The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-13
LINEN OUTFIT
Of OCEAN LINERS
Big Steamships Garry
Enormous Stock Of
Dry Goods.
Fifty Thousand Pieces Are
Necessary for a Trip
Supply.

One of the problems OF the efficient
MANAGEMENT of a great ocean lirer IS the
ship's linen. There Is the bed linen for
the first and second class passengers and
officers numbering on full trip about a
thousand souls. There are towels galore
to be furnished for each stateroOm, and
the tableclOths and napkins, all OF which
must be renewed daily. Moreover, the
quality Of linen supplied to a modern
ship like the Oceanic or the Cedric OF the
White Star line. or the St Papi or Phli-
adelphia OF the American line, Is the very
best that can be bought in the market.
finer even that that ordinarily supplied
TO the patrons OF a frst-class hotel on
shore.
On a liner this linen is changed every
day, and as there is no opportunity 10
launder the accumulation OF stock on
board the ship must start with ruu
supply for the trip and a liberal margin
for emergencies. For instance, the y.
Paul took out on a recent trip some 5000
pieces, including 10000 napkins. 1O,eo0
sheets, 5000 pillow slips. 1000 tab,scloths,
1000 counterpanes, 5000 bedroom towels and
an astonishing number of busters. cooks
cloths glass cloths, dresser cloths and
variety of minor pieces known only TO the
cooks and stewards.
This necessitates a mighty linen-rOom
at each end OF the line whence are sup
piled the clean pieces in exchange for the
soiled ones brought ashore at the end OF
each trip. 1t - estimated that 149 ships
Of the international mercantile marine.
as the largest aggregation Of ocean-going
liners in the world. have at their COM
mand 100000 toS5, 900, 900 pieces-a supply
on each ship and an equal supply at each
end Of the line, clean and waiting the
arrival of the vessel in port. This neces-
states an army OF shore employees. whose
task is to launder this linen. check IL on
and furnish it to the outgoing vessels.
On each ship there is one steward
whose sole care is the linen. He has this
stored by the thousand pieces in various
linen-rooms below and delivers the re-
quired amount TO the bedroom and tabls
stewards the cooks and sculliOns. who
come to him daily with the sOiled pieces
in their charge and exchange them for an
equal stock Of clean. The soiled linen is
dried thoroughly in a drytng-room heated
by steam, and stored In bags, which are
sent ashore at the end of the voyage in
New York or Boston, Liverpool, South
arnpton or Antwerp as the case may be.
The steerage, or as they call It nova
DAYS, the third class, has its linen depart
ment as we'll as the first and second class,
but this does not include bed lnen- The
immigrants are provided instead with
straw mattresses and stout, comfortable
blankets, which receive equal attention
with the other bedroom supplies at the
end of each trip. the blankets being thor
oughly washed, boiled and disinfscted. a .
well as the mattress covers The straw
from the latter is also replaced with new
clean straw each trip. Nevertheless there
is much third class linen, for the third
class passengers now sit at tables COW
cred with white cloths, and the cooks
department uses supplies similar TO those
in the first and second class.
Losses Of linen on the trip are charged
10 the general profit and loss account OF
the ship, and are not accounted to either
steward or passenger. The linen man,
however, takes special care of the nap
kins. which are most easily lost and the
most costly Of the supplies. The table
stewards who come to him for these have
to sign a book for the amount taken and
this is supposed to make them more care
full in the handling--New York Times