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JOHN G. LEGEL JR : 1912 HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT DIARY AND TRAVEL JOURNAL OF A YOUNG IOWA MAN DOING THE DELUXE EUROPEAN TOUR

32mo - over 4" - 5" tall. On offer is the handwritten travel diary of John G. Legel Jr. who is from Charles City Iowa. He sails for Europe on June 15th, 1912 only two months after the sinking of the Titanic. John spends his summer touring Europe, arriving back home on September 6th, 1912. His diary contains almost 100 handwritten pages over 50 leaves and details his voyage over on the boat and all of his memorable events while in Europe and also the trip back. Here are snippets: Up too late for breakfast. Slept poorly. Passed three boats by 9:30, 3 sails quite close. Land (Africa) 3 smokes sighted by 10:00. Land quite close to port side. 3 more boats there. Too thick to mention. Big rock in sight…..Arrived at Gibraltar. Went ashore by the tender "Guille" of N.G.L. line. Saw a number of curio stores thick as can be. Sun very hot. Street venders of postcards, newspapers, fruit and flowers thick. Bot flowers and a little fruit. Also a N.Y. newspaper dated 6/20/12. Beat down the price of 2 bunches of flowers from 25 cents to 10 cents. Saw laces sold for less then half the prices first asked. Came aboard by tender at 5:30. Evening cool. Left Gibraltar at 8:30. Saw outline of opposite side of big rock. The pictures show the landward end. Too dark to see details. The lower half of the rock on the side we first saw was just covered with lights. Tried to get picture of a moor. He dodged across walk then held his hand up in front of his face. Moonlight very bright tonight. Phosphorescent lights back of boat have been very bright and numerous. Rooms changed. In with 2 others in 4th engineer's room. Two others put in room where we were." "June 26th, It is reported that a woman in steerage had died and that she was buried after midnight last night. Ship pitches quite a good deal. Latest report says it was a woman in I Cabin who died. No relatives, but 2 maids on board with her. Repacked to send telescope to Bremen. Saw Sardinia. Not many houses. Headlands high and mountains. Took 3 pictures of a party of 7." "June 27th, Naples due about noon. Steerage people are packing and most everyone is getting ready. Series of islands and small boats galore. Landed about noon. A man from Muller took us to customs house. Never opened grips. Cab to hotel Pension Muller. Fine rooms facing bay. Tile floors. Twin beds. Living like "Lords". Dinner at 7:30, bought postcards. Bed 11:00." "June 29th, Early breakfast. Up Vesuvius by Cook's route. Vesuvius to Pughaino (?) by tram. Then by Cook's electric railway up to Cog rail pusher. Electric on up to foot of cone. Cable up to last stop 55%. Path up to brink of crater. Not bad walking. Had lunch at Erems (?) on way back. Back to Naples about 3:30. Walked a while then cab to Muller. Cabby tried to triple meter reading instead of doubling it. We were wise but not as wise as we thought fair should have been 20 cents more then meter reading for 3 persons." "July 6th, 9:00 O'clock train for Florence. Bot cheese and rolls to eat on train. Found cheese full of bugs. Arrived at Florence 2:30. Hotel Rome. Got a little lunch. Slept till dinner. Walked around main part of town." "July 9th, ……saw ruins of Roman theatre. Beautiful view from train going up. Five miles up hill. Rather nice and plain but dark church there. Back in time for dinner. Took a little walk, watched crowds and listened to a ladies orchestra. During the day only those who have to be out are on the streets but about 6 p.m. they begin to come out and by 9:00 p.m most stores are closed and the streets and café's are crowded." His journal was a 3 ¼" x 5" maroon tablet type diary. The pages are still attached together but the first page is almost loose and the cover is also coming loose at the spine. G.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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