Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-09
BIG SHIPS SUPPLIES.
HOW UNCLE SANS MEN-OF-WAR
ARE EQUIPPED.
IL Costs a Mint of Money
keeping Is Done Under a. Rigid
System-A Ships Messes. and the
Manner of Issuing RatiOns.


keeping Is Done Under IL Rigis
Syslcm-A Ships NIesscs. and tn,
Manner of Issuing RatiOns.
Furniture and supplies for Uncle
Sans new war vessels cost a mint o.
money, says Rene Bache. TO tit out
one OF these ships for cruise is big.
ger job than equipping first-class
hotel. Here is floating fortress, as
long as two city blocks, with all mod
ern conveniences and complete restau.
rant facilities, lighted throughout by
electricity-a gigantic fighting ma
chine and military barracks combined.
Her steel walls, bristling with guns,
| shelter a small army OF men. The
New York, for example: has crew
numbering 400, besides forty marines
and forty-tive officers. To feed them
all for a twelvemonth, at the Govern
ments rate OF allowance, costs SGU,,
900.
On going into commission such a
ship must be furnished throughout
from the kitchen, which is as COM
plete as that OF a great city hostelry,
to the captains cabin. She carries
large stocks of stationery, hardware
and apothecaries' goods, and is pro-
vided with tools for all sort of trades.
Everything conceivable that may be
needed for purposes of war and peace
is supplied, because on the high seas
no shops or factories are accessible.
Usually the vessel is provisioned for
only three mcnths, because there is
no room to stow more.
Every man in the navy, from the
last boy shipped up to the admiral,
has an allowance of thirty cents a day
for rations, which he may draw either
in food or in money. The paymaster
of the ship has charge of ali the pro-
visions, which are dealt out by his
yeoman," who is in turn assisted by
the Jack O Dust. The person last
named attends to. opening the barrels
and packages. Coffee and sugar are
served out once in ten days, flour
every four days and meats daily.
While in port fresh provisions are
furnished, each man receiving one
pound of fresh bread, one and one
quarter pounds of fresh meat and one
pound of fresh vegetables per diem.
These take the place of the ordinary
ration, only tea and coffee being pro-
vided in addition. The allowance is
at all times so liberal that the enlisted
men cannot possibly consume the
whole of it; so they take part of it in
cash which they utilize in ways pres
emily to be described.
The methods of housekeeping on
board of a ship of war are very interest
ing. All of the officers and men are
divided up into little clubs, each of
which has its cook and manages its
own affairs. These clubs are called
messes." There is the captains
mess. the wardroom mess, the Junior
officers mess, the warrant officers
mess, the petty officers mess and the
mems messes. Every officers mess
has a caterer, who is elected periodi-
cally from its own membership.
The captain, because there is only
one of him, must cater for himself.
He messes by himself in his cabin and
eats in lonely state, save when he
chooses to invite officers to dine with
him. If the vessel is flagship he
may mess with the admiral or not,
just as he chooses. The admiral has
his own cabin, of course. The captain
has his own steward, his private cook
and two cabin boys. The admiral has
a like staff OF servants, with perhaps
an extra boy. 1t must be understood
that the "boys" on a war vessel are
enlisted men at least twenty-one years
old.
The men are divided up into messes
of twelve usually. Each such club
elects its own caterer and chooses one
of its members for cook, with the ap-
proval OF the executive officer. The
most important requirement for this
culinary post is ability to make bread.
Good breadmakers are in great de-
mand for such positions ON board ship.
The mess cook receives from the mess
wages equal to the money equivalent
of from one to two rations monthly
that is to say from $3.50 to $3.50 a
month. This salary is so much in adj
dition to his pay from the Govern
ment and renders the Office very de-
sirable. The incumbent draws the
rations from the paymaster and pre-
pares them for the table. But, be-
cause the allowance is greater than is
needed, he takes only eight rations in
food and the remaining four in money.
The cash thus obtained goes to form
what is called the mess fund, to which
each man usually adds about 80
monthly. The mess fund pays the
cook and provides all sorts of luxuries,
many other good things that can be
purchased when in port.
The messes are organizations OF
military character. All of them are