The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-09-28

This comparison between the old ocean
voyaging and the new is made with no
intention of hurting the feelings Of the
ladies and gentlemen of 40 and SO years
ago, who believed they were travelling in
a thoroughly delightful way. They paid
their 500 and $3.50 apiece for accommoda-
tions which we would consider very poor
for the second cabin. They had practi-
cally no air, the food was often clammy
and poorly cooked, and the service was
pre-eminently bad. They thought they
were making marvellously quick voyages.
The steamer Royal William went from
Quebec to London n. 40 days back in 1888.
and the passengers were entierly sure they
were making q record. Then when steam
ers lowered the time of passage to IA
days, the men Of that generation felt as
though the laws of nature were being
needlessly contravened. Ten days. and
finally seven days were set as limits. and
now we speak of five days as the time In
which it would be possible to cross the
sea, although no vessel has yet done 1t.
What cockelshells the steamers of gen.
Grafton or so ago were compared with
the steel clad leyiathans which now go
speeding across the Atlantic! Three nun
dred feet was extra long for steamer
when the passenger carrying trade began
to be considered a staple industry. The
Oceanic. the biggest steamer afioat, Is 7O4
feet long. The. steamers of half century
ago were floating palaces" ocean ho-
tells and all that, in their time. but
Judged by the present standards they were
cottages and wayside inns. Here on land
the New York hotel was considered fine
place, but then nobody in these days speaks
of comparing the appointments of the old
hotel with the Waidorf-Astoria or the Hol-
land house.
1t took a long time for the passenger car
rying trade to get established here As
early as 1919 the City of Savannah crossed
the Atlantic on experimental voyage.
She was converted into a sailing ship at
terward, and not long after that lively
storm and an onshore wind terminated her
career.
DOWN TO FOURTEEN DAYS.
There were years Of experiment, and final
1y the Cunard line established regular
service. The Britannia arrived at Boston
from Liverpool in IA days and eight hours.
This was in July, 1910. The carrying of
passengers was now becoming a settled
business, and the lines developed their
trade. The Pacific, of the Collins line, made
the trip from New York to Liverpool in
nine days and twenty hours. The Baltic
she broke records in her time-departed
from Liverpool and arrived in New York
in nine days and eighteen hours. She
averaged 1874 knots an hour. Now we
speak of a passage across the Atlantic OF
less than six days and the extraordinary
speed of 2311 knots an hour.
There is little for passenger to do when
he boards an ocean liner in these latter
In
and to ingratiate himself with the purser.
He has nothing to do but to sit on deck
and gaze out to sea. In the old days the
builders Of vessels erected such barrier
that a passenger could not loll back in
a steamer chair and view The sea and sky
There was mortal dread in those days
that the water would dash over the rail-
Nowadays the waves can have full sweep
over the decks of transatlantic steamers
whenever the storms are stirring up the old
Atlantic. There were no light and airy
cabins in those days, for the designers had
not yet dared to build the superstructure
which is now a prominent feature of the
great liners.
THEIR LOT ENVIED.
Ease and comfort did not occupy places of
honor on the passenger steamers of the
early period. Those who travelled on them
were quite envied by their neighbors who
staid at home for the handsome woods
and the bright decorations of the saloon
gave the impression that the ocean liner
had reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Still, if you were~a passenger on board a
vessel of the period of about 1850 you
would probably miss few things to which
you are accustomed on liners Of today.
Dinner is one Of the principal diversions
on shipboard. On the old liners the prin-
cipal occupations of the worldly disposed
were to play Switchboard and to swear at
the cook. The cook did the best he could.
Fowls and meats were packed in the ice
boxes when the vessel left port. Toward
the end Of the voyage the steaks and chops
were little clammy and they certainly
did not appeal to the palate. Canned meats
and fruits and condensed milk were un-
known in those days. On board the ocean
liners now thousands of pounds of beef,
mutton, poultry and game are kept in the
cold storage chambers, which are main
tained at the proper temperature by means
or refrigerating plants.
The Oceanic has several of these plants,
for the vessel is so large that one would
not be enough The bill of fare on most
of the earlier liners was very simple. 1t
became more elaborate as the popularity of
ocean travel increased. There was found
recently bill of fare which had belonged
to one of the old liners, which was a popu-
lar vessel in 1847. The bill of fare was not
exactly salt horse" and plum duff, but it
was exceedingly simple. SQUAD, grouse,
quail and such birds were not in season on
board the liners in the '40s. The bill of
fare was sent to the Cunard Offices in
Liverpool. The principal articles mention
ed were split pea soup, beef, mutton, po-
tatoes carrots and plum pudding.
SOME MODERN MENUS.
Compare this, il you please with a din
ner on board the Oceanic or, indeed, the
Lucania or the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse.
Below is one of the luncheon bills of the
steamer Oceanic: ..-@--
= Oysters
= Hors d'Oeuvres Varies. Celery. ::
Mock Turtle. Crout au Pot. ::
=: Salmon, Cucumbers, Hollandaise Sauce. ;:
:: Chicken with Truhies !:
=: Broiled Squads, Green Peas ::
= Ssddle English Mutton, Red Currant Jelly. ::
:. Baked York Ham, Madeira Sauce. ::
:: Grouse. Crumbs. Bread Sauce. ::
: ealantin e' Of Chicken. !
Braised Beef. :
Croquette and Boiled Potatoes. ::
oceanic Puodins. Genoese Pastry.
: ::
Here is the last Fourth of july Dime,
served on board the Hamburg American