The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-22
Devices for Comfort of
Steamer Passengers.
Every Hotel Convenience Now
Found on Big Steamers.
Wine Room, Barber Shop and Read
ing ROOm-The Stewards Staff.

|
and ample, and If you pay enough 10 get
large room there is big, old fashioned
bed. There is folding writing desk.
| rack for a few books a washstand. and a
big plush couch, which can TO n ado into
bunk. There are electric lignJs and
push buttons, and plenty OF heat IN the
winter from pipes In the alleyways.
The stewards next carc-it's really CO.
ordinate in responsibility with providing
good hunks and rooms-is 10 see that tho
passengers have everything they want 10
eat After the first day or so most of
them have rayenous appetite. The state
room, the refrigerators, tho pantry, and
the galley must bo prepared To withstand
the onslaught of the thousand ana more
hungry persons on board of big liner ut
the height OF the travelling season.
Far aft is the storeroom. 1t is in charge
of "A big, good naturei, fellow, the store
keeper, who watches the ships supplies
like "A hawk, and gives not 10 man, woman
or child without an order from the chief
steward. 1t looks like II wholesale gro
Gerry store only u great deal moro COM
pact. Up to the ceiling it is lined with
bins. These are filled with all sorts of
timed meats, canned fruits and vegeta-
bles, bottled mushrooms, olives ana
pickles.
There are bigger bins, such as the grocer
uses to store coal no sells to purchasers,
filled with sugar and salt. There are tin
cases of coffee, 100 pounds in a case, and
canisters of tea. Overhead are racks hold
ing hams and bacon.
Adjoining the main storeroom ia the
vino locker. IL is n long place, lined with
narrow shelves, which have an upward
tilt. Over the edges, like companies of
sleeping grenadiers, with only the necks
exposed, are bottles of wine of choice
vintage Some of them are dusty, too for
-. I'D "A ,nl
bottles become as respectfully encrusted as
though they were in the mustiest, cob
webiest cellars which were ever burrowed
into the earth.
Down deeper, generally where the,stern
rolls in from the counter, lis "a big COM
partment where are stored barrels OF flour,
potatoes vinegar, and beer. These heavy
things are hoisted up under the. direction
of the storekeeper when they are wanted.
Pretty well forward Is the refrigerating
plant. This is "A zine lined chamber, kept
cold by the pipes which run through it,
charged with ammonia gas. The genera
tion of the gases is conducted in the en-
gine room.
Here the choicest sides Of beef, Joints OF
mutton, chickens. and turkeys are kept
frozen. All first class passenger ships
carry butcher. whose duty IL Is To cut
out steaks and chops and to SEQ that no
good material goes to.waste Through un-
skilful hacking.
Amidships is the kitchen with its great,
long range, and its tall. unganly bakers
oven. On the range, and hanging from
overhead, are dozens of long handled cop
per saucepans. FURNISHED by tine scullery
man until they shine like the sun. The
range is covered with pots and pans,
which send forth pleasing SAVIOR. Half
"a dozen white-aproned cooks are flying
around there at meal time, stirring with
big ladies and shifting the long handled
sauCepans.
There was "a time when fres h broad was
n rarity at sea. It's not so on the Ameri-
can passenger steamer of to-day. Parti-
toned off from the galley is the bake
shop. It's just big enough for kneading
trough, few pans and q baker. There
every day, the baker makes bread and
rolls, which are as good AS anything
turned out from bake shop on solid
ground
Adjoining the kitchen is the pantry, a
room frescoed with silver coffee pots and
cream mugs. and lined with shelves filled
w 18th crockery. On board q steamer like
the New York the pantry ceiling glitters
like starlit sky from the hundreds Of
silver things which hang from hooks and
swing TO and fro with every motion Of
tho ship.
Tho shelves are really wooden pockets.
They are faced with strips of wood, which
keep the dishes from rolling out pock-
oted away there are cups and plates by
the hundreds Along the side of the room
is "a big hot press, where the food is placed
at meal timc, and where it is kept warm.
IL has on top all manner of indonta-
tions, which fit trenchers and saucepans
and soup pots which are sent in from the
Kitchen
Then there is big ice box for cold
meats and butter, and line of glistening
tea and coffee urns.
TO the kitchen and the pantry the store
room H. always sending tribute and they
send il To the dining room.
a luxurious place Is the dining room of
this big floating hotel. IL is lighted from
u great glass dome and from glittering
ports. Its long tables with their dazzling
white cloths and their gitterine array of
silver and glass, make IL look like an
enchanted realm Mt night, when the lights
are turned on,
Here the chief dining room steward has
sway. He Keeps his cohorts of stewards
hurrying to and fro looking after the
wants of the diners Don't call these
short coated gentlemen "waiters''-it's
likely 10 get you into trouble.
The seats at the table are assigned by
the head steward or by the purser who
gives out the seats To those who ask for
them first Each seat is numbered, and
the passenger receives n billet with his
seat number on 10 when he goes 10 his
first meal ON board. Boarding house hours
aro observed in these marine dining rooms.
Iho man who comes for breakfast after
o'clock and for luncheon after | o'clock
will certainly run aioul of the powers
that be -
It's hard tn get at the exact amount of
provisions used on board of big liner IN
the trip from one shore 10 another. les
enough Co stock "A small army. and the
cans and bottles which are thrown over
board must have clearly defined steam
ship lanes by this time.
This * only part of the scheme of
| housekeeping There are the barber, the
loo;back, the man who has charge Of the
| baths, the deck stewards, the smoking
room stewards. The steward In general Il
very useful being ON board a liner. and
iccomCS really very trHctallc and ducile
when properly encouraged.
a man may throw his boots outside of
his statcroom door at night and find them
Shlncd in the morning lie may call for
bnth aud get u right away il somebndy
hds UUr SrUUpcd In bCfUrC ntm. In that
case ike the man at the pool uf SLOAN.
La liz IL xNf