Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-01

The following letter from Hon.
Charles A. Milliken of Augusta, who
is enjoying a trip to Panama and
visiting many ports en- route, will be
| read with particular interest by his
| friends in this city, and all over
Maine for that matter:
On board Steamship Victoria Louise.
South of Hayti, 100 P. M,
March IS, 1914.
| Editor Kennebec Journal:
According to agreement I am be-
| ginning this letter to be closed and
| forwarded when we reach Colon. This
is a beautiful day. Clear with a
breeze that tempers down the heat so
| that it has been fine all the forenoon.
| We have been in sight of Hayti since
early morning. We left San Juan,
Porto Rico, yesterday P. M. We
sailed westward along the Porto Rican
coast till we reached the west end of
the island then we shaped our course
| southwestward between Porto Rico
and Hayti. So we are sailing in the
| Caribbean sea. The early natives
were called Caribs, hence the name
| Caribbean. We have passed the
most southerly point of Hayti, and
are heading straight for Kingston,
Jamaica. This is a fine ship. She
was forwarly the 'Deutchland," and
in 1900 was queen of the seas, having
| broken all previous records across the
| Atlantic, averaging 2319 knots per
hour. The best day making over 600
| miles. At that time her engines de-
| veloped 10000 horse power Three
years ago they took her from the At
lantic service, removed half her boil
| ers, changed her cylinders for smaller
| ones, preserving her frame crank
shafts and connecting rods, cut her
| propeller down from q TT. diameter
to "a it. diameter. changed the pitch
of her propellers from SO to 81 TT, SO
that now she has $4,000 horse power
and her speed is IS miles per hour,
making her a much more desirable
boat for excursions and also much
| more economical on coal; for when
she made 600 miles per day she con-
sumed 600 tons of COAL whereas now
| in making 400 miles she uses $50 tons
I spent a very interesting hour with
the chief engineer going all through
the steam and power plant.
The officers from the captain down
| are polite and obliging. Not many of
| the crew can talk English. The
stewards and officers can, Of course,
they have to. The menus are print
/ ed for each meal and are in both
| German and English. The table is
very fine. | never was on ship
| where as much attention and effort to
| give the very best was manifest as
| here. Certainly enc need want for
nothing, and as much as he likes
One week ago today at II O'Clock
| A NJ. we backed out of the dock in
| New York. Cold raw and very dis
agreeable was the weather. Instead
Of rain we got snow squalls all tnar
afternoon and evening. 1t grew rough
/ er all night and Thursday will always
be remembered by at least two-thirds
| of the passengers speak from eGpe-
| rience. The sun did not appear until
/ Saturday. When it ushered in a fine
| day. Sunday morning we hove in sight
| Of land. At s a. NJ. we dropped anchor
\ in the harbor of Charlotte Amelia Is
| land of St. Thomas. AS we were an
| anehoring the natives could be
| seen putting out in their boats
from all directions. Some with
fruit, shells and coral. more with
their occupants stripped save breech
cloth. ready to dive for any piece of
money which the passengers chose to
throw overheard. They invariably Sc
cured the piece. Following immediat ely
| came the barges loaded with coal and
men of same color. They put on 700
tons before we sailed at midnight for
San Juan. Porto Rico. st. Thomas is
| noted for Panama hats and bay rum.
| The island belongs to Denmark. The
population is principally black but
above the average owing to the strict
enforcement of education of the chill
dren. So strict are they that pro
perty owner Is Obliged to see that ey-
| cry child upon his premises goes to
school. If he fails to do this he is
| heavily fined.
| was much struck with the looks OF
! San Juan as we entered the harbor
| Monday morning. Moro Castle gave us
an idea of past ages and customs. The
| town reminds one of the cities of
| Southern Italy. The buildings and
| streets are similar to those of the old
| Italian cities. But when you heave in
sight of the docks and warehouses ana
see the high steel towers Of the new
wireless station, you begin to see
| Whnt changes are taxing pidce unuST
Uncle Sans beneficient control.
| Porto Rico has a great future If held
under the control of the United States
and the good work already begun is
| not allowed to wane. We took an auto
! trip of almost 125 miles with Col G.
| B. Morton of Augusta, who holds
government position here and who
kindly arranged the trip. 1t was
| revelation as we rolled along to see
| the fields of cane and tobacco We WIS.,
| tied a mill which produces over 80
| tons 70 sugar per day. 1t was very
| interesting. We chewed some of the
| cane and found the juice sweeter than
| our maple sap. 1t takes about II
| months for q crop of cane to grow.
The tobacco fields are recognized far
away because they are covered with
white gauze cotton cloth. Sugar and
| tobacco production have increased
amazingly since American occupation.
| Porto Rico is apparently filled with
| hills and mountains. The only real
level country is close to the coast. The
4 y~sly III