the
desert wearing glasses, the strange
ploomers and wells of the women-all
give a peculiar thrill. Bands and SOL
diers marched by, three funerals of
different faiths walked or rode, a we'd
ding party drove past, beside in
Vulnerable types on foot-all in the
space of an hour and half, a kaleido-
scopic picture indeed. We were loath
to leave, having made three friends
in the city-our Arab guide, Mahom-
med, a French waiter in the cafe
and street urchin named Maris, who