Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25

facilities. Ii 6 h d
throughout by electricity gigantic fight
ing machine and military barracks COM
bined. Her steel walls, bristling with guns.
shelter a small army of men. The New
York, for example. has a crew numbering
400 besides 40 marines and A officers. To
feed them all for a twelvemonth, at the
governments rate of allowance, costs
100000.
On going into commission such a ship
must be furnished throughout from the
kitchen, which is complete as that of a
great city hostelry, to the captains cabin.
She carries large stocks of stationery hard
ware and apothecaries' goods. and is pro-
vided with tools for all sorts of trades.
Everything conceivable that may be needed
for purposes Of war and peace is supplied,
because on the high seas no shops or fac
tories are accessible. Usually the vessel is
provisioned for only three months, because
there is no room to stow more. The rations
are purchased by the Navy Department and
comprise such necessaries hard bread,
cornmeal, oatmeal, hominy. -four salt pork,
beans, peas, rice, preserved meats, butter,
coffee and tea.
Every man in the navy. from the last boy
shipped up to the admiral. has an allowance
of 80 cents a day for rations. which he may
draw either in food or in money. The pay
master of the ship has charge of all the
provisions. which are dealt out by his ''yeo-
man. who is in turn assisted by the Jack
O. Dust. The person last named attends to
opening the barrels and packages. Coffee
and sugar are served out once in ten days,
flour every four days. and meats daily.
" lille in port fresh provisions are furnished,
each man receiving one pound of fresh
bread, one and one-quarter pounds Of fresh
meat and one pound of fresh vegetables
per diem. These take the place of the ordi-
nary ration, only tea and coffee being pro-
vided in addition. The allowance is at all
times liberal that the enlisted men cam
not possibly consume the whole of it; SO
they take part of it in cash. which they
utilize in ways presently to be described
Keeping House on Board Ship.
The methods of Housekeeping on board OF
q ship of war are very interesting. All Of
the officers and men are divided up into lit
tie clubs. each of which has its cook and
manages its own affairs. These clubs are
called ''messes." There is the captains
mess, the wardroom mess. the Junior Of
ficers' mess. the warrant officers mess, the
petty officers mess and the mems messes.
Every officers mess has a caterer, who is
elected periodically from its own member
ship. Members are compelled by the naval
regulations to serve in this capacity when
called on, though no one can be obliged TO
hold the place more than two consecutive
months. 1t is a post of responsibility, the
incumbent having to direct the purchase of
provisions, to keep accounts and to pay all
bills. Some men like the task and may re-
tain ii for a long time together ii the mess
is pleased.
The captain because there is only one of
him. must cater for himself. He messes by
himself in his cabin and eats in lonely state,
save when he chooses to invite officers to
dine with him. If the vessel is a flagship
he may mess with the admiral or not, just
as he chooses. The admiral has his own
cabin, of course. The captain has his own
steward, his private cook and two cabin
boys. The admiral has like stan of ser
wants, with perhaps an extra boy. 1t must
be understood that the boys" on a war
vessel are enlisted men at least twenty-one
years old.
The wardroom mess has its own cook and
steward. On the New York it comprises
twenty officers and has six boys in addition.
The juniors mess on the same Vessel-em-
bracing ensigns, midshipmen, etc-has a
cook, steward and four boys. The warrant
officers mess is composed of the sailmaker
gunner carpenter and boatswain: ii has
a cook. steward and one boy. The same
provision of service is made for the master
alarms mess, including the petty officers
of the first-class. namely. the master-at-
arms, quartermaster, paymasters yeoman
and apothecary. The messes of the warrant
officers and petty officers above mentioned
are conducted Just like those of the higher
officers drawing their rations in the shape
of money and buying their own provender
The men are divided W into messes of
twelve usually. Each such club elects its
own caterer and chooses one of its members
for cook. with the approval OF the eNecI-
tive officer. The most important require
ment for this culinary post is ability to
make bread. Good breadmakers are in
great demand for such positions on board
ship. The mess cook receives from the
mess wages equal to the money equivalent
of from one to two rations monthly-that is
to say, from $3.50 to s1S.G0 month. This
salary is so much in addition TO his nay
from the government and renders the office
very desirable. The incumbent draws the
rations from the paymaster and prepares
them for the table. But, because the al
Iowa ace is greater than is needed, he takes
only eight rations in food and the remain
ing four in money. The cash thus obtained
goes to form what is called the mess fund.
to which each man usually adds about 81
monthly. The mess fund pays the cook and
provides all sorts OF Injuries, such as
good things that can be purchased when in
port.
The messes are organizations of military
character. All of them are under the d.
rection of the executive officer Of the ship.
That parsonage. always the senior line Off
Ger on board, presides at the ward room
mess: the other members of that eating
club occupy places at the table in the order
of their rank. Line officers sit on the star
hoard side and staff officers on the port
side But the caterer pro tenn. sits at the
foot Of the table. Though in ordinary mat
tiers informal strict etiquette governs all
essentials in the mess. The executive OFF,
Ger has authority to put stop to any dis
pute or offensive conversation.
In the Wardroom.
A description of the mana cement of the
wariroom mess will serve, with few modi-
fications, for the officers messes. The ca
terer buys the provisions. He gets them on
shore when the ship is in port. Except when
compelled to do so, he does not purchase
from the vessels stores, but draws the ra-
tions from the mess in cash. However. he
does usually obtain from the paymaster
what he needs in the way of cooking but
ter, cooking sugar. rice. beans. pork and
canned meats, paying for them in money
because these articles, as dispensed by
Uncle Sam, are just as good of their kind
as can be got and are furnished at about
cost Members of the mess pay their bills
monthly to the caterer. The cost of board
to each officer in the wardroom is usually
about $50 a month. 1t is somewhat less on
the Asiatic station, the markets in that
part of the world being cheaper There is a
balance left over in the caterers hands,
which goes to make up the mess fund.
This fund in the wardroom will sometimes
amount to as much as $1,000. 1t provides
for the replenishment of crockery, for en-
tertaining by the mess while in port and for
all sorts Of unusual expenses.
Every man in the navy, from the admiral
l II al