The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-10-12
MEALS ON TRANSPORTS.
FEEDING UNCLE SANS TROOPS
WHILE AFLOAT.
Development of nm Adequate System
Plenty OF Good Food For Every Man
Our Methods Considered tho Best In
the WOrld--Tho Mess Outflt.

tne MOrlu--Ino mebs Oututs
The system which has been per-
fected by the Government for feeding
troops on the United States trans
ports is considered the most adequate
in the world. This is the more won
derful because it has been perfected
in year. The methods employed at
first were crude, and involved great
deal of unnecessary hardship. A
year ago the troops sent to Cuba,
and even to the Philippines, had only
travel rations, which consisted prin-
cipally of corned beef and hardtack,
with nothing hot except coffee. 1t
took several hours to distribute the
rations for each meal, so that the men
were irregularly fed. and not uncom-
monty were obliged to wait till noon
before they had any breakfast. This
state of affairs is practically ended,
and while much depends upon the in
dividual ability of the ships quarter
master. certain effective regulations
are universally carried out.
The United States Government
owns twenty-three transports. The
finest of these are the Sheridan, the
Sherman, the Grant, the Logan and
the Thomas. These five great ships
are exactly alike, 455 feet over all
and of $500 tons each. They are
capable of carrying two thousand en-
listed men, besides nearly one hun
dred officers in the cabin. There are
three messes on board these ships
the cabin or officers mess, the crews
mess and the mess of the enlisted
men. In plying across the Pacific to
Manila, one months trip with only
one stop for coal at Honolulu, per-
feet system, not only in the provision
ing but in the daily feeding of this
tremendous passenger list, is an abso
lutte necessity.
The messes of the officers and of
the crew are served regularly, and are
equal in vari, ty and quality to those
of almost any of the Atlantic liners.
The great problem which has been
successfully solved is the feeding with
equal regularity and with food of
good quality to two thousand enlisted
men.
A long, narrow galley has been
built amidships on the mess deck at
the right hand side. Here are SET
four meat boilers of 10 gallons ca
pacity each. four vegetable boilers of
fifty-fve gallons capacity each. and
two coffee boilers containing $50 gall
Ions apiece. Four regular cooks take
charge of the cooking, which is done
entirely by steam; n detail of four
soldiers gives them daily assistance.
Twelve men are also detailed to peel
potatoes and prepare the vegetables,
and twelve more as fatigue party to
bring supplies from the storerooms,
and, taking into consideration the
total amount of supplies consumed
each day, this duty is not light one.
Besides the cooking galley, it has
been found necessary to establish a
butcher shop, where the refrigerated
meats are taken from the cold storage
rooms, cut up and issued to the cooks.
Three regular butchers and three de-
tailed from among the soldiers are
kept busy here during the day.
NOW It1b EOOD DEhNEDs
The mess calls for the men are at
6.20 a. M, II m. and p. IN. I'M
mediately ten men from each company
form in line in regular order, each
detail being provided with from six
to ten buckets of fourteen quarts
capacity, allowing at the least seventy
quarts OF food for one hundred men.
The cooks in the galley fill the
buckets with meat, vegetables and
coffee, and then they are carried to
the mess tables, where the food is
issued to each member of the COM
pany, who is waiting in line with his
tin plate and cup. As each man is
served he moves on and generally
goes to the upper deck to eat. The
mess deck, where the galley and mess
tables are situated, corresponds to the
main deck, and is just below the spar
or upper deck. After all are served
the first time, the men begin to return
for seconds" es they call it, and ere
served just as plentifully again.
In addition to the food cooked in
the galley the men have fresh bread
morning and night and hardtack at
noon. The bread is issued separately
to the mess tables, and the men re-
ceive it with the rest of the food. In
order to keep the supply of bread
equal to the demand there is o squad
of twelve bakers on board, four of
whom are at work oil night. The
cabin ranges are used, the bakeshop
being near the cabin galley. AS the
ranges are in use for the cabin cook
ing during the day, all the baking
must be done at night. The regular
straight" army flour is used, 2400
pounds of it every day. 1t is baked
in large biscuits, which the men call
"cobs," and they eat two or three of
these at meal. Hardtack is issued
at the rate of 2300 pounds every three
days. The fresh bread is piled on
shelves in q large cage which occupies
the centre Of the mess deck, from
which it is issued to the mess details
morning and night.
AN ABUNDANCE OF GOOD FOOD.
A few figures may convey an idea
of the generous provision made for
each man ON board. The regulations
concerning the field or travel ration
are disregarded, each man being al
lowed to have practically as much as
he wants and much greater variety
than the prescribed ration. He has
fresh meat twice n daV. an allowance