The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-07

him. He would want to study them all.
Do you suppose Sardou wonld ride on a
cable car without first visiting the power
house and learning how it's run? Not a
bit of it. No moro than our newspaper
friend here, who came aboard this ship os-
tensibly to see US off, could leave it with
out going from deck to keel asking a thou
sand questions.
We'll, what sort of stuff have your"
asked another member of the party, an
editor addressing the journalist in the
vernacular of the profession.
A Steamship -Four Blocks Long.
''I'vo been figuring" said the writer
CURLY.
Figuring WHAT" blurted out the fourth
member of the quartet, Wall street bro
ker
Figuring the ground space that would
be covered by this steamer If she were set
down in Broadway. She's $50 feet long
and, excepting her twin sister, the Cam
pania, this very Lucania is the largest
steamer that crosses the Atlantic ocean to-
day. Now, if she were set down in Broad
way at the junction of Wall street, she
would extend past Pine, Cedar and Liber-
ty streets and lift the tip of her bowsprit
like a giant deer shifting the air above the
building in the center of the block be-
tween Liberty street and Maiden lane. ="
And if you had placed her stern oppo-
site the gate Of Trinity church, the bro
ker interrupted, land then tipped her
with her nose heavenward she would toy
er TO more than twice the height of Trini
ty church steeple.
I'm other words" put in the editor,
"this ship occupies the space of a POW OF
% four story and basement city dwelling
houses"
And if those houses the newspaper
man said, were on Fifth avenue and each
cost $50, 600, the Lucania would still have
cost twice as much as the entire 20
houses"
That's SO, 500 OO0," exclaimed the
Wall street man. why, that S exactly the
cost of St. Patrick's cathedral, steeples,
affairs and all. Tremendous, isn't it?''
Yes" agreed the man of medicine,
land it's $500, 900 more than Mr.. Astor
paid for his Waldorf hotel complete"
Speaking of hotels, said the newspa-
per man as he leaned back against the rail
and lighted cigar "this ship, as far az
providing meals goes, Is the biggest hos
telry on earth. She will consume in this
voyage more food than the Waldorf con-
sumes in six months The Lucania on
this voyage will carry /, 500 passengers and
crew, who will be served with four meals
each day, 81 in all, making grand total
OF So, 900 individual meals served during
the voyage"
Mountains of Food, Rivers of Drink.
You've been interviewing the head
steward, - said the editor knowingly.
Yes" acknowledged the interviewer,
land, next to the captain, he's the biggest
man on board this ship. Some people who
do nothing but eat the entire voyage rate
him even above the captain. Anyway he's
an expert in his business, and he's n
mathematician. He can estimate how
many eggs 1900 people will eat in six
days almost to an egg. Long experience
has taught him that he will use at the
rate Of almost two eggs for every minute
Of the voyage, which means that about
Is, 600 eggs are aboard this ship. And
with everything else, holsters, chickens,
and so on, he estimates with equal nicely.
He has to-
But there is hardly time for the phiics-
ophy of holding the chief stewardship"
interrupted the Wall street man bluntly.
Let's have some figures. How much
meat, -four, sugar and so on does this
steamer carry.
You must know first, " the newspaper
man answered, that perishable food only
IS bought in America, together with such
things AS melons, oysters, peaches, cigars,
tomatoes and other articles that are cheap
er and better here than abroad, and of
course the necessary supply of coal All
Of the groceries and wines are purchased
on the other side. the supply being laid IN
for the round trip. But of fresh provi-
sions to Liverpool for single passage the
supply stored away in the iceroon Of this
ship would make housewife open her eyes
IL wonder.
The journalist paused and turned over
the leaves of his notebook.
You have on this ship now" he said.
''to be used IN the six days between New
York and Liverpool, l, SEQ pounds Of fresh
beef, loco pounds Of canned beef, zoo OF
mutton. 1000 Of lamb 500 Of veal, SEQ OF
pork. 5, 600 OF fresh fish, 500 chickens, $50
ducks, - geese, 100 turkeys, 800 brace Of
grouse, 20 tons OF potatoes, 90 hampers
OF vegetables, 500 quarts Of ice cream,
> GOO quarts OF wine and 10. 600 lemons.
An these, remember, were put aboard in
New York
Now, n addition. there Is a vast CYAN
,ity Of groceries which were put aboard Il
Liverpool. such as tea, OF which for the
round trip Of % days there are used SO
rounds. to-ether with 1900 pounds OF