1903: The Grand Tour
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William E. Socotra took the "Grand Tour" of Europe in 1903. That was the year that humankind first took flight, and the glitter of the colonial empires gave no proof that Europe , and the world over which it stood as Master, was ten years away from implosion.
I don't know what he would have thought, if you told him what was going to happen. He lived to 1926, a ripe age in those days, and read in the papers of the Czar and his family being shot down like dogs, the sunny fields of France would have been converted to vast gray muddy charnel houses, and a generation of young English boys sacrificed to the gods of high explosives and disease.
It would not have been inconceivable to him, since when he was twelve, 15,000 confederate troops from Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Corps camped overnight on June 26, 1863 at Dykeman Spring in his hometown of Shippensburg , Pennsylvania . The family store was raided by Ewell's scavengers, before they moved out for Carlisle the next day. His father had been forced to drive a wagon for the Confederates.
But there had been so much progress in the world since those days, he might have protested. And in Europe !
The Continent had been at peace since the Franco-Prussian war and the consolidation of the Germanies under the Kaiser.
It is only a bit over a century ago, the life of one long-lived human. There are people alive today who were alive when the owner/operator of the Socotra Dry Goods Store in Shippensburg , Pa , took ship to see the great sites of the Continent.
Socotra was a scrupulous, if pedestrian correspondent. His postcards have a certain constancy to them, almost the same message neatly written on each one. That would be suitable for a man accustomed to keeping accounts. We are not sure who accompanied him, but he sent back postcards regularly to his wife, Ida Clendenin Socotra and also to his children.
The Socotras were descendents of the original Pennsylvania Dutch settlers who began to populate the area around the time of the Revolution.
They were staunch Lutherans and had donated stained glass windows to the local Lutheran church. They were the grandparents of William E. Socotra and the late James Clendenin Socotra, Rhoda Fisher Socotra, and Barbara Reddig Gile.
William and his companion Dr. Stall left New York City on March 27, 1903, on the steamship Mesaba of the Atlantic Transport Line and returned on May 24, 1903, on the same company's steamship Minnetonka . The trip could have been sponsored by the Masons, of which group he was a member. One reference on a card was to the "good doctor." His postcards included several views of the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia .
My mother, Betty Foley Socotra, compiled all the postcards of his various destinations which he sent home to his wife, Ida, with promises of letters to follow, and occasionally to the three Socotra children, Nellie "Blv" Barbara, Walter "Pud," and James Burr Socotra, father of James, Rhoda, Barbara, and William. She thoughtfully added baggage receipts and menus from the two voyages.
What was interesting was that in the course of the upheaval in my life, old documents surfaced and had to be looked at for significance. Three dusty volumes were there, two small pocket diaries and a do-eared photo album.
Mother produced her book of postcards just in time for me to realize that with the diaries and album, they constituted the full remaining record of a year at peace, in the time before our hundred years war began.
William Socotra's first stop after leaving the Mesaba was at London on April Fool's day, 1903. They stayed at the Hotel Cecil and visited St. Paul 's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, among other landmarks. Next they visited Rotterdam and Hamburg in Germany on April 4,1903, where they stayed at Streit's Hotel in Hamburg on April 7,1903. Next, they visited Christiana and Holmenkallen in Norway on April 8 and 9, 1903. On April 10 they left for Stockholm , Sweden , and arrived in Copenhagen , Denmark , on April 14. From there, on April 16 and 17, they visited Cologne and Worms in Germany , site of Martin Luther's famous declaration, (remember, they were Lutherans, and this was a trip of devotion.)
April 20, 21, and 22 found them in Switzerland where they stayed at the Grand Hotel, Victoria, and visited Lucerne and the Alps . On April 26, they were in Italy . By May 6 they had visited Paris where they saw Notre Dame, Napoleon's Tomb, the Waterloo Battlefield Memorial, and other memorable spots. The next stop was The Netherlands and then back to London . Their trip home took from May 17 to May 24.
With Mom's work, and reunited with the original journals, we will let William Socotra tell the tale. Where there are editorial comments, they are mine, and while William undoubtedly had his wits about him, I will take claim for all errors of fact and intent.
Vic Socotra
Christmas 2005
Arlington
Part I: Pennsylvania to London : the good ship Mesaba
March 19, 1903:
Left home Thursday, 1.25 P.M. on the train. Met Mr. William Brass, Mr. Morris Hinkle and Mr. R.E. Shearer, of Carlisle . Met Aunt Eva and girl at Carlisle . Very pleasant- At Coutesville met Mr. Shelly (spice man) who came and Philadelphia - 6 P.M. and then to New York , due in at 8.15. Bevy ( Savoy ?) Central Hotel 8.45 P.M.
Friday, March 20:
Bought goods at Calhoun Robbins & Co, J.H. Dunham & Co. & H.B. Claflin Co.
