Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-03
FLOATING HOTELS.
The Authority orO Ocean steamers' Chiof
Cooks--Cost or the Cuisine
and Service.

New York Mail and Express
Although seldom seen by the passen-
gers, the chief cook of an ocean steam
er is an executive officer scarcely in
ferior in rank TO the captain or chief
engineer. While. like the engineer,
he us far rs possible recognizes the or
ders, or rather suggestions of the cap
tain, still in his own department he
reigns supreme. He disciplines and
discharges his solutions as he pleases,
and "A captain would be iniudicious in
deed who would dare TO enter the do.
main of the cook and dictate rs TO the
making of a salad or the preparation
% soup. A Mail and Express report
er some time since formed the ac-
quaintance of an exalted being who
fills the position of cook on a steamer
of one of the leading transatlantic lines
and found the dictator of the kitchen
free to express his views regarding the
cuisine of an ocean steamer.
Eyes, sir. said he, "you have
reached the proper conception of the
subject when YOU say that cabin pas
sengers on our steamers are more lux
uriously fed than they would be in a
first-class hotel. In the first place their
appetites are sharpened by the sea air,
and they require no bitters or cock
tails to make them enjoy their meals;
second, the cooking. attendance, and
surroundings are fully as good, if not
better. than they will find in any hotel
and. third, they have set before them
all the dilcacieS of the season from
both sides of the ocean,
1.-The cost of "A voyage must be some
thing considerable, said the reporter
inquiringly.
"Yes, and to most people il seems
beyond belief that over five hundred
persons can be safely and comfortably
transported over 5000 miles of ocean
inside week, and il is fact. The
faster steamers use from 20 to l50
tons of coal per day, while sccond-rate
steamers are allowed to burn but 60
to 20 tons. The largest vessels have a
crew of about one hundred men, in.
Guiding officers, and the expenses of a
round trip of first class steamer may
be estimated ut from $4,000 to $780,
0O0.'
"How much do YOU think each per-
son cats day during the voyage?'
Il cannot answer that, but we calcu.
late on allowing pound and half Of
meat per day to each person On our
big trips we ship about | 400 pounds Of
fresh beef of the best quality. Any
beef do not approve of is not taken
on board. 1t is served daily to the
first and second cabins, the steerage
passengers and the crew If any acct
dent causing delay should occur, we
could give the first and second cabin
passengers fresh meat for several
weeks by placing the crew and steer
age passengers on the regular sea al
lowance of salt pork and beef. We
have three immense ice houses on
board-onc for fresh fish, one for poul-
try, and one for fresh meats. and in
these everything edible is preserved. !"
GLOW much ice Is required 10 last
through the VOYAGE
"Of course the amount varies ac-
cording to the season, but we manage
to keep within from ten TO twenty
tons.
How about butter, which is cxpen-
sive?"
1--WE use between i.200 and l,40O
pounds every trip. The cabins con-
sumo between 1900 and 5000 cigars
There is not such a large consumption
of wines, ale, etc, for the price is kept
high in order TO prevent intoXication
on board.
How about table service?"
"On every well-regulated steamer
the bed-clothes, towels, table linen,
and coverings for all the furniture are
changed every day. Two thousand
napkins are used in the first cabin ev-
cry day and 900 in the second cabin,
while the sheets number about 1000,
and the towels 5000. Different colors
are used in the covers of the furniture
every day to relieve the eyes of the
passengers from a sense of samencss.
The steamer is newly painted from
stem to stern and thoroughly cleaned
out while in port at the end of every
voyage, and to do this, together with
the repairing of furniture and covering
of upholstery, requires the services Of
from two or three hundred men"
at must take a good deal of crock
cry and silverware to set the cabin Ia.
blesP'
Somewhere in the neighborhood OF
about four thousand pieces Of crockery
in the first and second cabins. scpar-
ately, and about two thousand pieces
of glassware. The silverwarc Of the
first cabin, about one thousand pieces,
is valued at $40, and the same
quantity in the second cabin. is valued
at about half that sum.
Regarding the silvcrware. have you
ever known OF any being stolen by pas
sengers ?"
Il have never heard of such case.
Perhaps the sea air drives away KEEP
tomania, or "A wholesome fear OF mar.
inc law has the same effect but the
fact remains that the table silver is
never disturbed
"Do your guests ever complain Of
the cuisine?'
VERY rarely. Once in a while,
some eccentricity, male or female,
states that dish is not fit 20 eat. at
once investigate the affair in person.
If the complaint is well founded, !
reprimand and punish the assistant
cook who prepared it and and sent it
to table. But generally find that the
persons complaining have probably
eaten such dish for the first time in
their lives, and so imagine unutterablc
things about IL. 1 have an old gentle.
man as a regular passenger twice ev-
cry year, whom | permit TO make his
own salad. But he is gentleman Of
the old regime, and prepares his salad
with the art of "A master. In conclu-