New-York tribune., 1905-05-21
WHERE MERE Man CLEANS HOUSE.
ON IN OCEAN LINER HE GIVES Il FINE EXHIBITION
OF HIS POWERS IN THIS 1--WE.
COPYRIGHT. 1908, BY ANNA s. RICHARDSON.

With mingled feelings of dismay and pleas
urable domestic anticipation, a million Ameri-
lean women are to-day face 10 face with the
semi annual problem of cleaning house And as
many more men. with feelings Of dismay pure
and unadulterated. unsoftened by any prospect
Of pleasure whatever, are casting about for some
valid excuse TO leave home until the ordeal is
over. Yet. oddly enough, the most tremendous
housecleanings in the world are done by men
without the aid or consent of a single woman
And this is on board the great ocean liners.
SupeTintendents of large institutions such as
hospitals. asylums hotels. turn helplessy
to their matrons or housekeepers when the semi
annual cleaning days roll around; but on board
an ocean greyhound which shelters 1900 souls
the captain faces housekeeping twice a month
calmly his boat faces the mighty roller
in midocean.
At II o'clock a Wednesday morning a great
ocean steamer ran her prov into the docks OF
New-York Harbor. At 1890 o'clock the last OF
her steerage passengers had been discharged. At
1 o'clock a small boy with very large gong.
tumtumming madly raced from end to end OF
the ship. From cabin and hold. from stokers'
room to hurricane deck, men heard the sound
and flung down whatever they were doing. IN
less than ten minutes the great nfeboats had
been swung out over the water and back again.
The first step in the housecleaning had been
taken Two minutes later the first officer stepped
to the captain the bridge, saluted and
ported that the boats were in good condition and
each man had responded promptly TO the signals
The captain nodded his head, the first officer
shouted indistinguishabe order through
megaphone and the men sped down companion
ways. Housecleaning had begun in earnest.
And here are a few OF the figures which this
tremendous undertaking involved:
Twenty-Five thousand pieces of linen to be
sorted, counted, sacked, shipped to the laundry
returned. recounted and stored.
Fifteen thousand pieces of silverware to be
counted, sorted and polished
Twenty-Five thousand pieces Of glassware and
double that number of dishes and cooking utensils
to pass through the hands of washers and
polishers.
Three hundred and ninety staterooms to be
cleaned in every nook and Granny.
Thirty-two bathrooms ditto
A dining room with a capacity of 467 persons
and another accommodating 300 70 be cleaned
and polished from mahogany tables to bulging
portfolios
ladies' parlor as large as four ordinary
drawing rooms, all in white and gold, to be pol
ished to dazzling brilliancy.
A solid mile of decks to be stoned TO sparkling
whiteness
Another mile of rugs and carpets to be beaten.
Hundreds upon hundreds of mattresses 10 be
aired, beaten and recovered.
Details too numerous for recaptulation TO be
watched with Jealous care.
1t would take a month, excaims the distracted
housewife who has just heard that the paper
hangers cannot come for another week. But
that is on land. Your seagoing man brooks no
delay So it happened that at noon on Satur-
day the big ship was pronounced fit and was
thrown open for inspection. Quarters for 1000
had been cleaned in exactly thirty-three hours.
or three working days.
1t is generally supposed that directly a big
steamer discharges her passengers her force
also makes a run for shore. This is an error.
for the officers and crew have more important
things on hand. If the boat makes fast TO the
pier at any time in the morning. that her
passengers can be discharged by noon, her
housecIeaning starts promptly at l o'clock the
same afternoon If she docks late in the after
noon or at night the cleaning begins at o'clock
the next morning. Every man knows where his
duty lies, and goes at it,
High in the air on scaToldings built around
the mighty smokestaCks painters are scraping
OF the old paint and preparing the tunnels for
their fresh coat Tomorrow they will be paint
ing the hull On the upper deck. and under the
watchful eye of officer. squad Of brawny
sailors is washing down the walls Of the deck
houses with odd shaped brushes dripping a
Soan,v lather In the staterooms the room
stewards are stripping the berths and drawing
all the water from the faucets. At the foot OF
the companionway OF the main deck the linen
steward is counting over the soiled linen: IN
the dining room the table stewards counting
the silverware: in the pantry the beboys.
stripped OF their trim uniforms are up to their
elbows in dish washing. In a fairly large COM
partment, overlooking the first class dining
ROOM sits the head steward, telephone at his
e!how his account books spread on his desk
before him and line OF men. with reports fling
past him In hour so he will report TO the
captain on the exact condition OF all the fur
nishings the number of pieces Of linen to go 10
the laundry. the loss through breakage TO be
charged up to the trip. and the thousand and one
details which make the housecleaninE organI-