Monday afternoon, Nov. 21/98. On board SS “Majestic” on Atlantic Ocean.
Just before leaving Philadelphia, I went into one of the great stores, “Wanamaker’s” on Market Street, & it was now 9:45. I bought a souvenir of New York & posted it then & there home because I knew it must go with the Majestic mail & see whether it will beat me home. I left Philadelphia at 10:39, 18 minutes late. It was fair weather & I had enjoyed the morning. It was a fine train to travel by, direct from Washington, & the one I should have come in had I stayed all night there. We passed Eddington, Croydon, Bristol & here were large factories, carpets & clothing, a fine district, beautiful fields & parks, & farms where turnips & potatoes were very plentiful. Quick travelling all the journey & no stop between Phila. & Jersey City, a 4 track line all the way and & traffic passing. As we journied along Morrisville, a fine river here divides, & Trenton, an important place 57 ½ miles from N. York, at 11:21 is reached, & now we go through a fine flat country resembling Northumberland & here between the 4 tracks were wells filled with water out of which the engine draws supplies as it travels, slows a trifle during the process. Now we are in a maize growing country & the sun has burst out lovely. It is 11:45 & we are tearing along & at 11:55 passed New Brunswick, Penn[1]. I have [9:59] noted the rails on American lines are not fastened to the sleepers[2] by chairs[3] but by staples[4] with a flanged head. I suppose this must be safe enough, but I always understood that speed required the rails to be secured by chairs through which are 2 bolts. Newark at 12:24 was next passed, & we arrived at Jersey City at 12:37, only 6 minutes late, having made up 14 minutes on the run. I had arranged with Albion to be on the boat which awaits the train, & was disappointed he wasn’t there & went forward. He was at the Grand Union Hotel, having crossed with the correct time ferry, we being late. We had a wash & dinner, & then went down to the “Majestic”, took 2 packages with us, & found his chest & box had been duly delivered to the baggage master from the Andorinha, & on that score felt content. We obtained permits to view the steamer & saw all through her. She is a very fine vessel, but her fittings no where are to be compared with any of the P&O steamers I had sailed in. I told you I was surprised with the plainness of the new & great “Cymric”. Well, the Majestic is if anything less attractive. They have a few only superior berths or properly suit[e]s of “rooms”, & these will not every passage be used. They are 500 & 600 dollars the passage of 7 days equal to 100 & 120 sovereigns. After seeing our berth, which is in a very good position, 4 berth cabin, outside, starboard, roomy, & comfortable looking, we made our way to Bowling Green buildings, in which is the main office, & ascertained that the berth entire was for our exclusive use & felt satisfied, as much of one’s comfort, after all, on a passage, is the berth accommodation where you have full liberty to do as you like, lay in as you please or retire at will.
We next called at Heyes, not many yards across Broadway. Capt. Morgan had been there during the morning. Ship is removed considerably further away than when I last was on board & it was too far to journey, & preferred to meet Captain there [9:60] at Heyes rather than travel so far & then may be miss him. I left a message for him & explanation. Albion, during my absence, had been on board & seen the Captain & got all his papers, which he will require when we call at Roberts’s office in Liverpool. So I did not see Captain Morgan before sailing.
We walked up to Cook’s, 261 Broadway, & there got a letter from Sarah, & left instructions if any more letters, to send them to the “Majestic”. However, there was evidently none. It was getting on & nearing 6 o’clock, so we made for hotel. I wrote a few cards, 3 to Australia, 1 to Mary at Petersbourg [sic] & a letter to Frank Musgrave, as I noted the “Olympia” was to leave Tacoma on 22nd inst. We took a walk during the night & viewed about.
On Tuesday morning, the 15th, was very fine, sunny but sharp. We were up in good time, & after breakfast & a shine, I went to see Mr. Forsyth as promised & took horse car for 52nd St. 8th Ave., leaving only a block to walk. I found him at the store & stayed about half hour, & before leaving, I got him to stand without & I took a snap of the front which I am sure will come out right. We parted with messages for his good sister, whom I know will be pleased I had paid her brother a visit.
I walked a short distance, & between 46th & 47th Sts. on Broadway was attracted by some enormous big steel rails some men were handling & storing for the laying an extra cable track on this particular section of Broadway, & a fine broad way it is here. The rails were 60 feet & weighed each 2,300 lbs., the longest & heaviest so far used for train rails in N. York, & manufactured in Pennsylvania. I got this information from the foreman on the spot & took a snap as they were sliding the last rail off the waggon. We took elevated ry. from 42nd St., 4th Ave. to Battery, visited Geo. Wooley according to promise, & it was nearing noon. We found him in office & welcomed us. We again ascended the tower on top of the building. I told him on previous visit I would fetch the Kodak & photo him on tower for his mother’s especial benefit. This I did, 2 views, & he took Albi & I, & then I took a couple of views from tower & de[s]cended.
