The record-union., 1897-01-26
LUXURY FOR SEA VOYAGERS.
The Lot Of the Steerage Passenger Vastly
Improved.
Second Cabin People Fare Better Than
the First of Few Years Ago
Elevators the Latest Scheme.

Going to Europe next summer!
Every year certain people ask the ques-
ton, and in most instances they know
in advance what answer they will re-
ceive. To the old traveller who likes
to tell how many times he has crossed
the ocean, what good sailor he is and
how it all bores him, there is nothing
in trip across the water, and the i'm
provements which are made for his ac-
commodation from year to year arouse
no enthusiasm in him. But to those
who never made the trip, and to those
who made an ocean voyage many years
ago and have made none since then,
trip to Europe next season will be a
great treat-except to those who sail
badly.
But even the people who are i'll"
said the agent of one of the lines, have
more comfort aboard ship now than
they ever did before, and on that ac-
count the poor sailors do not look for
ward to ocean voyages with the old-time
horror"
The second cabins are being improved
every year and libraries, smoking-rooms
and revolving chairs at the table are
among the latest features. The first
cabins We're not as comfortable lew
years ago as the second cabins are to-
day. AS to the first cabins, the builders
believed that they had reached perfec-
tion when the last great liners were
launched, but it seems that further I'M
provementS have been made and others
have been suggested and are being
suggested. With a view to the comfort
of the passengers, some of the large
vessels which are now in course of con-
struction will have staterooms only on
the upper or promenade deck, and none
on the saloon deck.
This arrangement" said the agent
will enable the passenger to leave the
window open and will give more light
and better ventilation" The feasibility
of constructing passenger elevators for
the accommodation of saloon passengers
is also being considered. The elevators
are to run between the promenade and
the saloon decks. There is some doubt
as to the success Of the scheme, but II
experiments demonstrate that there is
no danger connected with it, the ele-
vators will be put in.
AS to additional and novel features
for the accommodation of hrst-claSS
passeng gers there will be nothing so new
as to be startling, but former improve
ments have been perfected, and 1t
seems that the builders Of steamers
have reached high-water mark in that
line. But men who are in the business
say that Just as every new hotel is
built with a view to eclipse the last one
f.
ments and arrangements for the com
fort of the guests, so every new ocean
passenger steamer will have novelties
which the older competitors may lack,
and in the opinion Of these men it Is
hard to say where the efforts in that
direction will end.
THE cabin improvements" said an
agent, were forced upon US to GER
tain extent Once upon a time people
thought that it was the hight of lux
urv to have a room all alone. Now
adays We must be prepared to give
passengers suites of rooms with their
own private bathroom and specially as
signed stewards and maids. 1t is natu-
raj that these requests should be made
because some of the people who want
these extra comforts have their own
yachts in which they are accustomed
to travel and when they depend upon
us they look for similar comforts. But
there are Others" he added, who want
suites, the best we have and better If
we had them, who own no yachts, and
who spend the extra money simply for
show. Nothing is good enough for
them and they always remind me of the
a
ter said that quicksilver was not good
enough-she wanted quick gold.
This is the class of people on whom
all our modern improvements make no
impression. The nav methods of light
ing, heating and ventilating the cabins,
TIE prompt service at the table, on deck
ard wherever it is required, the pre-
cautionary measures and the anxiety
on the part of officers to see that the
passengers are well cared for and COM
fcrtable-all these do not call forth any
word of praise. One of these people
asked ON a recent voyage why ships
had no billiard tables. Another of them
did give us a suggestion. though. He
told Of his first trip to this country
away back in the forties, when it took
the sailing vessel on which he came
seventy days to make the journey, and
how tine cook had boxes of earth in
which he made desperate efforts to
raise parsley and other little greens.
Some day we may try the garden bus
mess on board ship, although the air
is against it. When l spoke of it the
other day some one said, Don't start
anything like that because it will give
the funny man who goes and comes on
every trip a chance to make life a bur-
den to his fellows by singing out on
The third day from New York, II see
land" and then when the poor seasick
woman asks him "Where?" he will
point to the little garden-'No, don't
have them; don't give the funny man
q chance
No person is better able to judge of
the Improvement in ocean passenger
transportation than the man who has
made the journey in the steerage. The
further back his experience dates the
greater will be his surprise at the
changed conditions. People who came
to America in the steerage forty years
ago speak of their experience with nor
ror and wonder that they We're strong
enough to live through the weeks of
torture which they had to endure in the
hardly ventilated, unclean and often
rocking compartments into which the