New-York tribune., 1897-01-03

the passenger to leave his window open and Will
give more light and better ventilation Inc
feasibility Of constructing passenger elevators TOT
the accommodation Of saloon passengers is also
being considered The elevators are to run be-
tween the promenade and the saloon decks There
is some doubt as TO the success OF the scneme'
but II experiments demonstrate that there Is no
danger connected with it. the elevators Will be
put in.
SUITES OF ROOMS AND BATHROOMS.
As TO additional and novel features for the &C.
commodation OF first class passengers there VIII be
nothing so new as TO be startling. lut former I'M
proyements have been perfscted. and 1t seems that
the builders of steamers have reached high-water
mark In that line But men who are In me DUST
ress cav that lust as every hotel Is built with
a view to eclipse the last one In the matter OF
luxurious appointments and arrangements LOT the
comfort of the guests. so every new ocean pas
senger steamer will have novelties which the older
competitors may lack. and the opinion of these
men II Is hard to say where the efforts In that d.
recton will end.
'The cabin improvements" said an agent were
forced upon us to a certain extent. Once upon n
time people thought that 1t was the height OF
luxury to have n room al alone. Nowadays we
must be prepared to give passengers suites OF
rooms with their own private bathroom ana
specially assigned stewards and maids. 1t Is ma
tural that these requests should be made because
have their own yachts In which they are eccus-
toned to travel, and when they depend upon us
they look for similar comforts. But there are
others" ne added. who want suites the cest we
have and better II we had them. who own no
yachts and who spend the extra money ''mply
for show Nothing is good enough for them and
they always remind of the woman who when
buying a Thermometer said that quicksilver vas
not good enough--she wanted quick gold.
This Is the class of people on whom all Our
modern improvements make no impression The
new methods Of lighting. heating and ventia;ng
the cabins, the prompt service at the table on deck
and wherever 1t Is required. the precautionary
measures and the anxiety the part of officers to
see that the passengers are we'll cared for ard
comfortable-all these do not call forth any word
of praise One of these people asked on recent
voyage why ships had no billiard tables. Another
of them did give us suggestion. though ie told
of his first trip to this country, away back IN tho
forties' when II took the sailing vessel on which he
came seventy days to make the journey. lnl how
the cook had boxes of earth in which he ma lie des-
perate efforts to raise parsley and other little
green's Some day may try the garden business
on board ship, although the air Is against H. When
I spoke Of 1t the other day some one said: Don't
start anything like that because 1t Will give the
funny man who goes and comes on every trip a
chance to make life burden TO his fellows by
singing out on the third day from New-York: IL
see land" and then when the poor seasick woman
asks him 'Where?' he will point to the little gar
den-.No don't have them. don't give the funny
man a chance.
THE COMFORT IN THE STEERAGE
No person Is better able TO judge Of the improve
ments in ocean passenger transportation than the
man who has made the journey in the seerage.
The further back his experience dates the greater
wll, he his surprise at the changed conditions.
People who came to America In the steerage forty
wears ago speak of their experience with horror.
and wonder that they were strong enough to live
through the weeks Of torture which they had TO
endure In the badly ventilated. unclean and often
rocking COMMITMENTS into which the poor steerage
passengers were huddled Passengers had to sup
plv themselves with bedding and mess utensils in
those days. and what they bought In that line
before sailing was frequently stolen by fellow
Messengers who were in league with sailors and
petty officers who kept a supply Of similar goods
on hand to sell TO passengers. There was no Sc
curty privacy cleanliness or comfort for the poor
peopIe. and many life was lost In an attempt to
reach America by the steerage.
The conditions became better as travel Increased
and as competition sprang up and from year to
wear the steerage passenger found less TO COM
Main Of Laws were enacted which compelled
steamship companies to conform to certain sani-
tary regulations, and to these others were added
until the old-tme steerage finally disappeared.
and in its place came the present form Of IT, with