Saturday, 21 March
Was to sail at 10 a.m., but owing to heavy fog, did not leave until 2.33 P.M., W.E. Clark and his wife (Mrs. Fanny Stall Clark) were down to see us off. Also Mr. Roy Stall of Philadelphia was over to say good-bye.
Socotra was traveling via the Altantic Transport Line, with eastbound tickets aboard the Mesaba. The ATL had been incorporated in 1881 by Bernard Baker of the Baltimore Storage & Lighterage Co. Although he was an American citizen, Baker operated as a British company as a flag of convenience. He began initial service between Barrow and New York and the following year, opened up a route between Amsterdam and New York under charter to the Royal Netherlands SS Co.
In 1883 regular London - Baltimore voyages commenced and a London - New York service started in 1890. In 1896, ATL took over the fleet and assets of the National Line, and although an American company, was effectively British operated. The solution to this in America was to form the Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia in 1898 to acquire the assets and ships of ATL, and to build and own their own American-flagged ships.
For financial reasons, the existing fleet continued under the British flag, but was American controlled. The year after W.E. traveled to Europe , the company came under the control of the International Mercantile Marine Company.
Mesaba was 6,388 tons and had brushes with greatness, and tragedy in her service life. She began as the SS Winifreda , and in 1898 was purchased from Wilson's & Furness-Leyland Line by the ATL. Renamed the Mesaba ( all but one of the ATL's liners had names that started with the letter ''M''), she operated on the profitable London -to- New York circuit. Nine years after W.E. Reddig traveled on her, Mesaba's radioman Stanley Adams had an exchange with the Royal Mail Ship Titanic on the superliner's only voyage. On 14 April, 1912 at 9:30 p.m., Adams tapped out:
''S.S. Mesaba to R.M.S. Titanic and All Eastbound Ships:
Ice report: In latitude 42 N to 41.25 N, longitude 49 W to 50.3 W. Saw much heavy pack ice and great number of large icebergs, also field ice. Weather good, clear".
9.35 p.m.
R.M.S. Titanic to S.S. Mesaba:
"Recieved, thanks."
9.38 p.m.
S.S. Mesaba to R.M.S. Titanic:
"Stand by.''
Adams waited for Titanic's radioman Jack Philips to indicate the message had been given to the captain. Philips did not respond. He was frantically trying to raise the wireless station at Cape Race to notify them that the ship had struck an iceberg, and was sinking.
Mesaba was doomed, too, though not from ice. In 1918, the Germans torpedoed her in the St. George Channel, and she went to the bottom with the loss of twenty lives.
But all that was in the future.
On the morning of 21 March, 1903, the world was at peace. Socotra wrote in his notebook:
This morning Dr. Stall and I were up to see Rev. C. Armand Miller of the Holy Trinity Church of the Holy Trinity Church Ghent Council- He enjoyed our first meal (dinner, 6:30 P.M.) on the Mesaba and as we struck low water off Sandy Hook, owing to the fog, we waited for six hours for the tide to rise.
Sunday, March 22- Up at seven A.M. Hot salt-water bath- breakfast at 8.30- Sunday Services at 10.30- Church of England - no sermons. Lunch at 1 P.M. slept in the afternoon, dinner at 6.30 P.M. Very foggy, looks for clearing weather, stars now shining. Dr. Stall, who is so agreeable, pleasant entertaining, has had me to walk a great deal, to avoid sea sickness- to bed 11 P.m.
Monday, 23 March:
Up at 7 A.M. Had my hot salt water bath, enjoy, and my breakfast, including fresh ripe strawberries- thus far I have not been seasick- the ocean is smooth, and good sailing- pleasant boat to ride on- full cargo over 10,000 tons. Boat sailed 314 miles yesterday, slight winds, clear weather- the Gulf Stream has made it Summer. We have enjoyed our deck chairs- thus far I have not been sea sick- enjoyed every meal-
Tuesday, 24 March:
Up at seven A.M. had my bath, enjoyed my breakfast, letter from home, walk on deck and slight winds and clear weather, sun shining. Dr. Stall is so pleasant and entertaining a companion that I am enjoying my ocean voyage. Traveled 322 miles yesterday- Have not been seasick.
Wednesday, 25 March:
Had a very good night's rest, called at 7 a.m., had my saltwater bath, walk on deck, good breakfast, nice weather. Spent the day on deck- Seeing the cattle, horses etc. After dinner 6.30, I accompanied Mr. Rob't Evans, Chief Steward, down to the Cold Storage Room. Oh! The meat, fruit, ice cream, etc. Enjoy my meals, 316 miles.
Thursday, March 26:
Good night's rest, called 7 a.m., bath, hot water tea. Walk on deck, good breakfast then the Engineer Chief asked me to accompany him down ''below,'' to see the vessel's machinery. Oh! The lots of machinery, the engines using 90 tons of soft coal every day, the engine for electric lighting, the engine for ice refrigeration. I am well and enjoying myself, why not when I had at:
7a.m. cup hot water.
