The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-05-02
THE OCEAN STEAMERS
FLOATING CITIES WITH A VARIETY
OF OCCUPATIONS.

The great Atlantic liners have often
been described as floating cities, and
In at least one particular the COnparl-
son IL entirely accurate that Is 10 say,
I'm the variety Of occupations represent
cd on shipboard. a big steamship will
In her flight from land 10 land carry n
population Of perhaps 1000, Of whom
The majority, OF course. are passengers
people of all professions and lines
Of business. Leaving passengers out
OF account however and considering
only the IOO or thcrCIbOuts who 80 TO
make up the liners crew, one viii cas-
lily find representatives of nearly all
the trades of u thriving community
ashore
This diversity Of industry represents
an evolution or rather, a revolution
that has come along with the develop
mcnt of the gigantic modern steam
ship. In the old days of sailing ships
all the members Of the vessels crew
were sailors and performed one part or
another Of sailors work. Even the
redoubtnble cook was usually much
better verscd I'm matters relating 10
spars and ratlincs than he was In the
secrets of the culinary art. But today
the status Is different Navigation OF
the big Atlantic ficrs II a complicated
task, and the number OF men required
20 carry II on is ten times greater than
on even the biggest ships Of n century
ago. The variety of their vocations
has of course been multiplied TO CORE
spond with the Increased complcNity.
The sailors are in small minority
nowadays True. you will see Il mum
her Of scamcn on the big ships, and
these still have their duties to perform,
dutics which, however. have nothing
90 do with the handling OF sails for
not in II number of years has canvas
been spread on any of the big liners.
But common sailors seem few In com
parison with the men Of other trndes
whose usefulness on shlpboard the sea
captain OF generation or two ago
would have found hard to explain or
even understand
Some Of the greatest changes in the
conditions of service have come about,
naturally enough, through the intro
duction Of steam machinery. The pres
encc of machinery means that the liner
must carry not only n number of engi
nccrs, hut also several machinists TO
keep In order the complicated mechan-
ism OF pumps and blowers and deck On
gines which big vessel carries Then,
since every great passenger ship IL pro
vidcd throughout with a modern plumb
ing system. she must have in readiness
n qualified plumber. An expert olcctri-
elan is also needed To look after the
electric lighting plant. u rcrrgcratlng
engineer fJr the cold storage plant and
n number of otlcr representatives. Of
different branches of the engineering
profession.
Instead Of the ancient cook with his
very limited accomplishments the up to
date liner has an expert chef, besides
bakers. cour"ctiuuors and also TIE other
Gastronouiic specialists q lc found in
the big fashionable hotels ashore. \
ships butcher cuts the rousts and
Joints and takes general charge of the
meat supply, and there are several
storckecpcrs. who Il is true. do not sell
goods. but who keep as exact account
OF all the groceries and other supplies
issued for the use of passengers and
crew as though their livelihood depend.
ed upon IT,
BESIDES these. every liner carries
barber. for passengers long ago gave
up the habit of going unshavcn from
beginning To end of the voyage. The
barber hns comfortable little shop.
ana next door q him perhaps is in
stalled the harkccpcr. who from the
nature OF his clientele is required to be
adept In mixing the drinks of all ma
tions. Still more surprising 10 the incN-
pericnccd traveller It Will perhaps he to
learn that the big steamships carry
four or five hoothlacks 10 keep the pas
scngcrs I'm shines.
or the learned professions the only
one regularly represented is that Of
medicine Every liner carries sur
geon. who not only attends to pas
sengcrs or members of the crew who
may fall Ill., but who is also charged
with the general supervision Of the
health and sanitation of the vessel.
iH'lt are usually pltulN ol H'I INV
ycrs" ON board not that there Is any
demand for legal services and If clergy
men are not among the passengers the
captain or purser is qualified TO read
the service ON Sundays
The issuing OF a paper containing telc.
graphic news involves of course am edl-
tor and wireless tclcgraphcr The
editorial duties are assumed 10y the
purscr. and the wireless operator not
only receives the news for the ships
paper, but takes ana transmits mes
sages for the passengers as well The
ships printer prints not only the ships
newspaper but the daily menus and
concert programmes as well.
Most OF the liners carry one or more
musicians. Some have fully equipped
bands that furnish daily music, and
those liners which DO not include a
complete musical outfit have nj least
one or more buglers 10 sound the calls
for meals and for inspection.