Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-04-22
| NO FAMINE ABOARD SHIP.
OCEAN STEAMSHIPS CARRY GREAT
QUANTITIES OF PROVISIONS.
Two Months Food for Passengers to
Draw On-Supplies for a Trip
Steerage Meals.

/EW OF those who go on an
n. ocean voyage know that in
crossing the Atlantic there is
much less chance of suffering
from famine than there is on dry land.
On all ocean-going passenger ships
there is food and water in plenty.
When shortage of provisions occurs at
sea, it is invariably on some tramp
steamship or sailing vessel, which
does not carry passengers.
Foreign Government regulations
provide for keeping an abundant
store of provisions on all passenger
vessels. These regulations are al
ways enforced by the steamship COM
panies, and in nearly all cases the YES
sells carry a supply double that re-
quired by the country whose flag they
fly. Vessels sailing from Germany
for New York carry four months
supply of everything, even fresh meat,
eggs and milk. The reason of the
double supply is that the owners of
vessels buy in their native countries
and have enough for the round trip.
No steamship of late years that has
been out for over sixty days has been
heard of. Insurance companies pay
policies after two months. So four
months food is certain to be ample.
Provisioning dining car, where
the company is satisfied if they sell
sixty meals, and stocking steamship
which may carry 1900 passengers, with
sufficient food, drink and delicacies to
last from two to four months, are diff
ferent matters. They show, though,
that the storing OF goods is science
ON steamship. In proportion to its
size, there is almost ten times as much
space in the store room and galley of
q dining car as there is in steamship.
The bakeshop OF a steamship in which
bread is made and baked for 1900 pas
sengers, over half that number being
in the cabin, is less than half the size
of kitchen in an ordinary residence.
The galley of steamship as large as
the American liner Paris is only twen-
ty by thirty feet, and yet in that COM
partment, which would hardly be
large enough for Vanderbilt's $40, 900
chef to put on airs in, ten cooks and
eight assistants are able to cook the
food for the first and second cabin
passengers three timesa day and never
compel the passengers to wait on ac-
count of an under or overheated range.
Not only are the regular meals
made up in the small galley, but any
passenger calling for any particular
food or dish that he thinks may tempt
his fancy can always get it from that
same condensed kitchen, and in short
order. The passenger who can but
does not burn money, can get Balti-
more terrapin, if it strikes his fancy.
He or she who likes canvasback duck
has only to say the word and it ap-
pears.
No one who has not been in the store
rooms of a big steamship can quite
understand where all the supplies are
placed. The space for machinery, the
cargo, baggage and mail compart-
ments, the state rooms, dining rooms
and quarters for the storage pas.
sengers and crew would seem to take
up all the available space in the ship,
yet there is space for the refrigerat-
ing rooms, where 400 or 500 tons of
Ice are stored to keep cool the 40, 900
pounds of fresh meats, the 10000
eggs, the 1000 pounds of butter, 700
quarts of ice cream, twenty barrels of
oysters in the shell, 700 gallons of
milk, besides game and fruit, and the
thousand other things which are put
on ice. And that is not all. There
are canned goods OF every description,
there are the bar supplies-and ocean
steamships are MS we'll stocked as any
cafe in town-there are tea, coffee and
$50 barrels Of folr, about 400 barrels
o. potatoes, and every ching else which
may be called for, all stored so that it
can be got at moments notice, and
yet SO snugly that there is not half
cubic inch Of space lost
The stores, measuring about 600
tons in all, are in charge of the chief
steward, who sees that they are prop
erly placed ON board. Before the
steamship sails he estimates the num-
Der of passengers he will carry and
then makes requisition for the sup.
plies needed. The requisition is gone
over by the port steward of the line,
who looks after the provisioning of all
the steamers, and if he finds it COR
rect, the steamship steward gets what
he asks for. The port steward is not
to be fooled. He is paid big salary
and usually has come from some of
the swell clubs or hotels of the other
side. He knows to the ounce what is
needed for each passenger on board,
and when he has make up his list, the
ships steward knows that he will not
run short. No risks are taken. In
the way of eggs, about forty per
cent. more than will be required are
carried. That is to provide against
possible breakage. Each egg is
packed separately, and the crates SO
stored that there is no conclusion, no
matter whether the ship goes on her
beam ends or not. The only time
there is any breakage is when one of
the stewards may be bringing a crate
from the store room. If the vessel
gives n lurch, the steward and the
Iot ok I