The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-12

First Methodist church, who is spending the summer cruising in the Mediterranean sea aboard the steam ship TuScania, has written his first letter home from abroad to The Age Herald describing the scene at the New York pier and discussing the ship, the passengers and the trip and everything of interest in general he has seen since sailing June 30.
 In his familiar and beloved style, Dr. Stuart discusses an ocean Jour ney from a viewpoint interesting in the extreme and especially interest ing to Birmingham people, who know him and appreciate what he says.
 Dr. Stuart's letter follows:
 ITO one who has never been on the high seas in a tIsansoceanic voyage, every minute of the first hours is full of interest and thrill. When the taxi cab man opened the door and an nounced, "Cunard Line--Tuscania en- trance" I stepped out with verdant expectancy and anxious inquiry. The baggage was all marked for State room C-57, Tuscania," so the deck porters took our baggage and polite ly directed us to the ship saying. Don't trouble about your baggage. you will find it in your room." With great throng of passengers and visitors, we moved along to the
 Sohb Noy Oli IO oHlp
 "On deck we found the polite, uni formed deck steward to conduct us to our rooms where we found our steamer trunks under the berths and all of our hand baggage promptly delivered. A look at our ample stateroom filled us with delight. Two wardrobes. dresser. two white marble lavatories, nine ample draw CTS in dresser and wardrobes, our hnrtb Qrranpnd for o 1Opep sofa dl1r ing the day with wicker chairs gave us bed room and sitting room spare with every comfort A short period of rustic and we were arranged for the trip. All unpacked and arranged. we exclaimed with delight Fine"
 We were on board an hour before leaving time and enjoyed standing on the deck and watching the pas sengers enter Ever and anon a hand would go up and a voice would ex- claim, There's George Stuart" and we would greet an unexpected friend from Texas. California, Mississippi or some other state.
 Passengers 'Different."
 The passengers for and visitors to a cruising ship are quite dffferen. passengers on regular transatlantic ship are as promiscuous as they are on a railroad train. Those on a cruis : ing vessel are as select as a char tered "convention train" On the Tuscania the passengers are of two general classes: first, wealthy and for a two-months rest to enjoy the sea breezes and scenes of interest as recreation. Second. ministers, col lege presidents. teachers, writers, and scientists who are combining rest and information with the main object to see the foreign countries and gather facts of countries and conditions. On the regular steamers many of the passengers are leaving America for other countries to remain permanent ly or for a number of years and the pier is crowded with weeping friends and relatives and the passengers go aboard sobbing. On a cruising vessel all the passengers are out for a 60 or 90 days summer excursion and the pier is crowded with happy, laugh ing throng of friends and kins folk to wish bon voyage" and to say have a good time and hurry back" In all the throng of the hundreds of visitors on the pier, 1 saw only one person shedding tears.
 Thirty minutes before the ship moved out from dock the 53S passen- gers were each handed a ball of rib bon paper of varying colors. The pas
 
 decks, and catching the ends of the ribbon, threw the ball toward some friend on the pier The ball un- wound the ribbon as 1t went, and when the friend on the deck caught what was left, the friends had a ribbon line of come ection, each hold Ing an end of the ribbon. The effort on every deck to get a ribbon con nection with friends on the pier ere ated a storm of merriment as success and failures were alternately greeted with shouts and screams of joy. The ribbons crossed and cris- crossed from every deck formed a most beautiful network of rich color from end of the ship to the other. The ship was tied to the dock by hundreds of ribbon cords held in the hands of friends aboard and on the deck. When the ship moved out, the cords all broke amid joyous screams and laughter; each one on board and each one on deck held a bit of broken cord. an emblem of broken ties of love-
 All the passengers were on deck to see the sights down the Hudson river and out to the open sea. Ellis Island, an insignificant speck of land, cov- cred with series of low brick build ings, constituting the national in spection station, first caught our at tention. The Goddess of Liberty, with her uplifted arm, holding the flaming torchlight, next aroused our patriotic emotions. Then the shore buildings and land sank out of sight and we were in the ocean.
 Last Word In Comfort.
 The next thought is the ship. The Tuscania was built last year and is the last word in comfort and safety. It is big, modern, 5-story hotel, 57O feet long and equipped with every comfort and convenience of a first class hotel-two large dining rooms, parlors, library, writing rooms. lounging rooms, two elevators, drug store, book store. barber shop, laun- Try. two hospitals Gone for contagious 1iseases), with modern surgical de- partment Besides deck games of many kinds there Is a gymnasium with electrically operated horses and camels. One can arise early in. the morning, step to the gym" mount a horse, turn on the electricity which will give all the gaits, walk, trot, gal lop. After horseback ride. repair 10 the swimming pool and take a sea bath and swim, pass to the barber shop and on to breakfast. The only noticeable difference between our ship and large hotel Is the rooms are smaller, the beds are berths and tn windows are port holes. In all other respects there Is no difference on ship until he goes on the deck sitting in parlors and drawing rooms with circles of friends. when the sea Is smooth (and 1t was so during our whole trip) one forgets that the big lotel Is in motion at all. 4 fter the