Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-10-04
DINING AT SEA.
Immense Quantities of NictuaIs Required
On an Ocean Steamer.

for pleasure, but Incl icutally 1t is for
sharpening the appetite. The capac-
ity of the average ocean travellers
stomach is proverbial, and, unless
sCaSickness interycnes, he becomes "A
rOrmandizer from the time he leaves
Shore until he lands on it again. So
thoroughly appreciated is this that
the stewards department on pleasure
yachts and the great Atlantic steam
ers is made very important Office,
and nothing contributes so much to
the pleasure of the voyage as COM
pletc and varied lardcr of the most
tempting nature. Social life on
yachts ccnters around the table in the
+ chly upholstered cabin, where the
entertainment can be as expensive as
the owner desires, and the cost of
Yachting is often in direct proportion
10 the amount of money devoted to
eating and drinking.
No less important is the dining
rom on board of the frst-class ocean
steamers. and the four or five meals a
day are indicative of the passengers
marvellous appetites. The dining
service is elaborate and costly sur
Passing in amount and variety that
Of the finest hotels IN the world. For
a six or eight-day voyage the floating
palaces load up with provisions suifi-
cent to support a gOOd-SiZed city for
several days. Everything is Of the
.ineSt quality, served in the most
approved style and attractive form,
making the pleasures OF dining on
shiDbOard alluring enough to elicit
praise from the hypercrltical epicure.
Although the service varies slightly
on the different lines, one steamer
will generally typify all of the others
The dishes and the art of cookery is
similar to that found at the leading
hotels in Paris. The German liners
give dining services that are not ex-
cellcd by any, but there is a slight
SAVIOR of Germany and her people in
the various odd compounds and mix
lures that daily appear on the table.
The English steamers are likewise
ll-tinCtiyeiy English, or American,
and the tables are loaded down with
al Of the dcliCacicS so much ap-
grccjated hy the travellers.
Most of the large steamers furnish
four or five meals day, and eacn
ne is an elaborate affair. To attend
10 these tables about 100 cooks and
,tcwardS are employed, thirty or forty
s1loon walters and a dozen or moe
'arverS, dishwaShcrS and steward
"-SeS. The force Of men required Tor
the kitchen and dining-rOom on
large ocean steamer is thus much
larger than the crews of many ocean
ships. Breakfast is generally served
lt o'clock. luncheon { 1890. dinner
At and cold meats and salads again
1t p. m. On some of the steamers
coffee and rolls are served at in the
morning to accOmOdate the early
risers. Between these meals any
thing can be ordered by applying to
the steward, or by literally tipping
the walters. Drinking is no less i'm
Iortant than eating, and the bar is
80 well patrOniZcd in the summer
time that an enormous stock must be
carried.
Buying provisions for one of the
large steamers is a work that re-
quireS experience. for il is more i'm
portant than buying for hotel. The
supply must he large enough TO last
for the entire voyage, and often for
emergencies when a storm keeps the
steamer out from port several days
later than usual. The amount Of
provisions also varies with the num-
ber of passengers engaging berthS,
but as the lists are generally made
up weeks before the steamer sails this
i not a disturbing clement in the
stewards calculations. One large
steamer in the middle Of the travel
ing season. will generally carry prOyis-
ions made up about as follows: From
fifteen to twenty thousand pounds of
beef, from one to two thousand
pounds of COrned beef, four or five
thousand pounds Of mutton, several
hundred pounds of fresh pork, dozen
barrels OF salt pork, four or five hun
dTcd pounds Of veal, nearly two thou
sand chickens, ducks and birds, and
various other fresh meats. Pickled
meats are no les, important, and
nearly five hundred cans are stored
away in the larder; also nearly two
thousand eggs, two or three hundred
barrels of potatoes, one or two hun
dred barrels of -four, and enough
green stuff to stock four or five ordi-
nary grocery stores. Several tons of
different kinds of fresh and Salted
fish are carried, and all of the minor
articles of diet in proportion. Wines,
brandics and champagneS are prOvid-
ed in large quantities, and these with
mineral waters often serve as the
chief drinks for the passengers.
Such partial list of the eatable re-
QUrcd for one trip across the ocean
gives an idea of the amount con-
Sumed by the several hundred hungry
passengers The articles are served
up in fine crystal and painted
ware. One steamer carries from five
to fifteen thousand pieces. The
brcakage is naturally very large, ana
it is calculated that each voyage hun
dreds or more pieces will be broken
through the careleSsncSs Of pasSen-
gers or walters.
The expense of one trip across the
Atlantic assumes greater proportions
every year for the steamship owners,
and this increase is largely due 20 the
better dining service which they en-
deavor to give to their patrons. The
amount of eatables consumed, and
the damage done to dishes and furni-
ture, would seem greater than the
actual price paid for first-class ticket
Nevertheless, despite the great cost
and expense, the steamship cOmpa-
nies appear to thrive and grow rich
off their transatlantic travellers.
An IDEA of the cost of pleasure
Yachting may be gathered from these
figures, but in the latter the costly
drinks are also supplied by the owner,
while on the ocean steamers these
ire all paid for extra. This item
alone on a first-cIass pleasure yacht
often run up into thousands Of dol