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He told me Lady Gray had announced her intention to build the Presbyterians a manse. This was delightful news to me, & as I told him, I should never forget having first heard the good news in his office at New York. Afterwards, on reading my batch of mails, I noticed the paragraph. Well done, Lady Gray. He took us to see the stock exchange in full swing. We had visited it previously but a second visit was equally interesting to see the excitement of the hundreds on its floor. I did give you my impressions of first visit & I have nothing to add beyond it being one of the great commercial sights of the world. We parted, I to convey to his mother at home my impressions of him & his work. A very cheery visit this was. Next we went into Wall St. & to Brown Bros. where I cashed a note. We moved about & during the while bought some music which Willie desired I should bring him from N. York, & got what I think is correct, also a few other pieces of music[5] for Andrew. Our parcels we left at the White Star pier office, near where we intended taking ferry across to Hoboken to pay a parting visit to Albion’s friends, Mr. & Mrs. Brash. We were in time to see Mr. Brash as he leaves home at 4:30 for “Andorinha”, where he is watchman. We stayed awhile, bade goodbye, & on our way called in at their nephew’s, Mr. Reid, & bade them goodbye too. It was about 6 o’clock & we took a car for ferry (14th St.) & made for hotel, had a rest, tea, & a walk. We went to NY Herald office on Broadway & there got a paper containing account of the fire which so damaged the “Andorinha”, returned to hotel, where I wrote the diary till 5 to 12. Albion long before had gone to his room & to bed.
On Wednesday morning, the 16th Nov., it was a very fine morning, up at 7:15 (& out by 8:30), had “shine”, & breakfast, [9:62] after which we made our way down to “Majestic”, & reached her at 9:45. Soon got all our baggage into our berth & returned on shore to spend the remaining while at our disposal. We returned to ship at 11:45, got a nice snap of her as she lay alongside the street, sun shining nicely on her. We went on board, great commotion going on, & at 12 o’clock to the very tick, the twin screws (causing the great steamer to vibrate) moved & our voyage commenced. Then began general excitement, hundreds seeing their friends off, & the waving of hands, hats, & kerchiefs kept going till we were fairly beyond recognition. To me, tho’ no one to set us off, it was a pleasant hour. The prospect of soon being amongst our dear ones after an absence unique in my experience, & after a long, long journey, made me feel, with Albion as my voyage companion, that a pleasant prospect, & bright & cheerful home welcome awaited us. All things truly have an ending, & my journeying in foreign lands ceased when I stepped on board the great Atlantic liner “Majestic”. I took a snap shot when we got a little off from the wharf & hope it will show a picture as a memoriam of leaving New York. Soon we passed, going down the harbour, one of the Red Star steamers, “Southwark”, with passengers on board, but we soon passed her & long after saw her on our track, but far astern. Next we passed the Statue of Liberty & took a distant snap shot with a fine full rigger just passing. Next was Staten Island on our right, now 12:30, & laying at anchor here were several USA war ships & tenders, & now we entered the narrows or heads, & loosing [sic] sight of New York City & its pretty harbour. The scenery on both sides here away was very pretty & all looked pleasing at the [9:63] commencement of an Atlantic voyage.
Dinner was announced at 1 o’clock & during dinner, the engines stopped to let the pilot leave the ship, & now we were fairly on our passage. The afternoon slipped away very lively & tea was served at 5:30. The night was fine. We saw the first of new moon, which was cheery for the prospect of moonlight nights at sea, tho’ its full benefit won’t be experienced during the few days we are on the Atlantic. At 9 o’clock, I had a hot bath & a hot “night cap”, & into bed. I needed both having cold in my body. I had a very good night’s rest & on Thursday morning, 17th, had my breakfast in bed & there remained till 10:30, got up refreshed & soon on deck, sleepy all day. The weather was fairly good, the wind & sea gradually increased. Nothing interesting to note or worthy recording, very quiet always at sea for the first 3 or 4 days, & as this is only a 7 day voyage, there won’t be much to add to diary.
Friday, Nov. 18th, I laid in & had breakfast in bed, as I had the night before had hot bath & “night cap” again, not quite such a refreshing rest, still very fair. It makes a long day at sea getting up early morning, especially in the month of November. It was all right & very delightful in the Indian Ocean or Southern Seas, but on Atlantic too cold. The weather, too, this morning had “worsened”, the ship dancing a little, & when I got on deck, I did not find many moving about, & several were below “out of sorts”. I even discharged my breakfast but beyond this I felt no disagreeable effects. It was cold, so I turned in between meals & read my file of “old mails” & “journals”, carefully reserved for the occasion.
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So the day went on. I had my bath & comfort again at 9, & into bed. Saturday opened out an improving day, & much pleasanter all round during the afternoon, & during sunshine, I took a snap shot on deck. It won’t be much, only for a memento of being on the “Majestic”, & on the great Atlantic. I had my bath again at 9 & into bed, & had a very fair night.
Sunday the 20th was fine, cool, tho’ cloudy. Service of prayers at 10:30. Slept most of this afternoon, & at 7 at night, a service was held by 2 coloured young missionaries bound for Africa. Some Moody & Sankey’s popular hymns were sung afterwards & until nearly 9. I retired, had my bath & a good night. Albion takes care of himself & enjoys himself. Today, Monday the 21st, a very fine day again. I laid in this morning, so did Albion, & did not get out till near noon. Nothing whatever to record. All goes on very quietly & pleasant.
Ships position since we left is as follows, noon each day:
Lat. N. Long. W. Run
Thursday 17th 41.02 65.27 391
Friday 18th 43.13 56.15 430
Saturday 19th 45.54 46.56 430
Sunday 20th 48.52 36.36 456
Monday 21st 50.38 24.57 460
Tuesday 22nd 51.18 13.01 455
Wednesday 23
We see ships & steamers now & again, overtaking & passing, & as we travel at great speed we soon are out of sight again. Had hot bath at 9 o’clock & into bed.
[1] Mistake in the original text. New Brunswick is in New Jersey
[2] Called “Railroad Ties” in America
[3] Metal block for holding the rail and securing it to the Ties
[4] Nails
[5] Recorded music?