The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-14
PROSPEROUS DAYS FOR THE
SEA COOK ON BOARD
THE MODERN OCEAN LINER
He Doesn't Have to Serve Lobscouse and Dandyfunk Any
More and Carries on His Work in Quarters Equal to
Those of Big HoeI--.The Od-Fashioned Doctor and
His Successor in the Ships Kitchen

New York, June 13.-These days of
mighty neutrality-suspicious. that day
by day push the white sails of the old
time commSrce-carriers farther and
farther from the direct routes OF trade
have worked revolution in the lives
of the men who go down to the sea In
ships" To some these changes have
worked a certain woe. There is the
foremost hand who once was weatherly
wise aloft, knew how and when to reef
and furI, could steer the plunging pack
ct into the froth of a gale by the shiver
of the foresail leech, and work wonder
full devices with marlin spike and a
rope; and who now is a deck washer, a
scrubber of paint, and booster of pas
sengers' luggage. On the other hand,
there is the sea cook, once the desplsed
and derided doctor" of the sailing
ships, a man with two dishes which
were worth while, one of which was
'1obscouse" and the other wasn't. To-
day the sea cook on the liner is q. func-
tionary, man of mark, drawing SAL
airy that would make an old-timer green
with envy, having satellites, attendants,
and understrappers galore.
The struggles of the old-time sea COOK
with his limited larder, his unhandy
surroundings, would have been ludic-
rous had they not been fraught with
too deep a significance to the hungry
crew; this made them pathetic. The
cook is a regularly articled member of
the crew on a sailing vessel, and this
is no nominal service. At the cry "ail
hands on deck" he may have to leave
his kettles, no matter how critical the
moment. On some ships it used to be
the cooks especial duty to tend the
fore-sheet. When he came back the
soft bread was burnt in the baking,
the hot pie" was a wreck, and the
dogs body reduced to unnourishing
bones.
Even with smiling skies and every
thing going his way the sailing cooks
life is by no means a merry one. His
gallery is on deck, often forward, just
where a good boarding sea can soak
II, and where he gets the full fling
and send of the rollers. How he keeps
pots on the stove in q jumping sea is
a question which he could not. answer
himself, but he must manage IL. Per-
haps the small size of his galley helps,
for its SPACE is usually not more than
six feet by y, and he can stand in
the middle and reach almost anything
without jumping for IL. Then again
the restrictions are such that he Is not
apt 10 nave MS pote DrltnHlnB over.
on most sailing vessels the sea cook
is limited to two quarts of fresh water
daily for each man. and with this he
IL expected to produce a full quart OF
coffee, a pint and a half of tea, and
a pint OF pea soup. IL viii be seen
that clever management Is needed for
this feat.
on three days Of the week he has
10 make dun Of bread instead Of pea
soup The ingredients for this dun.
or bread. are half pound Of flour per
man, some fat boiled from the salt
beef, generally known as "slush," and
the aforesaid water.
GastronOmic Inquiries on the sailing
ehip include such luXGTisg AZ lob
so0use" "dandyfunk" are dogs
body" "LObscOuee" is with9i, q SIM
PIE luxury. bot - has 80 drawbacks
Tor b cen be made only sitter a heavy
shower Of rain Or 81 sucn times 81 iae
steward csn BE- prevailed upon a. b.
generous snd aerre our an extra buck
n 81 water The amQunf ~ water on
a ions yoyeas 10 necessaFiiy limited.