The clarion., 1885-01-14
Rig HOTELS AFLOAT.
How Hundreds of Citizens Live Lnxnr'-
ousiy ON the Ocean steamers.
shonla The revered George Washing

How Hundreds of Citizens Live Lnxurs-
ou.,y ON the Ocean Steamers
Sbould the revered George Washing =.
ton suddenly reappear in the flesh he y
would probably evince some astonlsh-
,nept af the several Improvements
made in the world since he went out Of
II wisely remarks a reporter for the
New York Herald But nothing, per-
hans would surprise the good old man
more than the fact that the hundreds
of people that he might see, magniied
two-fold. in the big reception room at
the barge office had all been brought
across the ocean in one vessel. In
decd II is almost beyond the belief OF
the minds of to-day that more than hall
a thousand persons could be comfort
ably and safely transported in one ship
a distance of three thousand miles in
week, but such is reality, and con-
firrnatory idea of the magnitude OF the
undertaking may be obtained from the
fact that the cost of round trip OF one
of these monster transatlantic coursers
ranges between $40. 600 and S50,000.
And the hundreds at the barge office
are more than duplicated by the steer
age passengers at Castle Garden.
The cost of a voyage differs accord
I ing to the speed of the vessel, sand
representative of one Of the transat-
/ Iantic lines 1.-THE faster vessels being
more expensive than the slower ones
That seems rather Illogical, re-
! nIied the reporter. lone would natur-
ally imagine that the shorter voyage
would cost the less money.
ssThe explanation is in the consump- /
tion of coal. The faster steamers use /
from 125 to 130 tons of coal per day, |
|, while the slower steamers use only
, about so or 20 tons per day. The dis
! tance to Southampton is about 3,l0O
, miles, and our faster steamers make
I the trip across in from seven to eight
davs. and the slower steamers make II
? in the neighborhood of ten days.
o "How many in q crew do your larg-
: est vessels carry?"
f about 160 men, including officers.
r The salaries of captains are never less
+ than $500 year, and sometimes
. reach $4,000, according to their per-
/, centage on gross earnings. The
!. wages of the seamen and petty officers
:, average 81 per day each, and the daily
= cost OF feeding the crew and officers Is
ii averaged at 30 cents per capita
.r How much does each person on
~ voyage eat in the day!
- ,.Oh, | could hardly tell that, but We
calculate on allowing pound and a
= half of meat for each person"
~ ..Can you give fresh meats and vege-
n, tables on every day of the yoyage?'
" was asked the chief steward of a large
he boat.
n, NJ 30, yes" was the reply. son our
. big trips we ship about fourteen thou.
| - nd Wa
o" serve it daily, not only to the first anC
second-cabin passengers, but to tht
steerage and the crew. Should W.
y meet with any accident causing della,
=; we could give the first and second
- cabin passengers fresh meats and al
the liIxrries of the season for seyera
on weeks by putting the crew and steerag
passengers on regular sea fare OF sal
~ meats. We have three ice-cellars-on
- for fresh fish, one for poultry, and on
.Ii for meats-and in these everything
H. preserved.
h' p' ..How much ice is required for voy
~ age?'
~ The amount varies, according
the season, from ten to twenty tons.
WI '.How about fresh eggs; do you hay
~. hens on board?
x "Ha, ha, ha. Oh, no, not exactl,
nl' We get fresh eggs at the beginning
'es each trip, and they are kept fresh by
. patent preparation of lime and SON
~ other preserving matter.
Us "Butter-how much butter Is COZ
sumed Oh voyage!
Ut Between twelve hundred and fOu
Ng teen hundred pounds. We use fro
/ two TO three thousand cigars. VIM
i've and beers are not SO largely consume
i,aH because we keep the price high IN orti
@ @oe to keep down intoxication."
~ On a well-regulatod steamer ii w
sei learned, the bedclothes, towels. tab
m tut linens, and coverings for all the furni
nl' ure are changed every dav On
on vessel of five thousand tons two tho
ohs sand napkins are used on every trip
". We the first cabin and about one thousar
ile' napkins are used in the second cabi
". while the sheets number about tv
.uiH thousand and the towels three tho
'e99' sand. Different colors are used on tt
Hi'T, upholstery and furniture every da
because of the relief 4 change of seer
"o affords to persons who become Sc
sick, and also owing to the addition
freshness of the atmosphere of Il
nr cabins thus obtained. The steamer
hon newly painted on the outside from ste
Jim to stern every voyage. and to do tn
a,a work, together with the repairing an
md cleaning of upholstery, from two hui
inst dred to four hundred men are Ell
IL ployed. The washing is all done
,oif the end of each voyage.
700 "How much crockery do you use
,oo a dayp" was asked of the steward.
81 Somewhere in the neghborhood
5o four thousand pieces in the first az
oIo- second cabins, separately, and abo
Al. -
~ silver of the first cabin-about OF
To-, thousand pieces-is valued at $40, 90
fof7 and the same quantity in the secoI
,.or cabin is worth just half that sum.
70 course. you know, although eYerythii
,bo is Just as serviceable and clean in t
ton second cabin. nothing is as elegant. y"
nod Although the principal revenue
Sifa the big ocean steamers is from passe
oyy- gers, they all carry tons and tons
ant merchandise. which is generally of
g., raw nature. Nearly every trans;
nor lantic steamer obtains its wines, cann
b;s goods. and delicacies abroad, but
,,on. the breadstuffs and much of t
81 smoked meats that they obtain on t
rava other side it frequently occurs that t
'non steamer has carried it from New Yo
rb,- as merchandise freight. The capital
mo say they can carry such articles to t
,,aTt markets abroad and buy them there
ssore cheaply as at the home market.
To load a vessel requires the create
of skill. too; and this is another of t
,;ro big expenses that are included in I
20 enormous cost of an ocean voyae
~ And sometimes. on a rush, cargo
! al two thousand tons of merchandise h
'ban been loaded on board a steamer with
Ha twenty-four hours A feature OF I
Ior ior,t fra1 ic bnt Z
Ding lansa'ia,l.io ei.,"e - si,'5 ~,
inn imported in bulk, and that the cargo
,c;as imported are of much more value th
;ze5 those exported. Everything is run
~ ~t,,n- military, or rather naval. disciplir
ha5, and not profane word is ever p'
was mitted either from officer or sailor.
and
a A friend who recently visited
the Bronson Alcott, the now paralyzed a
and childish Sage of Concord, writ,
road Passing Emerson's house in c.
uo riaoe with him, he motioned to me