New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
AN OCEAN STEAMER IN PORT
BUSY TIMES PREPARING FOR THE NEXT
VOYAGE TO EUROPE.

THE THREE DEPARTMENTS OF THE PERSONNEL
AND THE WORK THEY HAVE TO Dolby
NO MEANS HOLIDAY TIME.
To tho Messenger on North River ferryboat the
manv-coored smokestacks that rise above the pie's
where the great ocean liners lie at their moor'nss
seem suggestive Of calm after stor"' i"' 30
boats and their crews. having weathereo 'ne ~
Iantic. are safe in port spend weu-earneo
holiday
That may be the outsiders impression YET ths
outsider could readily correct this impression ny
visiting the ships When an Atlantic liner "@s
reached her pier work quickly begins.
The routine duties aboard the ship. whhe she ~
mains In port, are divided between three u'suhcs
departmcnts These are the sailing the ens'n'
GERS and the stewards The first comprises ','s
captain officers and crew who. all tod' seheraV
number some seventy souls. The second, Inclusive
Of the engineer officers and their subordinaes az
gregates perhaps hundred and seventy men
The stewards branch is numerically the largest
and with the chief steward and MS assistant u
probably two hundred strong. The duties 10 W
performed by each department easily occupy the
working day. The sailing department comes hrst'
BEGINNING WORK EARLY
Work begins at 6 a. M and at least three ON.
cers-sometimes four-are on duty. Their watch
lasts for twelve hours During the ships nrst Gay
In port the task OF holystoning the decks Is per-
formed Sand is then sprinked on them ana ale
lowed remain until the day before the snip saiiA
when il Is washed OF. and the decks look beauti-
fully clean The immediate charge or the working
sailors is in the hands OF the boatswain. who re-
ports each day 10 the senior officer on duty ana
ascertans the OF the work TO be performed.
The captain and his officers. In addition 10 theu
navigating duties. are responsible Tor the spars'
ropes and sails and must see that the ship -
maintained In a seaworthy condition Sanitary ana
plumbing arrangements and the paint WORK are
In If be SAT department.
hauling Of all these must be done In port, ana
after each round trip COR VOYAGE all the exterior
paint work receives "A new coat The outside OF the
hull from the deck the waterline, however. 10
repainted at the end OF every single trip. An
American liner the ST. Paul or the Paris, for In
stance having had her hull painted while she lay
in port at New York has 1t done again az soon ~
she reaches Southampton.
The crew are told off in working gangs. Repairs
may be needed for the woodwork spars. or rigging.
or in connection with the sails. but for the most
part the work Is likely 10 be the welding OF the
paint brush. The smokestacks. too are carefully
examined every time the ship comes In. After ,
O'Clock D. m those not the night watch can go
ashore, and need not report until o'clock next
morning On account of the insurance two ofticers
stay watch each night. Were this not done, ana
a fire broke out on board. the insurance companies
would dispute the steamship peoples claim. In
case Of accidents there is always surgeon aboard.
The engineers department, which has charge not
only OF the engines that propel the great liner but
also OF the electric-lighting power. finds its task
cut out for 1t the moment the vessel Is moored.
The work of the department while al sea, how
ever, is arduous that the rank and file receive
liberty for the entire period the ship remains In
port SO a special shore force is always on hand
which remains aboard until sailing day.
WORKING on THE BOILERS
When the great engines have ceased TO throb the
engineers at haul the fires blow off
steam, and pump out the boilers. one boiler 10
left untouched, to supply power for the engines
that work the electric and refrlseraung apparatus
the pumps and the machinery used in shipping
cargo. Next day the boilers usually cool enough
20 permit of their being cleaned, but meanwhile
the force has been busy at tubes, combustion
chambers and furnaces. There is much 10 be done
in tho examination of cylinders pstons. crank
pins and crossheads; the boilers must be entered.
and II necessary. repaired The engines receive .
general overhauling. and all the ARRANGEMENTS OF
the hreroom Inspected. The day before that on
which the ship leaves port Is occupied In clearing
up the debris that has accumulated. The boilers
are washed out and filed. all hands stand by. and
preparations are made start the fires. At
o'clock on the morning of sailing the sea watches
formally set. The lower fires have been started
on the previous night AT 10 o'clock and six hours
later-at o'clock a. m-the top fires are III Al
the operation OF getting up steam begins. 1t 10
always necessary to have full pressure OF steam
least hour before sailing time.
The stewards department performs its own regu-
lar routine of duty while in port. The passengers
being landed. the stewards make tour OF the
M On, h.i sa a. e T, ~, -raH 20 ~:
pier and sent to the companys laundry pom an
ocean which arrived last week. 5000 pieces
of linen of all kinds were thus collected The
linen is in charge OF storekeeper who looks after
nothing else The minor repairs are done by the
stewardesses on board. and the more important
ones attended to ashore There Is constant work
for the stewards in port in cleaning and arranging
stateroOms.
SUPPLIES FOR A VOYAGE.
The chief steward IL autocrat of his department.
He makes out the acquisitions for provisions. In
this connection may be given idea OF the
age consumption Of provisions by quoting fg,fres
from the books of ocean liner which came In
last week bringing total OF about eight hundred
passengers, pretty evenly distributed among the
three classes saloon. second cabin and steersge
& ioi Pono36 LII - 81 bpead ,,;rn,ms
100 lunches: leeks, 60 lunches: onions 44O pounds
potatoes. 1890 pounds parsley % bushels; toma-
30 tins green corn 80 tins peas. 40 tins tomatoes
10 tins; canned meats. 81 tins; flour 30 barrels;
sugar; 1900 pounds: coffee. $50 pounds; tea. 1870
Wines and liquors stc-ClasamDasns 200 p!nt:;
ottes. beer and porter. 2i0 dozen bottles mineral
waters $50 dozen bottles; cigars LOO; cigarettes.
In considcrins this schedule Il should be mon-
not nll consumed. but that the quantities. quoted
we carried in stores: and concerning the item for
lop'cco cBiily ol ule one Hun1Ieu pounhs quoted
were served out TO the crew. Sixteen IONS Of ice
We~e used. Water is shipped by means Of hose
frcm tanks built on the steamship pier and M
tons were carried on this trip for drinking and
bathing. The ships carpenter supernteris this
work. TIE average consumption OF .oal per diem
80 tons. ~
INoEP SHORE OFFICIALS ORDERS
When 4 steamer arrives IN port the three chief
d.vlsiorT-sailng. engineers and stewrrrs -p.ss
respectively under the Jurisdiction Of three shore
officials. whose Offices on the dock The sailing
department becomes responsible to the marine
SUI crntendent the engineers 10 the s,iperintcnL-
ing engineer and the stewards 10 the port stsv.
ard Curing the voyage stock has oeen taken II
stores required and acquisitions are now m ,la
These arc either passed rendered or cut down
N,Hs-