The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-24

for the first and second cabin passengers
and the officers There are three each for
the Storage passengers, the engineers
stwards and sailors. Each of these seven
big families has its own staff OF cooks,
numbering between thirty and forty alto
gether There are about seventy dining
room steWards-Waiters they would be
called on shore-and about the same num-
Der Of bedroom stewards or chamberlalns.
The vast responsibility for supplying
food to the steamship community rests
principally upon the chief steward. Every
afternoon he re ares 10 his cabin and pans
out the menus for the following day-d
separa,e one for each OF MS numerous
families from the elaborate course dinners
OF TIE I'll 81 cabin folks to the comparatively
simple fare OF steerage and crew
These menus are then printed by the
ships printer and distributed to the chefs
Of the various divisions. They estimate
tine amount OF various food ma erials that
they will require and submit these esti-
mates 10 the steward for his approval
The next step is 10 make requisition on
the storekeepers for the various meats.
vcge ables and other articles necessary to
satisfy the sea appetites of 200 persons.
The extent OF this appetite may be con-
jectured from the fact that the Oceanic
ships FOR each trip some ten tons of beef,
three tons of such other meats as mutton
and veal two tons of chickens and nearly
two tons of ducks, turkeys and such game
birds as may be in season.
These are merely the fresh meats which
are stored N one big refrigerating room
down in the depths Of the ship. The yes
sci carries also TWO tons Of smoked and
dried meats, 1900 dozen oysters with nsh
green vegetables and fruits in proportion.
OF groceries and sucn commodities as will
keep Indefinitely the provisions stores are
kept filled.
In another cold storage room the ship
carries 500 pounds of butter, 2C0) dozen
eggs and $3.50 quarts OF milk and cream.
Another item not to be overlooked is g.
on quarts Of ice cream.
These figures give a ready basis for COM
putting the amounts of these various com
mod!ties used each day on ship board In
addition il may be said that 80 pounds of
coffee and over 30 pounds of tea are re-
Quired daily. -Four dozen bottles of Wor-
cestershire are required to last out a voy
age with other condiments in proportion.
Naturally a vast number OF dishes are
required. There are 800 silver spoons,
forks and knives, and 900 of each va
riety of plates, cups and saucers neces-
sary to meet all requirements. The brok-
en- dishes accumulated on each voyage ill
several casks, and the cost of these is as
sessed equally on the whole body of stew
ards.
Enough Linen to stock a shop.
To wash all these dishes is no light task.
For the most part it is done by machin-
cry. Big baskets ofNsoiled dishes are low
cred into tanks of boiling water which
c.eanses them thoroughly. Then they are
dried by hand. The silver and finer china
is washed by hand, and this work keeps
a force of twenty men busy.
of table and other linen the Oceanic re
quires enough to stock a shop to last out
a voyage. There are 900 tablecloths, Is
600 napkins and the same number of tow
els. Unlike most of its household opera
lions the ships laundry dork is done on
shore at the end OF each trip in a plant
maintained by the company for that pur-
pose.
The cooks are among the best paid of
the ships Iaborers. Chief cooks receive
from $50 to SIS per month, according 10
the skill required of them. on the other
hand, the stewards receive the least of
per month. For the most substantial part
Of their incomes they must rely upon the
tips Of the passengers.
While none of the ships employees from
the captain down receive rates of pay
that are at all munifcent the great num-
Der of men employed makes the salary
list mount up to q heavy sum. On the
oceanic ABOUT $l5'VU per mouth is PAID
in salaries alone.
1t win DE seen from these figures that
the cost of operating a great ocean liner
Is very large, for the vessel that has been
described il is between $4,000 and $4,000
per month. The extreme earning capacity
Of the Oceanic Is about $1,000 per month.
When the cost of repairs. insurance and
the deterioration in the value of the ship
Itself are taken into account the profit re-
naming represents only fair return on
the Investment of $4000.0OO. which this lat
PSI triumph of the shipbui.ders skill repre-
sents T. W. Mayo