New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-07

From all useful information con-
corning the exact sciences Of ship
building and seamanship this letter
will be found entirely free. The world
has been flooded with accounts of that
kind since the Aquitania came into
being. In the morning after her ar
rival in New York other floods will be
let loose. You yourself will overflow
landsman with no more technical
knowledge of such matters than
landsman who once wished to be a
seaman absorbs in the course of many
humber task of setting down impress
sions and perhaps a memory or two.
What else does the average reader care
for? And write for the average read
er. only as in this case he is a reader
Of The Tribune he is himself Of the
elect
But the more voyages you have made
the reader will be your appreciation Of
the size and splendor which make the
Aouitania a paragon among all exist
ing ships. l use that as convenient
phrase. / have not seen the new Ger
man monsters. l believe they are
larger by some thousands Of tons than
this new Cunarder. l do not care
whether they are or not l am an
American of English descent; with, so
far as I know, no drop of any blood
other than English in my American
veins. AS we have no mercantile ma
rine. that is reason enough why l and
why other Americans, also of English
stock, should feel more at home on an
English ship. l have tried many
others, - German, French, Italian,
Spanish, Egyptian lin Ismah Pacha's
dav). Dutch,-and even American. On
ANYTHING but an English deck / feel
myself an alien. On an English deck /
feel myself an American. And again
l say l think l share this feeling with
many thousands of my countrymen.
My first sea voyage was made as the
guest Of Captain Steadman, COM
mander Of the L. S. steamship Wen
willie, from New York to Port Royal,
South Carolina, in the early autumn OF
1861. My first Atlantic voyage was in
the Cunard steamship China, their first
screw, in 1866, with Mr.. Richard H.
Dana, to teach me the rudiments of the
art and mystery of going to sea.
was on the White Star Teutonic in
1889 when she made the most mem
orable of trial trips. from Liverpool to
Spithead. with hundred of the celeb
rites of that day as guests and the
German Emperor and the Prince OF
Wales as the star visitors at Spithead.
And only the other day, in 1907, en-
barked on the Lusitania on her maiden
voyage from Liverpool TO New York.
l have therefore a variety Of stand
ards by which to measure the Aqui-
tania. The Teutonic was the express
sion of the personal genius of the late
Mr.. Ismay, head of the White Star
Line. He was a man of a most orig
inal and creative mind, and in the leu
tonic was to be found the germ of al
most every improvement since made in
the building of passenger ships. She
was the prioneer. She showed the way.
She was an almost perfect ship. She
was, for her time, a perfect ship.
The Aquitania is about five times as
large as the Teutonic. She has, there
fore, about five times the opportunity
10 provide conveniences and luXuries
for the passengers; and of this oppor-
tunity she has made full use. Judged
by modern standards, the Teutonic was
a yacht. In everything except size, so
is the AQuitana; she steers not less
handily. Each Of her adornments is a
personal appeal; in other words, when
YOU first walk on board you feel that it
has all been done for you. II is like the
welcome which the practised politician
in high place gives. or used 10 give, to
each one OF his myriad visitors. He
says 'Dclighted TO see you" But the
visitor alters the accent TO suit him
self, and the sentence as he repeats it
70 his fellow citizens of Oklahoma be-
comes, Delighted TO see you"
Nor will the passenger be mistaken.
The list,-even the passenger LISTS a
motley list, but to each one Of this
rsriegated company there is a similar
greeting-when you arrive and as long
as you stay--from officers, stewards
everybody with whom you come in con-
tact. The business of the captain and
his lieutenants Is TO navigate the ship,
and in that they for the greater part
help; as they ought. But there are
officers of the hotel as well as Of TIE
snip With them the passenger is al
ways in touch. They can make him
comfortable or uncomfortable, and TO
make him comfortable they spare no
pains. That is the spirit Of the ship.
dare say If you found your way down
10 the engine room the same spirit
would be there. Even the passenger
who begins to ask before Liverpool is
out OF sight on what day and at what
hour the ship will arrive In New York
receives soft answer. This informa.
ton is exclusively in possession OF the
w1