Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-08-31
COST TO RUN A SHIP.

THE BIG ST. LOUIS REQUIRES 5000
FOR THE ROUND TRIP.
She Burns $4,000 Worth of Coai-The
Bill For Brrakag. Is No Small AnAir.
Salaries Of Omcers and Men Arc small,
hut Some of Them Get Largo Fees.
The cost of running big ocean grey
hound TO Europe and back reaches into
the thousands. A transatlantic liner is
really u 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
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
steamer like the st. Louis average be-
tween 500, 900 and $50, 600, according to
the season.
The voyage between the two ports
making the daily cost Of operating in
the busy season something like s., 500.
No single individual ON the ST. Louis
gets large salary The captain heads
the list, getting about $1,000 year
Captains ON smaller passenger steamers
only receive $4,000 year. The chief
officer of ship like the St Louis gets
= l,.. l,rtfl go l,..i
really falls on his shoulders The sec
ond officers pay ranges from 5000 to
81 200. according to the size of the ship,
while the third and fourth officers only
get from 5000 to 5000 All If these
men have Ia perform duties of IL re-
sponsiblc kind, and as there are no boz
muses. attached to their work it can be
seen that they are not overpaid.
Tho crew of the 81. Louis numbers
40 men. Two hundred If these are in
the engineers department. and all Of
them are directly under the authority
of the chief The stewards department
is the next largest, numbering 10 in
all. The sailors. including the deck off
GERS. number but 10.
The engineers department is the
most expensive on the ship, owing to
the immense coal bills. The st. Louis
burns more than 800 tons day, or
about 1900 tons the round trip, This
means an expenditure of sl5, 200 alone
The salaries Of the men. the engineering
supplies, including the thousand and
one things needed for the vast machin-
cry Of great ship, will require an ex-
penditure of So, 900 every round trip
The chief engineer draws 50. 900 n
year, and his immediate assistants re-
ceive 81, 800, 81, 200 and 81 900 respec-
lively. The stokcrs or firemen average
about $50 Il month, and the furnaces of
the 81. Louis require $50 of them work
ing i'll different shifts
The purscr. who is 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 81,
900 Il year. but he makes another 81 900
i'll 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 fcw fail 10 do 50. and big,
popular ship like the ST Louis is worth
to him Mt least s.. 900 to $1,000 year.
The stewards department is one Of
the costliest on the ship, The provisions
for round trip cost III the ncighborhood
of $l2, 900, and the salaries of the stew
ard S men amount IL -, 900 more The
stewards are the L.. paid Of any ON
the ship. for the re;.son that i'll the fees
Of the passengers they collect "a consider
able sum annually. All the pay they
get is $50 month. but they take i'll $40
a month in tips. The scaSick man and
woman are always willing To give their
last cent for some little service.
The chief steward receives 81 800 u
year and also coincs in for his share of
the tips, rs it is within his power TO
place many dclicacics in tho way Of the
liberal tourist
The chief 60, |, is great man ON the
ship, almost ~ great rs the captain, and
in all makes - COCA year ont of his job.
The breakaec and wear and tear on
the ship and its furniture are very heavy,
requiring IN expenditure in incidcntals
of about s.. 900 each round trip. There
are countl,,; things 10 hc replaced. and
comparatively little thing like tho
washing Of the ships linen means an ex-
penditurc big enough to support man
for year in the lap of luxury.
Here are some odd facts about the st.
Louis: There are fully 1000 tons Of
piping Of various kinds i'll the ship. The
condcuSers will pump up at least So
600. 030 gallons of cool water day.
The furnaces will consume no less than
1900. 900 cubic feet Of air an hour. The
boiler tubes. if placed III straight line,
would stretch nearly 10 miles and the
condenser tubes more than - miles
The total number OF separate pieces Of
steel in the main structure ef the ship is
not less than 10. 900, and the total mum
Der of cubic feet Of timber used i'll the
construction is more than l0O. 900. The
total number If rivcts is not far from
~ l. 4