The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-04
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FHE OCEAN GREYHOUND.
Enormous Expense of Running Great
Steamships.

SLOAthAoAtpos |
The cost of single round trip across
the Atlantic and back of one of the great
ocean steamships must be from $4,000
to 10000, the last figure being often too
small for such boat as the Teutonic
the City of New York, or the Columbia.
The former vessel turned into smoke full
81, 800 worth of coal on her last passage
here, or about 81, 200 each day. If she
had been going to Liverpool, instead of
from that city, the American coal that
would have been used up in getting the
same amount of power would have cost
about $4,000. Steamship men who have
been discussing last weeks ocean race
claim that the Teutpnic must have burnt
nearly $4,000 of Welsh coal anyhow,
and are not inclined to accept any lower
estimate. The Columbia on her record
beating journey across the ocean, averag
ed 945 tons daily, or twenty tons more
than the Teutonic's officers say she con
sumed, while the Inman officers admit
that the City of New York burned $50
tons of coal day on her last voyage
The co i bill, of course, is the biggest
item of expense in fitting out crack
steamer for trip across the Atlantic,
though the "feed bill" as the pursers
call it, makes good second. Every
hour taken of the record means decrease
this important item, too, for it is esti-
Lated that four pounds of meat are con.
sumed per minute on voyage with an
average summer passenger list
On some steamers the "feed bill" ex-
ceeds the coal bill, but not on the grey
hounds that make the journey in six
days or better. All the boats are provis
ioned for fifteen days. trip, 80 that in
the event Of an accident the bill of fare
will not be sighted. The steward makes
his purchases after scanning the passen.
ger list the day before sailing.
The slaughter houses along the Hud
son get the order for meat thirty six
hours before the vessel sails, and they 60
to work at once killing the cattle. A full
passenger list would compel the steward
to rut into the refrigerators about 5000
pounds of fresh beef and halt that amount
of mutton, 500 pounds of corn beef, 600
fowls, 250 chickens, 80 turkeys, 60 brace
grouse, 1900 pounds fish, $500 pounds
ham and 500 of bacon. Besides these
there are proportional amounts of other
kinds of meats, so that nothing will be
missing from the table that could be
found on the menu of any first. class hotel
on land.
The meat disposed of, the ships stew.
ard gives out his orders for the other
necessaries. Ten tons of potatoes 60
into big bins that look like caverns, and
truck loads of other vegetables are dump.
ed beside them. Five or six hundred
quarts of milk are sent on board the
morning of sailing, together with about
5000 eggs and 900 pounds of butter.
For obvious reasons these are not deliy.
cred until the last moment. A single
trip uses up 250 pounds of tea also,
double that amount of coffee aud 1900
pounds of sugars. Besides these staple
articles of the table there are dozens of
dainties sure to be called for by epicurean
passengers, and which the steward can
not afford to be "just out Of"
There are four regular meals on ship
board every day, but the tables are
always supplied with fruits, nuts, etc.
These disappear so rapidly that the stew.
ard estimates three oranges daily per
passenger, two and one half apples and
two lemons. The bread, biscuits and
pies are all made on board the vessel,
and several tons of -four disappear on
voyage.
June or early July lists of cabin pas
sengers will knock the necks off cham.
pagne bottles faster than any hotels
inmates. These are the months when
wealthy folks 60 abroad If halfa dozen
good story tellers or men of the world are
on board, too, the steward never sails
with less than hundred cases.
About four thousand bottles of ale and
porter will disappear on the same jour
ney, $500 of mineral waters and 300 of
other kinds of drinks.
A profit is made on the sale of these,
however, and it helps to lessen the net
cost of the stewards requisition on the
company. Nevertheless, on all first. class
lines 1t stands next to the coal bill in
size. The cost of manning the vessel
comes next. The big 'unB average 300
men all told. Their pay ranges from
s4OO or $500 month for the captain to
$15 for the helpers" Thirty dollars
might be fair average. That would
mean $4,000 for the 300 men per month,
and few vessels average more than
round trip each month the year through.
These three items of coal, food, crew,
therefore, foot up over $35, 900 for swift
journey across the Atlantic and back.
In addition to these, however, the cost of
maintaining docks on both sides of the
ocean, Offices in all the principal cities,
and making repairs for the vessels eats
up another $4,000 during every voyage,
and often more than that.
Where does the money come from?
That it does come in is evidenced by
the prosperity of nearly all the ocean
lines. The Hamburg American Com
pany paid IL per cent on its $10,000,000
capital stock last year, and the White
Star is said to have done as we'll. The