Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-03-12
A Trip to Aaska.,

running race to see who would get
out first, but the Portsmouth beat us
and got off about four hours sooner
than we did. Both boats had about
twelve hundred passengers each, and
would naturally be the first boats
reaching the states. When the Roa-
noake raised anchor and swung
around, she passed within about a
hundred yards of our boat,
There was man who had formerly
been member of Sousa's band, who
played the "e" cornet, and who had
his instrument with him and l guess
was hurrying back to Sousa. He came
to the rail of the steamer and played
"Home, Sweet Home" and I think
thrilled every person on both boats
with the memory of home for I never
heard such cheering in all my life.
AS l said before our boat finished
loading in about four hours, and we
were off.
The ocean was now clear of ice, and
the weather beautiful. The days
were long and nights very short, and
it was quite different from the trip
upon an old slow sailing vessel. All
the people on the steamer seemed to
be in ajolly good humor and enjoying
themselves. There was apoker game
started in the smoking room the day
we started, and never ceased for a
moment till we got to Seattle, and
there were some high rollers. AL
though the writer enjoys good game
of poker, he did not take any part in
it as he did not think the state of his
finances would permit.
| The ship was an English ship and
carried the English flag. The crew of
sixty was under splendid discipline.
The Captains name was BARTLETT
They had a fire drill every day. The
custom of the dining room is that the
Captain presides at one table, the
chief engineer at another, and the
purser at another. Each passenger
was assigned to particular table and
chair for the trip, and | was assigned
to the purser's table, and I never
missed a meal crossing the ocean.
The ship under favorable conditions
made about twenty knots an hour.
In about two days we passed the
Pribalof Islands, and they were liter
ally covered with the fur seals. The
third day we reached Dutch Harbor
and here we stopped for coal and took
on fresh water and meat. While do
| ing this the passengers visited on
shore and went over to the town of
Univac, which is mostly an Indian
village, although there are a few
whites. There are two stores here,
which sell principally souvenirs and
furs, such as the blue, and white, and
gray fox, shells, walrus tusks, etc.
If had had the nerve I could have
bought 5000 worth of the furs and sold
them in the states at profit of
$500, but / would have had to run
the gauntlet of the custom officers,
which some did and succeeded.
While lying in the harbor a whaling
vessel came in to sell their two years.
catch of oil, whale bone, reindeer
:: skins, etc. They had fifteen hundred
parkas made from the reindeer skins
by the Siberian Indians, which they
] sold for $25.00 apiece. The whaler
! had a crew of thirty two men, and
: only two of them we're Of the same
: nationality. The Captain, who was
from Norway, said he preferred it this
. way, as there was very little danger
of mutiny, but think they we're the
most villainous lot that l had evel
seen, and l got off of this boat al
quick as could.
| Our ship now being ready we wen
out through Univac pass and into thu
broad Pacific. We were to see nj
more land for three thousand mile
until we came to Cape Flattery at the
mouth of Puget Sound, two hundred
and eighty miles from Seattle. Th'
| weather was fair and nice until W,
| got about half way; then we en-
countered a storm, but not so severe
as the one going up. A good many 0
the passengers were sea sick, but w
always had plenty of company at tn
table. And now an incident occurre,
that impressed me very much. On
of the passengers had died on tn
trip and requested to be buried at sea
The man was sewed up into a ney
canvas with some heavy irons at thu
feet. At twelve O'Clock, midnight
the man was carried up unto tn
hericane deck by two sailors and tn
body laid on board, the passenger
we're assembled, and the Captain rea
the English burial service which wa
very impressive. At five minutes til
twelve he gave orders for the engine
to go at quarter speed. AT exactl
twelve o'clock the ships bells begal
to toll the hour. The two sailor
raised the head Of the corpse on tn
board and it clipped off feet foremos
into the ocean. At The last stroke Q
the bell the Captain gave orders TO
ullspeed ahead, and the ceremony wa
over, and the man was left there i
the middle Of the Pacific ocean, al
alone, and the world went on just tn
anna