Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-27
COST TO RUN A SHIP.
THE BIG ST. LOUIS REQUIRES sac. 900
FOR THE ROUND TRIP.

HTSn lite NUM- HIP,
She Burns $4,000 Worth OF Coal-rhe
Bill For Breakage Il No Small Amir
Salaries Of Omcers and Men Are Small.
but Some OF Them Get Large Fees.
The cost Of running big ocean grey.
hound to Europe and back reaches into
the thousands. A transatlantic liner is
really'a floating hotel, and everything
on board Is conducted on the same scale
Of lavishness that is found in fashion.
able Fifth avenue hotel.
Clement A. Griscom, Jr. son Of the
president Of the line controlling the St.
Louis. agreed to give some figures to a
World reporter covering the expense Of
her voyage to England and back He
figured for some time and then said that
the expenses of the round trip Of a
steamer like the St. Louis average be-
tween $50. 900 and ESQ. 900, according to
the season. -,
The voyage between the two ports
takes a trifle more than seven days.
making the daily cost of operating in
the busy season something like IS, 800
No single individual on the St. Louis
gets a large salary. The captain heads
the list, getting about e5. 900 a year
Captains on smaller passenger steamers
only receive $1,000 year. The chief
officer Of ship like the st. Louis gets
$1,000. and the bulk of the heavy work
really falls Oh his shoulders. The sec.
ond officers pay ranges from 5000 to
III 200, according to the size Of the ship,
while the third and fourth officers only
get from 5000 to 5000 All of these
men have to perform duties Of q re-
sponsible kind, and as there are no bo-
muses. attached to their work it can be
seen that they are not overpaid.
The crew Of the st. Louis numbers
40 men. Two hundred of these are in
the engineers department. and all Of
them are directly under tho authority
Of the chief. The stewards department
is the next largest, numbering 40 in
all. The sailors, including the deck Off
GERS, number but 40.
The engineers department is the
most expensive on the ship, owing to
the immense coal bills. The ST. Louis
burns more than 800 tons q day, or
about $500 tons the round trip. This
means an expenditure of SIS, 900 alone.
The salariei Of the men, the engineering
supplies, including the thousand and
one things rceded for the vast machin-
cry Of IL great ship. will require an ex-
pendituro of $1,000 every round trip.
The chief engineer draws SO, 900 a
year, and his immediate assistants re-
ceive $1,000, $1,000 and 1000 respec.
lively. The stokers or firemen average
about $50 month, and tho furnaces of
the ST. Louis require $50 of them work.
ing in different shifts.
The purser, who Is a most important
person on board, does not get much in
the way Of salary, as the company in
fixing his pay figured ON the large
bonuses he receives for changing money
and performing the little services which
the wealthy traveller does not hesitate to
pay for literally. His salary is only g..
900 year, but he makes another 81, 900
in fees and sometimes considerably
more.
The ships surgeon only receives 5000
year for the same reason. He is
brought In contact with numerous real
and fancied invalids Of the wealthy
class. and although no one Is compelled
to fee him few fail to do so, and a big,
popular ship like the st. Louis Is worth
to him at least 50, 900 to 81, 900 a year.
The stewards department is one Of
the costliest on the ship. The provisions
for n round trip cost In the neighborhood
OF $4,000, and the salaries Of the stew
ards men amount to S3. 900 more. The
stewards are the least paid of any on
the ship, for the reason that in the fees
of the passengers they collect consider
able sum annually. All the pay they
get Is $40 month, but they take in $40
a month in tips. The seasick man and
woman are always willing to give their
last cent for some little service.
The chief steward receives 81, 500 a
year and also comes in for his share of
the tips. as it is within his power to
place many delicacies in the way OF the
liberal tourist.
The chief cook is great man on the
ship. almost as great as the captain, and
in all makes 81. 900 year out of his Job
The breakage and wear and tear on
the ship and its furniture are very heavy,
On expenditure in incidentals
OF about 5000 each round trip. There
are countless things 10 be replaced, and
o comparatively little thing like the
of the ships linen means an ex.
penditure big enough to support man
for year In the lap of luxury.
Here arc zone odd facts about the ST.
Louis: There are fully 1000 tons of |
piping OF various kinds in the ship. The
condensers will pump up ut least 80.
300, 900 gallons Of cool water a day
The furnaces will consume no less than
!. 500, 900 cubic feet of air an hour. The
boiler tubes if placed in straight line.
would stretch nearly 10 miles and the
condenser tubes more than 25 miles.
The total number Of separate pieces Of |
steel in the main structure of the ship is
not less than 10000, and the total nnm.