Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-08-05
ABATTLESHIP'S KITCHEN
THE COOKS GALLEY THOROUGHLY UP
TO DATE IN ITS APPOINTMENTS.

When the news Of Commodore
Dewey's great victory at Manila was
sent over tho wires IL was recorded
that during the entire engagement
Paymaster Martin made aud served
coffee to the officers and men. II is
/ difficult 10 associate kitchen and q
cook with battleship, but every one
! Of the big fighting monsters with its
, terrible guns aud turrets and flags has
its kitchen. Il is called galley"
on board ship, and II is one Of the
most important places on board to
both the officers aud the men.
Nothing gives an American tar such
q relish for food as the smell ofpowder
AMI smoke. II has become quite O
fashion OF late to divide o ba,tleship
up as though il were human, giving
il brains aud eyes, heart and lungs,
but no prominence is given TO the
galley or the man in the galley, who
is quite an important parsonage, The
man in the galley is usually Japan
ESQ, for almost every one Of the big
ships has Jap cook and O staff Of
servants Of the same nationality, The
boys witt on the officers table, dust,
clean silver, carry messages, aud at
tend to minor housekeeping duties in
a way that would put the average
housemaid to q great disadvantage.
II Ia quite possible that during q
great battle like that of Manila a self.
centred japanese cook might continue
his work Of decorating an entree or
giving an expression to soup, while
the enemy's guns doomed against the
side OF his range or copper pans.
While the space that Is given to com.
fort on n man.of-war is necessarily
limited, its interior is APP 10 strike
one as luxurious in comparison with
the stern and frowning exterior of the
great lead colored monsters. The
galley is as thoroughly up to date in
its appointments and cooking arrange.
ments as the kitchen Of modern resi-
dence.
There is large hotel range with
splendid ovens, from which each day
the cook turns out tempting brown
loaves and even pies and cakes, that
must make many Jackie think OF
home. There are great copper soup
boilers and coffee boilers in which
these two items Of the menu are pre-.
pared by the gallon. Then there are
copper pots and pans on shelves in
rows, bright and shining as those in
the kitchen Of our great New York
hotels. There are cupboards, too, in
which the sugar and the spices and
other cooking condiments are kept all
nicely labelled, for there is no slip.
shod housekeeping on man-of.war.
There are other cupboards with sliding
doors and spring locks that when
opened disclose rows Of cutlasses and
rifles and great long reyolvers in
racks from the door TO the ceiling.
The china, silver and glassware
used on our American battleships are
pretty enough to delight a woman.
aud women as rule are particular
about china The sailors have ruder
ware, but that used at the officers
mess is white and fragile, with a de-
vice OF an anchor in gold on each
piece. The glasses, which are fixed
in stationary racks on a sideboard in
the wardroom, which, by the way, is
drawing room, sitting room, dining
room, all in one, are OF cut ware aud
are ornamented with naval device.
Some Of the battleships have gorgeous
silver services, but that ordinarily
used is an up.to-date and complete set
Of spoons, knives and forks in all the
different sizes. Then there are in.
dividusl pepper mills in silver, salt
cellars, and salvers, all Of which are
kept in shining perfe ,tion.
The sailors on board our American
ships live much better than the work
ingman on land. When in port they
have fresh meats and vegetables, and
when at sea for any length OF time the
terrors Of the old time regimen OF salt
pork aud salt beef are mitigated by
supply OF canned vegetables which
give variety. Besides this, Uncle Sam
Is so generous 10 his men that the oil.
lowance for each Is too much, and they
have formed O system OF pooling the
supplies which gives each man an
amount OF money which he can spend
for extra things for the table.
The officers have their special cook
and, Of course, their special foods.
which In port are apt TO compare fsv-
orably 10 those offered on the menu Of
O frstclass hotel. They appoint o
caterer and steward from among their
number each month whose duty II IL
10 look after the welfare Of the mess.
The wine mess Is contributed TO on
shsres.
The man in the galley. like the
stokers, doesn't get much glory out Of
naval warfare, bat he 10 On important
man In his place. Who can tell
whether many Q glorious victory has
"A ~ - Ill - ~ l. i 4