New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09

asks for more he Is met, Oh sum ShPo 40 '"'
now speaking of. rs young Oliver was met when
he asked for more The Oldest OF the old At
lantic stories is still the best. Clean napkin,
sir No, sir you cannot have a clean Napkin
but we have never lost a life at sea.
Nowhere is the spirit of English routine
stronger than on shphoard. When the English
man applied his mind TO the construction oil
railway carriage his utmost effort of invention
did not 90 beyond a modified reproduction OF The
old stage coach. When lie had TO deal with the
problems of ocean travel on great scale nc
brought to the interior construction ana arrange
ment of a steamship Of many thous ana TOES lhe
ideas which he borrowed from the old sailing snip
not third her size, and for long uihe .noSc
only Tho cantains cabin was made a little
larger The bill of fare was more abundant, pu'
the basis of il was salt junk; in other words, IL
was thought an amazing concession 10 add me
staplcs Of shore consumption, every one OF when
was regarded as n luxury at sea- ana passenger
whose wants ranged beyond soup and joint and
pruncs and rice had TO provide for them himself
More than forty years Of Atlantic steamship ser
vice had to pass before it occurred to any person
in authority that ship with two or three hun
dred passengers not only ship. nut NOEL
The company which was long the cher com
many between Liverpool and New-Yorll stradfastly
IFS rivals but with reluctance. The steamship is
still primarily a machine for navigaton. which
IS quite right but even that humble secondary
place to which the passenger thinks himself en-
titled as human being is sometimes accorded 10
him grudgngly There are certain alterations
in the structure of ships which have added greatly
TO their comfort Tie transfer of the saloon from
the after TO the middle part of the ship or for
ward of mdships. as il now is. the revolving char
M table. the removal of the library and smoking
room to an upper deck the electric light. better
st,tcroons. better bathrooms and other convcn-
fences for cleanliness above all better vcrtilliion.
these are some of the things which have made
life on board ship more agreeable: and IN all. or
nearly all of them. the White Star Line led the
way.
As a preventive against sickness ventilation is
really Of the first importance. II is hall the
battle. and it is entirely modern and even no"
a good supply Of fresh air is not always 70 be- had
ON tbe newest Or fastest Ships. II Is not To d.
had. certainly. when a ship IS performing half her
VOYAGE under water. and in circumstances winch
make il more important 70 keep the ocean ont
than 10 lci the air i'm. Oac more reason. there
fore. against continual rocng: II adds To tine
sum of human misery by adding 10 the amount "l
sickness The conditions | described in ycsf"r-
DAYS letter are none of them favorable 10 the
delicate Messenger. II tlcfc is heavy weather
he must i'm any case take his chances. hut # in
order 10 keep up the pace the ship is 70 be- forced
through the seas which At n moderate speed She
would ride over. matches and ycntiators must
be closed and tie wrcichcs below suhsi>t as they
best can on air which passes many times through
each pair Of lungs.
If thought any board of steamship directors
would listen 10 me- | would discourse M length
ON many other matters which now | either omit
or Touch on very briefly. The companies. or
rather some Of them. have gone far enough On
trustfulncss upon the general unacluainiancc ol
the public with steamship management They
forget that the public knows what good hotel Is
like. and that whether the hotel be- aiiont or
ashore. it will be judged in tie same way ana
the less Tire passenger knows of the SEA TIE more
surely will lc expect nj sea everything 10 which
lc is used on shore He viii SOC that on tie ships
where the table Is least good the waste is great
est lie viii not undcrsiand-and there j. ID"
reason why he shoud-why SO curious an economy
Of clean linen should sometime, Ice pracisfI. nor
why his bed should be 50 hard, ami sheets '''
so short and lis stock Of water and "i loves
49, strictly limited as In certain ships they still are.
II is not. however. Just 10 say that III 'n '"es'
particulars the fault is with particular company
The table and service vary IN each snip '"r
purscr. tie steward The cook. have often more 10
say 10 il than that body Of dienlird directors on
shore who are supposed 10 control q" 'n'''
officials Still, il is possible +" maintain. ~ 'n'
White Star Line does, good average in ail ih'~'
details throughout all their ship. and To- consider
the comfort 81 tie public as oi no' Jess concern
than those churish traditions Of the -"' "Ah'"
the ancient mariner would preserve at ans expense
| 20 his passengers w. " 80