8.30 a.m. Breakfast
11 a.m. Beef tea wafer on deck chair
1 p.m. lunch
4 p.m. Cup tea, wafer snaps
6.30 p.m. dinner, all of which I have enjoyed today. Fresh winds, moderate high sea and cloudy weather tonight. Sailed 315 miles yesterday.
Friday March 27:
Good night's rest, stormy, sea rocked, baggage slid across the stateroom. Had my bath, a good breakfast, and ready for the deck. I am well. High winds storm at sea. Waves 30 feet high- sights I will never forget- plates slip off the table eight feet away.
At 11 a.m. lunch and at dinner 6.30 once I had to hold my plate containing my dinner to keep it from sliding off the table- They dampen the table cloth to keep the dishes in their places.
Saturday March 28:
The Storm is over, and we are safe. Good night's rest- rolled in bed- up at 7 a.m., bath, walk on deck, good breakfast, sun shining- I will never forget the sights at seas yesterday during the storm and yet I was not afraid- just had my Sunday shave, and ready for a game on the deck- Shuffle Board.
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Nice day on deck- laying out our plans through Europe- Enjoy my meals- good boarding- a week away from home, and this afternoon saw the first vessel passing ''Crown Prince Wilhelm'' of the North German-Loyd Line (30,000 horsepower). Passed about 3 miles away from 4-5 o'clock p.m. Traveled 298 miles today.
Sunday, March 29:
London time 1.15 p.m.; Ocean time 11.30 a.m.; U.S. time 8.15.
Had a good night's rest, ship rocked, awoke at 7 a.m., bath, walk on deck, good breakfast. Church service at 10.30 a.m.- Church of England- led by the Ship's physician- rained early, but soon the sun was shining and we enjoyed the deck. Good lunch and a big dinner 6.30 p.m.. They have been giving us good boarding- the ''Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse'' ship of the North German-Loyd Line, passed 4.30 p.m. from Bremen, Germany to New York (28,000 horsepower) among the largest vessels that cross the ocean- it was in sight about a half hour, a beautiful sight- second vessel I saw at sea- we traveled 294 miles today. Little cool on deck this afternoon- 2400 miles have been passed in our trip, and I have been enjoying it- Dr. Stall is a very pleasant companion.
Monday, March 30:
SS Messaba, 10.30 a.m. U.S. 6.45 a.m., London time 11.45. Another good night’s res, bath, walk, good breakfast, sighted two vessels this morning, am well and enjoying my passage- the boarding good, cool on deck in our chairs, but nice walking on deck- we are losing time- poor coal- and will not get into London on time. Boarding still good
''Messaba'' Tuesday, March 31:
Ship Time 10 a.m., London 10.45 U.S. time 5:45 a.m. From the time I left our chat with Mr. Wm Griffith the 2 nd Steward or Purser, and went to bed, until day light this morning, I slept soundly and when called, took my bath, exercise, cup cambric tea, walk on deck and ready for our good breakfast, which we enjoyed- the a.m. spent in mapping out trip, reading our London guide, etc.
We have just seen the light off Scilly Island , and tomorrow will see land most of the time, going up the Channel. Have spent the day writing letter, reading the guide and walking the deck as I did not spend much time in my deck chair, it was too cool. Enjoyed my meals. Vessels passing- but have not seen any big fish, whales, etc.
April 1:
Wednesday, 10 a.m. SS Messaba
London 10.15 a.m., U.S. 5.15 a.m.
I am well- enjoyed a good night's rest, bath, breakfast, etc When we saw the Light House off Scilly Islands last night. We were 398 miles from Tilbury. It is foggy and raining a little this morning- can't see much, going up the Channel- this is April Fool Day, and we had fun at the breakfast table. We are a day late going into London- poor coal-
Wednesday eve- we are ending our trip, as we began it in the fog- it has been fogy all day, could not see far ahead, and when we passed a Light House and the horns blew we could not see the handsome 80 ft. high White chalk cliffs on the English side- about every five minutes the ship's whistle blew, this afternoon, and being on the lookout run very slowly- I would not like to be the man who is up in the ''crow's nest'' in the rigging, looking out for danger, exposed to all kinds of weather- over 3000 miles past- traveled- our dinner this evening 6.30 was very good and on the back of the bill of fare was the ''log,'' giving us as the memorandum of the number of miles raveled and each days since leaving New York 11 days ago- I am so disappointed about the weather, can't see ahead, owing to the fog and it is damp to be on deck sitting in your chair, must be walking all the time to be comfortable.
Weds night, 10 p.m. Have just finished packing my grip and gave Dr. Stall part of my clothes to leave in London- Dr. S has just been out on deck and says the Pilot will be on the ship at 11 p.m.
Thursday a.m. April 2, 1903:
All is excitement, getting ready to leave. Breakfast at 7.30, which we enjoyed- Here we are at Tilbury- Customs House officers to examine our baggage- Everything right- no tobacco, cigars, etc- commencing to rain- Train to London- terra cotta pipes on top of the chimneys- on the houses- here we are in London.