Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-08-23
A SHIPS KITCHEN.
THE SYSTEM OF ARRANGEMENT
AND METHOD OF WORK.
Economy of Space the Chief Isequi-
site-Amazins Compactncss with
Which Supplies Arc Stored
Enormous Refrlgerators.
4 HoUGH there DO many who
so down to tho sen in ships,

ITYHoUaH there DO many who
H. go down to tho sea in ships,
l. and who continue thereon
for days, there are few who
ever see or really know the kitchen
side of tho boat. Though tlere is al
most rs much. difference between tho
Kitchens of the ocean palaces and tho
rough sailing craft rs there is between
the kitchens of the very rich and the
hopelessly poor, they arc alike in one
thing, and that is their economy of
space. "a nice, largo Kitchen" the
delight of Now England housekeepers,
Is unknown ut sea, and would ba un-
appreciated if known. Meals for five
hundred OF thousand persons will be
cooked in room scarcely rs large rs
the kitchen in low-priced flat, or the
pantry in n country house. There are
two reasons for this: Space is yalua.
BILE, every foot of it having its worth
as storage for freight or rooms for
passengers then on ship tho kitchen
floors arc kept clean by scrubbing
them with sand. They arc about MS
white rs the tables, and tho smaller
the kitchen the easier to keep it in
order.
With small kitchcn it becomes q
primo necessity to keep everything in
its place, and ono must be systematic
from the simple logic of circum-
stances. 1t would amaze ono to SEQ
how compactly tho supplies for the
largo "household" on board ships cnn
be arranged. Nothing is left down on
shelves or in drawers which may be
hung on hooks. Even the platters
and serving dishes arc made to hang,
there being loophole at ono end for
this very purpose.
The system of arrangement and con-
duct of work is faultless. 1t has be-
como what tits by process of evolu-
ton, and there is no break in it. To
got much into little, to do things
neatly, quickly and we'll, arc the
principles on which ships run, from
tho captains place to tho humblest on
board. Even Mr.. Gradgrind would
find there all the system ho wanted.
Two things have added much to the
health and comfort of sea-going folks
tho process of canning soups, fish,
meats and vegetables, and the use OF
rofrigerators. The luxurics of the tn
bio on land appear on tho tables at
sea. Even fish, that most difficult
food to servo fresh, appears to the
very end of tho voyage. Ii the
kitchen is small tho refrigerator is
not. 1t is provided, according to the
size of the ship, with an amount of leo
varying from ono hundred and fifty
to four hundred tons, md holds also
the fish, meat and poultry. 1t is far
away from tho kitchen, because the
cooks do not help themselves to the
supplies. These arc given out ms
needed. Both canned and fresh vcge-
tables are carried, the former being
served when the fresh are gone.
While many ships and stcamers still
continue to lay in supply of water,
others do not, and all carry con
denser, which makes it possible to
have tho best of fresh water directly
from tho ocean, and this, being dis
titled water, is absolutely puro. This
water serves for all purposes except
the baths. Salt water is provided for
these. When water is carried it is
stored ut the bottom of the ship and
pumped up.
What the ships kitchen loses in size
is made up in tho number of store
rooms. Things of the Same kind are
kept in tho snmo division. There is n
largo wine closet with great number
of cubby-holes, so thut each bottle
may have n place of its own. Tho
canned goods, of which there is n
larger supply than in many a grocery,
nro in another room, each in space
of its own. Everything has to be
stayed, or it would roll out when the
ship pitches. Potatoes aud such veg
etnbles are kept to themselves, and
the same regulation holds good with
everything.
There arc three kitchens, besides
serving room. The soups, fish, meats
and vegetablosar prepared and cooked
in one room, the bread and pastry in
another, while tho steerage has n
kitchen to itself, in which nil tho cook
ing is done by steam. Tho range for
the meats fill nearly one side of the
small room, and half OF it is given
over to the soups and pots for the
boiling articles. The..soup kettles are
enormous and hold many gallons.
Soup begins to be an important factor
in tho family diet as soon rs one leaves
America, but in spite of the many
boasts about the excellence of coup
aboard it is rarely as we'll made ms with
us. Nearly everything on ship-board
is we'll cooked, but the soup was the
poorest, in my experience.
Tho pastry was excellent, not so
much from er-shortening as from
good baking. Many of tho cakes are
really nothing but pie crusts with
combinations. A thrce-cornered pas.
try has filling OF made cream, which
is nothing moro than thick, soft
custard this Is sometimes plain, some.
times it has an addition Of chopped
cherries, or finely minced citron. The
top has q glaze-it is too thin to be
called frosting-of white of eggs and
sugar with whole cherries. Some
times tho pastry is covered with q
meringue, in which the candied fruits
are sunk. Pie crust as the basis of
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