Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-02
THE MEN IN THE GALLEY.
Problem Of Feeding officers and Crew on {
Warship.

especially the women, who have gone
down the Potomac during the past
week to size up the Amcrigo NespucCi,
the Italian training ship anchored on-
poste Alexandria, acquiescc in the
opinion that the vessel, while not 50
scrupulously clean as American met
of-war. is fairly tidy nevertheless; but
they all join in saying that the forward
part of the vessel 'smelt garlicky' os
'oniony." The smell of garlic OF
onions is characteristic Of the forward
decks of Latin European warshps. II
is natural that the immediate neigh
borhood of the galley on any man-0f-
war should be permeated by an aroma
distinctive of the favoritc and
national articles Of food If
the country the man-0f- war
represents; but this aroma is least no
ticeabie on United States ships Of wa.
The dominant olfactory note IN
American man-of-War cookery Is. #
course. the more or less grateful
fragrance Of boiled salt horse-grate-
ful in ratio to the state Of the smeller' 6
Appetite but on ship-visiting days 4
is a point of conscience on the part OF
an American man-of-war cook to
smother the cookery odor. The galley
cooks on United States war vessels,
With the assent of the mess stewards,
devise meals, as a rule. when they
know that their ships are tn overflow
With shore visitors. Of a non-redolent
character. Most American men-of-
war, when in port. give the salt horse
the go-by, anyhow. and provide fresh
meat for the men forward. But the
old-tme flatfect Of the forward mcsscs
affect. may Of them, TO he fondcr Of the
junk than of the tcnderest fresh meat,
and occasionally they unite in demand
ing salt horse even on day when they
know their ship is to be listed MOI
than 4 degree at the GangWay With ar
irving and departing visitors. When
they do this. and the cooking Of junk
on visiting day is inevitable. the
galley cooks. for the sake of not offend
ing the Hostrils of visitors, perform the
feat known as tying" "ham-Strn%-
ing or ''smothering the horse which
consists in placing weights on the pots
containing the boiling salt meat, tight
ly closing the galley ports ana doors
and by other means preventing the Diff
fusion of the exceedingly homely
fragrance Of the preparing junk.
When the junk is :.ot in process OF
preparation the galley Of an American
mar-of-War is a understanding kitchen
for cabbage is used only when the
junk is served-and women visitors
aboard our ships are often heard q
declare that the things they see and
smell within and in the neghhorhOol
Of the galleys make them hungry
The galley Of United States man
Of-War is about the busiest compart-
ment aboard the ship in time OF peace,
The work Of preparing three meals .
day. as will appear upon reflection, for
from 200 to COO men is no minor affair:
and yet the business is carried OH
without hitch. ana the meals are al
ways ready. piping hot, at the Very in
slant the ho-sun's mate, consulting his
steel-cased watch. makes his scrape TO
the officer Of the deck and gets the
word to Pipe mess gear. Visitors
aboard our ships often talk admiringly
of the system that appears to attend
the preparation of the meals
The food for both the officers and the
men forward is all prepared in the
same galley and cooked on the same
range, and ON large ships the galley is
frequently the scene of the labOrS of as
many as 90 mess cooks; yet there are
only occasional moments of friction in
the galley. generally over the matter
Of an alleged Selling of an inordinate
amount of range space; otherwise the
work of getting the meals of all hands
ready proceeds like clockWork. 1t
might be ungallant to suppose that ii
would be difficult for 20 women. each
of them with separate interests in
volved in the pleasing of distinctly or
ganized meSSes, to get along with one
another with such entire amicableness
within the cramped space of a man.
of-war galley-and all men of-war gal
leys are cramped-as do the men with
stewing pans on their watch arms for
rating badges. This would perhaps nos
be possible if it We're not for the
diplomacy, and finally the arbitrament
Of threatened clouting, from when
there is no appeal. of the chief ships
cook, who is the superintendent of the
galley. The boss ships cook doesn't do
any cooking himself. but he is the heap
big man of the galley, and he sees to it
that the various mess cooks perform
their labors without any superfuous
man-o'-War chawing or treadlng on