The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-24

VI OEiCeIS ana Eten Arc small,
but Some of Them Get largo Fees
Tho cost of running big ocean grey
hound TO Europe and back reaches into
the thousands. A trails;itlan liner is
really floating hotel, and everything
on board is conducted on the same scale
of lavishness that is found in Il fashion
able Fifth avenue hotel
Clement A. Grisconl, Jr., son of tho
president of the line controlling the st.
Louis, agreed to give some figures to Il
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 n
steamer like the st. Louis average be-
tween 500, 600 and $50, 600, according to
the season.
The voyage between the two ports
takes n trifle more than seven days,
making the daily cost of operating in
the busy season something like SO, 500.
No single individual on the St. Louis
gets large salary. The captain heads
the list, getting about So year.
Captains OH smaller passenger steamers
only receive $1,000 q year. The chief
officer of Il ship like the ST. Louis gets
$1,000, and the bulk Of tho heavy work
really falls on his shoulders Tho sec
end officers pay ranges from 5000 to
$1,000, according to the size Of the ship.
whilo the third and fourth officers only
get from 5000 to 5000 All of these
men have to perform duties of re-
sponsiblo kind, and as there arc no bo-
muses. attached to their work it can be
seen that they are not ovcrpaid.
Tho crew of the ST. Louis numbers
40 men. Two hundred of these are in
the engineers department, and all of
them arc directly under tho authority
Of the chief The stewards department
is the next largest numbering 10 in
all The sailors, including the deck Off
GERS, number but 40
The engineers department. is tho
most expensive on the ship, owing to
tho immense coal bills The st. Louis
burns moro than 300 tons day, or
about 1900 tons the round trip. This
means an expenditure of 81 900 alone.
The salaries of the men, the engineering
supplies, including the thousand and
one things needed for the vast machin-
cry of Il great ship, will require an ex-
The chief engineer draws $4,000 a
year, and his immediate assistants re-
ceive 1900, 81, 200 and 81 900 respcc-
lively. The stokers or iiremeu average
about $50 Il month, and the furnaces of
tho st. Louis require $50 of them work
ing i'll different shifts.
Tho purser, who is most important
person OH board, does not get much III
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, =
600 a year, bnt he makes another So, 600
i'll fees and sometimes considerably
more.
Tho ships surgeon only receives 5000
n year for the same reason. He is
brought i'll 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 Il big.
popular ship like the St. Louis is worth
to him at least So, 600 to $4,000 year
Tho stewards department. is one of
rhe costlicst on the ship The provisions
for round trip cost III the ncig hborhood
of $l2, 900, and the salaries OF the stew
ards men amount to So. 600 more. The
stewards arc the least paid of any on
| the ship, for the reason that i'll the fees
| of the passengers they collect a consider
able sum annually All the pay they
get is $40 month, but they take in $40
Il month i'll tips The scasick man and
woman arc always willing to give their
last cent for some little service
Tho chief steward receives 81, 800 o
year and also comes in for his share of
the tips, as it is within his power to
place many dclicacics iii the way of the
liberal tourist.
The chief cook is Il great man on the
ship, almost as great as the captain, and
i'll all makes $3, 900 Il year out of his job
Tho brcakagc and Wear and tear on
the ship and its furniture are very heavy,
requiring M expenditure in incidcntals
of about 50, 900 each round trip. There
are countless things 10 be replaced, and
comparatively little thing like tho
washing of the ships linen means m cx-
penditure big enough to support man
for q year III the lap OF luxury
Here are some odd facts abont the st.
Louis: There are fully 900 tons of
piping of various kinds i'll the ship. The
condcnscrs will pump up at least So
000, 600 gallons of cool water a day
The furnaces will consume no less than
1900, 600 cubic feet of air an hour The
boiler tubes, if placed III straight line,
would stretch nearly 10 miles and tho
condenser tubes more than 20 miles
The total number Of separate pieces of