The Portland daily press., 1895-07-20
1T COSTS TO RUN A SHIP.
The Swift st. Louis Eats Up $50. 900
On Every Round Trip 1t Makes,

The Coal is the Greatest Item. Costing
S15,o00-Handsome Fees for Purser
and Doctor.
(Corr. OF Chicago Daily Nevs.)
New York, July 5-Much has been
written about the great American steam
ship ST. Louis which promises to be the
forerunner of magnificent feet of Yam
kee-built and Yankee devised transatlan-
tic liners. Her many wonders of work
manship and her great engines have all
been described and applauded. Naval
experts have studied her to discover her
worth as war vessel, as she now be-
ongs to the auxiliary navy of Uncle Sam
and has been SO constructed that almost
insSantaneously she can be converted
into swift cruiser, with speed enough
to catch up with or run away from-if
the latter be necessary-anything that
floats.
An interesting feature of the St. Louis,
but one which has not been touched upon,
is the cost OF maintaining her. She is a
little city or municipality in herself, the
captain being the mayor and the officers
the board of aldermen.
The agents of the big ocean liners are
inclined to be shy about talking of the
expenses of their steamers, as the rivalry
between the different lines is SO intense
that none Of them cares to give out infor-
nation which may be business ammuni-
tion for another. Mr.. Clement A. Girls
com, Jr, son of the president of the line
controlling the st. Louis, however.
agreed to give some figures on the ques-
Sion when seen by the writer. He fig
ured for some time, and then said that
the expenses of the round trip of steam
er like the st. Louis average between
$50, 900 and $50, 900, according to the sea-
son.
This is the busiest time in the year for
the big liners and when the st. Louis
gets back from Southampton her maiden
voyage both ways across the Atlantic will
have cost fully $780, 900. The voyage be-
tween the two ports will take tri6e
over seven days, making the daily cost of
operating one of these huge sea monsters
something like IS, 500 In the winter
time. when the passenger traffic is down
to minimum, the expenses, of course,
are much less, and that is when the cost
gets down to $50, 900 for the round trip.
Men who spend $40, 900 month on
steam yacht, as Commodore Elbridge 7.
Gerry does, are regarded as terribly ex-
trayagant, but maintaining vessel like
the st. Louis for month would cost
something approaching the sum of $780,,
900.
THE SALARIES NOT LARGE.
Not single individual on the ST. Louis
gets large salary. OF course the captain
heads the list, getting about SIS, 600 81
year. Captains on smaller passenger
steamers only receive So, 900 year, which
in these times of great salaries Is not any
too large. The chief officerAof ship like
the ST. Louis only gets about 81, 500,
which. ia sane%has+Y small when it is re-
membered that the bulk of the heavy
work falls on his shoulders. The second
officers pay ranges from 5000 to $1,000.
according to the size of the ship, while
the third and fourth officers only get
from $500 to 5000. ALI of these men have
to perform duties of responsible kind,
and as there are no bonuses attached to
their work it can be seen that they are
not overpaid. These items also show
that, while vast sums of money are ex-
cended on running ships of the size of
the St. Louis, none of it is thrown away.
The Grew of the St. Louis numbers 40
men. Two hundred of 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 ITO in all. The
sailors, including the deck officers, num-
Der but forty.
COAL COSTS $4,000.
The engineers department Is the most
expensive on the ship. owing to the i'm
mense coal bills. The St. Louis burns
more than 300 tons a day, or about 4, 500
tons the round trip. This means an ex-
penditure of SIS. 900 alone. The salaries
Of the men, the engineering supplies, in
cluding the thousand and one things
needed for the vast machinery of great
ship call for S., 900 more every round
trip
The chief enigneer draws 5000 year
and his immediate assistants receive
81, 500. 81, 200 and 81, 900 respectively. The
stokers or firemen aver age about $50
month and the furnaces of the St. Louis
require 1sO of them working 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 bo-
muses. he receives for changing money
and performing the little services which
the wealthy traveller does not hesitate to
nav for literally. His salary is only
81. 900 a year, but he makes another
g.. 900 in fees and sometimes considerably
more.
The ships surgeon only receives 5000 a
wear for the same reason. He'll brought
in contact with numerous real and fan