The Portland daily press., 1889-03-29
ABOARD AN IRON STEAMSHIP.
How the Passengers and crew Live
at Sea.
= press Man Visits the Allan
Line Steamer ParlsIan
And Learns Something About Her
machinery and Capacity.

And Learns Something About Her
machinery and Capacity.
II was little past the hour Of noon yes
terday, when the PRESS reporter walked
down the Grand Trunk elevator wharf along
side Of which lay the monster iron steam
ship Partisan, Captain Ritchie, Of the Allan
line. Two immense hawsers extended over
either bow Of the big steamer, one being
made fast to pile at the head Of the eleya-
TOR wharf and the other was thrown over a
pile at the head Of the wharf on the east
side of the vessel.sA stern line, and couple
more amidships were made fast to the end
and the centre Of the elevator wharf.
Let go your forward linesl' shouted the
chief mate, who stood in the bow Of the ship
looking over the port rail. Instantly both
hawsers slackened until they nearly touched
the water. For some moments the steam
ship moved very slowly backward. "Hold
herV' commanded the mate, when the vessel
mad gone back to position that brought her
forward hatch directly under one OF the
spouts Oh the elevator. Then the spout was
lowered and the steamer was ready 10 take
In cargo Of grain. The gang plank was
run out and the writer aseended 10 the deck
Oh the Partisan, which Is the largest steam
ship that comes to this port. She is more
than 400 feet long, has a capacity Of some
1900 tons of freight, and ample aceommoda-
tions for over 1000 passengers. She cost in
the vicinity Of S1.0O0, 900 and is about eight
years old. 1t would take ten freight trains
OF forty cars each to transport full cargo
Oh the Partisan, besides a long passenger
train to carry the passengers. Were all the
cars shaekled together the train would be
over two and a half miles long, when a full
cargo Of freight had been taken out Of this
steamship and ten tons placed In each car.
Although the largest vessel Of the line her
freight carrying capacity is not equal to that
Oh some OF the other steamers, because she
carries many more passengers than they do.
All told, her crew numbers 40 men.
AS the reporter went aft the bell sounded
Tor dinner. Firemen and sailors In their
dirty suits fastened to their mess room. The
ofiicers' mess room and the engineers mess
room were soon occupied. Walters bearing
pots and pans and dplatters OF food for officers
and men fastened to the different mess
rooms. 1T must take lot Of rations to feed
them" thought the PRESS man as he pro
ceeded to the chief stewards quarters, glane-
Ing at the busy scenes presented
in the different kitchens as he
passed along. The steward was ashore, so
the reporter resolved to question one Of
the cooks, from whom he learned that the
crew OF stewards and cooks numbers 40 men.
The Partisan brought to Halifax and to this
port on her last voyage over 1000 passengers,
and to provide food for so many people this
retinue Of stewards and cooks must be en-
ployed
1T takes good many rations to feed
them" said the cook "0n our last voyage,
which was made In twelve days, we used be-
tween fifty and sixty barrels Of flour, !, 200
pounds Of beef, some 800 pounds Of mutton,
besides canned meat, and more than 100
pounds Of veal. But this went with five tons
Of potatoes, 200 or 800 heads Of cabbage, and
other food in large quantities. You see a
thousand people will consume large amount
Of food in twelve days"
Judging from the figures the writer had no
occasion to doubt the truth Of the cooks
final statement, and without more conyersa-
tion with the gentleman passed on to the en-
gine room.
Besides the chief engineer, the Parisian
has six assistant engineers and 30 fremen.
She has three triple compound engines, hav-
ing total horsepower Of 5OOO and the main
shaft Is some % inches in diameter. The re-
porter found the engineers busy examining
the cylinder Of the smaller engine. The
Qulfudor q. 81
eter. was removed, and every part Of it was
being cleaned and put in first class condl-
tion.
I'VE examine the machinery very care
fully" said one Of the engineers, before go
Ing to sea. After the next voyage
we will probably remove the cylinder head
Of one of the larger engines. The diameters
of each Of the other cylinders Is % inches.
Four boilers each aboet thirty feet in diam
eter, furnish steam TO run these immense
engines. Besides these another boiler fur
nishes steam power for the machines that
freight
How much coal is consumed daily when
the steamer Is making voyage2" asked the
reporter.
n0ver 100 TONS" replied the engineer.
I'VE made the voyage from Liverpool to
Portland In twelve days and we used over
ZOO tons OF coal on the last trip"
is the Parisian fast sailing boat?"
Well, she is rather good sailer, when
at sea we make some 144 knots per hour,
and that Is doing very WE'LL"
The next person the PRESS man met was
the chief mate, and that officer in response
70 questions concerning the vessels Of the
Allan line and the Parisian's officers and
crew said: Besides the captain there are
Tour officers. Then there Is the purser, two
doctors. seven engineers and so on. There
are between 80 and 40 iron steamships on the
Allan line, owned by the Allan Bros, Of
Liverpool. Many Of the steamers run TO
South America, chiefly to the river Plate.
South America Is getting to be Ia great
country and England ships immense quanti-
ties OF machinery and other things % that
land. 1t Is more as the United States used
70 be quarter or half a century ago. Eng
lsh eapltalistsl are running the country
IN the Plate river region. As
sai @inX from fs Iivernao dozen . steamships
America, carrying machinery and such
things as are needed in new country thai
Is last becoming settled. When South
America has been settled, and the
people there depend largely upon their
own resources, as does the United States
now, then suppose Africa will be opened
up to commerce, and the steamships will
then ply between that country and the great
commercial and manufacturing ports Of En-
gland. In carrying on the commerce be-
tween these distant countries our great mer-
chant marine Is maintained the iron steam-
ships Of old England 90 freighted to every
Cline"
The officer turned away to give orders to a
gang a. work at the forward hatch, and the
reporter went below, where he visited the
elegant drawings-and music room and the
saloon. Ferns OF different kinds, aZaleas In
full bloom, steyia and other plants adorned
the tables In the spacious saloon, and hung
in large basket from the skylight In the
drawing room. Scores OF wine glasses, Of
different designs and colors, covered the side
board In the pantry, and everything was ar
ranged for the ease and comfort Of the first
class passengers. After some moments spent
In visiting the different cabins, which, To-
gether will accommodate some 1900 paSsen-
gers, the reporter descended TO the wharf by
the gang-plank and hastcned from the big
steamship.