The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1895-08-28
COST TO RUN A SHIP.
THE BIG ST. LOUIS REQUIRES $50, 900
FOR THE ROUND TRIP.

FOR THE ROUND TRIP.
She Burns $4,000 Worth Of Coal--The
Bill For Breakagc Is No Small Aflair.
Salaries of Onicers and Men Arc 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 floating hotel, and everything
On board is conducted on the same scale
of lavishness that is found in a 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 q
steamer like the St. Louis average be-
tween $50, 900 and $50, 900, according to
the season.
The voyage between the two ports
sakes trifle more than seven days,
making the daily cost of operating in
the busy season something like SIS, 800.
No single individual on the St. Louis
gets large salary. The captain heads
the list, getting about $4,000 year.
Captains on smaller passenger steamers
only receive IS, 900 year. The chief
officer Of q ship like the st. Louis gets
$1,000, and the bulk of the heavy work
really falls on his shoulders. The Sec
Dnd officers pay ranges from 5000 to
while the third and fourth officers only
get from 5000 to 5000. All of these
men have to perform duties Of a 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 the authority
of the ,hief. The steward department.
is the next largest, numbering ITO 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 a day, or
about 4,500 tons the round trip. This
means an expenditure of SIS, 200 alone
The salaries Of the men. the engineering
supplies, including the thousand and
one things needed for the vast machin-
cry Of a great ship, will require an ex-
penditure of So, 900 every round trip
The chief engineer draws So, 900
year, and his immediate assistants re-
ceive 81, 500, 81, 400 and 81 900 respec-
lively The stokers or fremen average
about $50 month, and the furnaces Of
the St. Louis require $50 of them work
ing in different shifts.
The purser, 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 ST.
900 year, but he makes another So, 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 big,
popular ship like the St. Louis is worth
to him at least 5000 to $4,000 a year.
The stewards department is one of
the costliest on the ship. The provisions
for round trip cost in the neighborhood
of $12, 200, and the salaries of the stew
ard s men amount to So, 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 tc
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 So, 600 year out of his job.
The breakage and wear and tear on
the ship and itsfurniture are very heavy,
requiring an expenditure in incidentals
of about S., 900 each round trip. There
are countless things to be replaced, and
comparatively little thing like the
washing of the ships linen means an ex-
penditure 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 in the ship The