Tuesday, June 18th

 (1)Tuesday, June 18th
    At three o'clock we met, our party of six, Mr. Strawbridge, host, genial and kindly and apparently ready at every turn to make all our days memorable with fine pleasure; his two sons, Clayton - once a boy in my tent "Sylvester" at Marienfeld, and Freddie - keen eyed for every impromptu occasion to busy himself; a nephew, Charles Brown-frank and happy always; DS Burgess, friend of Haverford days, alert and practical; and I, delighted to have the rare fortune to make the sixth in such an ideal "stag" party.
    Together we watched preparations to depart, and when "all ashore" went round, we knew where our staterooms were, had opened our baggage, and generally discovered our way over the "Lusitania"

Pilot leaving ship.

Off to the pilot ship.

 Many were the farewells around (2) us.  We generously accepted the wavings of the hundreds on the piers as meant for us.  Frank B. had come to the docks with me, but would not come aboard.
    Busy tugs fretted at us fore and aft.  Clear across the harbor we seemed to lie after leaving the slip.  Then more tugs nosed our prow down stream, and in twenty minutes our monster ship was under way for Europe.
    The Battery, Liberty, and all the familiar lines of the harbor ran past us.  A big ship above quarantine flew her yellow flag, and we could but sympathize with the hundreds of steerage and crew waiting to be put ashore.
    Soon, the Pilot ship was neared.  All to port to see the Pilot go. A fat gentleman slid down a rope ladder, and an unkind wave nearly upset him as he put foot in the waiting boat.  Then went (3) mail bags, and no more were we to have communication with land – by person.

New York dropped over the horizon, stars came out brightly, we walked and became acquainted wondering at lights we came to, and soon were seeking sleep in soft pneumatic mattresses.  Every time you wink an eye, you undulate along your whole length.  If you like undulation, the taller the better.

Freddie Stawbridge, D.S. Burgess, Mr. Strawbridge, Charles Brown, Clayton Strawbridge. on the Lusitania, 1912.