July 18, 1911, originally uploaded by morgazgc.
Tues. morning. I know you all wonder why you did not receive word Tues. but I wrote a postal on train, but we were nearly 2 hrs. late arriving in Detroit so we had to go direct to our steamer. We are getting along fine. Cecil is doing his best trying to take care of M. [Mary presumably], H. [Helen?] & myself. We girls got up at 4:30 this morning. We had a hard time getting to breakfast for there was so many a head of us. It will be about 3 hours before we arrive in Buffalo. (1600 on board.) (Gladys)
Grandma is off on another adventure -- five more cards to come from this trip!
Information is available about the "City of Cleveland" steamer which because of a fire while under construction in 1907, did not go into service until 1908. Designed to carry 4,500 passengers (so it could have been even more crowded) with sleeping accomodations for 1,500, the City of Cleveland was over 400 feet long and was the first boat on the lakes to have a grand salon three decks high. Another website reports that the steamer was in a collision with a Norwegian freighter in Lake Huron in 1950, in which four passengers were lost, did not sail again and was scrapped at Buffalo NY in 1956. One large bronze ship's bell labeled City of Cleveland was sold at aunction in 2005 for $9,100 and is currently on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit. [Dad, have you been there?]
1 comment:
Wonderful history, Catherine--so glad Dad (or Grandma or??) saved these postcards. I am guilty of "throwing the baby out with the bath water" but trying to do better to save things that actually have historical significance, like this!
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