Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-11-25
IN THE STEERAGE.
HOW POOR PEOPLE CROSS THE ALLAN
TIC OCEAN.
Whnt is Necessary for "a Travelling 0utni,
ani the Agreeable Time the Sfeerage
Passengers Have.

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ot these articles Il london gS0le
than three or four doilai.. a0a, ~
has the wisdom OF an old stceuger, lie
viii provide himself with u "hook pot.
to contain the tea and coffee served at
meals The hook attaches il to the rim
OF the table and prevents it from beng
rolled oil. IT he Is wis I still. he will
take with him tea, coffee, chocolate,
canned meats or fish. and Il few spices on
condiments for helping ont the ships
blll OF fare. Many of my fallow-passen-
gers had so provided themselves and we
enjoyed many sociable private teas on
the trip. The daily hill Of far. a- near
as | can recollect, was as follows: Break
fast at coffee. hot rolls and butter
The so-called rolls were in reality
small loaves. Of which each passenger
was entitled To one at meal At 1890
or u. soup on Cruel for the children, #
which the older passengers through con
trivancc or good will. often got a share.
potatoes. or Goldfish and potatoes rice or
broad pudding. Tea at 6-COld bread
and butter and what was called tee.
Often in the afternoon at plate oi
soup or Cruel was among the things pos
slble There was certainly enough to
eat-of the kind | venture TO say that
one-half of our stceragcrs were never ON
shore fed with So much regularity, or
even variety The beef tast rs though
it had been killed taken 10y some proc s..
1t was cut up before being brought TO
the table 1t was brought in huge I'm
can. The can was taken to the table by
one of the assistant stewards, and out Of
II he deposited the pieces ON our plates
with a long fork. The potatoes came
next in another huge pan. Another
steward laid the requisite number ly our
plates. Our soup-plates were tlled III
similar fashion. The table service. as
may be imagined, was entirely practical
iii its nature There was no formalltv.
The meal finished each guest was re-
quire@l to wash his or her own tableware.
For this purpose the cook, after each
meal. placed a large vessel of hot water
near the galley. ON deck To this the
passenger repaired with his OWN soap
and towel. plunged therein his TIN plate,
cup. knife, fork and spoon, washed,
wiped, Hnd retired. There was NO change
of hot water for the company. OF course,
at the latter end Of this lavatory process
It became more and more greasy, and as
it cooled this grease took on more and
more solid consistency. The guest Is re-
quircd also to clean that part Of the table
allotted to gather up ali the scraps. es-
i peciallv the potato peeIings. These were
/ generally fired into the chute. from
whence the cindcrs and coal ashes were
emptied into the sea. When this chute
was on the leeward side of the vessel all
went well. and the debris slid readily
into the ocean When the chute was to
windward things did not 20 overheard so
readily. Then larger amount OF the
small scrappage found lis way to the
general wash-pan. The trip from the
steerage table with this table furniture
was on an even keel Il matter Of one
hundred and odd feet, involving also the
climbing OF the stecragc stairs 10 the
main deck BY the main deck. | would
inform the ultra landsman, i not meant
the upper deck; which commands the
view of the sea. 1t is the enclosed deck
on which are located all the offices Of the
little floating world. such rs the engine
room. cook-room, steward 5 room. butcher
shop. pastry cook. etc Ours was one
deck below this. Having had some SEA
training. all this dish-washing and other
discipline was for me no great hardship.
| had done it all before in the forecastle.
/ But some of the poor fellows went erratl-
cally for many days III this unaccustomed
.f..ss s..f
pots and plates and prcclpitations Of
human forms III all shapes ON deck, and
n spilling Of slops in all directions during
heavy weather.
The principal abuse Of the modern
stccraoc lies in the contracted space q y
cupied bv the berths. There is no -sLAL..
sitv for So crowding twelve people in n
space not large enough for four The
steamers take. as a rule. full careoes from
America. but they are not SO loaded com
ing back. Nor is there any real necessity
that the steeragc passenger be obliged TO
furnish his tahle-service Cleanliness
would be far better regulated were the
tables set with the ships plates. knives.
forks and cups. and these rem ed
washed. and stored hv the ships attend
ants. As il Is. four-fifths Of the people
are entirely inadequate to the proper
cleansing Of their own table ware. even
in fair weather. and the result is the
storage In their hunks Of greasy plates,
which are continually getting loose and
gathering about under foot in rough
weather. As for the fare, l would in the
mines of California have been very glad
To live rs well rs did in the steerage.
/ have seen worse fare on some vessels
when a sailor, and even worse in some
cheap boarding-houses when on shore.
We had q very calm passage until within
four davs of New York. The steamer
was light. and such rolling for three days
| never deemed anything afloat capable
OF. The oscillations were as regular and
almost rs rapid as those of common
pendulum 1t was one steady see-saw
night and dav-thc deck for ever so few
seconds like Mausard roof up, and
without the pause of a second 1t was the
Mansard roof down again. / was rolled
like log to and fro in my bunk. and IiCr
amount of self-chockiug would secure
me. At last ] Init upon fashion Of
screwiug mv head into one corner OF the
berth. and somehow don't know how
could make that end of my body stay
there. but all below the waist. especially
the legs thrashed about like a pair of
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