The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-07
Ocean Population
Thousands of Souls Constantly
on the Briny Deep.

In the transatlantic trade alone an
average of fully $4,000 are afioat in
every week of the year, says the
Troy CNew York; Budget. The usual
spring rush to Europe has not yet set
in. But as these figures are employed
merely for the purpose of showing the
general average, the statistics of last
week may be employed. This showed
So passenger steamships hurrying over
the transatlantic lines, 40 bound east
and AZ steaming west. If strung out
in regular intervals the vessels in the
eastward bound feet would have
Travelled about 20 miles apart; those
of the westward procession at slight
ly wider interval. If the vessels of
the combined fleets could be placed end
to end they would measure nearly eight
miles.
Giving to each of these liners an
average of 1000 souls, the estimate in
Guiding passengers and crew. an esti-
mate which is doubtless far below the
number actually carried, and the total
equals the entire population of Alaska
and Nevada The floating population
of this city on the sea was greater than
the population of the city of Hobo
ken, it was nearly equal to that of
Albany, and was greater than that of
Troy. q
OCEAN FERRY'S COST
Tt is estimated that this Atlantic fer
~ and it's shore equipment costs not
less than s30O000000. Americans may
have a melancholy interest in knowing
that of this vast fleet the Stars and
Stripes ripples from the jack STATS of
but four vessels and that two of these
were English built, but admitted to
American registry by special act of
Congress. 1t requires this special dis
pensation. for under our laws ships and
obscene literature are the two things
which those who dwell on this side
of the water are forbidden to import.
AT present less than 10 per cent. of
the tonnage annually exported from
=. American ports sails under the Ameri
can ensign. The growth of merchant
marine is generally in proportion to
the increase of the naval power, and
recent events have forced the United
States into the front rank of the great |
naval powers of the world. The result |
is already seen in a great revival of !
popular interest in ship building.
The expense of operating big ocean |
liner is enormous, as can be readily |
imagined. One vessel spends from $500 |
to $500 every voyage for laundry bills |
alone. It's regular wash contains from
Is 600 to 1000 separate pieces of linen |
Including napkins, sheets. walters |
coats, ETC. The vessels which are built |
for great speed cost proportionately a |
great deal more to operate than do |
their less speedy consorts. These sell |
dom carry any freight. The Deutsch- |
land. for example, has room for only |
600 tons of cargo. and rarely carries |
more than a sixth of her capacity. |
But of course unless the owners felt !
that they derived an adequate COM i
pensation for their outlay such YES
sells would be soon withdrawn from
commission.
SEA EXPRESS PAYS.
1t was printed frequently just after
the swift Cunarders came out that they
were not paying ships. This was be-
lieved by representatives of the Ger
man lines. but 1T is not so. The sea /
express, even so mighty coal con-
sumner as the Deutschland, does pay,
and pays WELL in the season when traf-
fic is heaviest on the Atlantic. 1t is
estimated that it costs the Hamburg /
linz about $4,000 to run the Deutsch- +
fdnu across seas Inc largest item OF
expense is that of coal. She sends
through her four monumental tunnels
every trip vapor representing $4,000. +
Then there is the bill for lubricating
oil. and the cost of the ships immense
laundry.
Next to the cost of coal is the ex-
penditure of wages. The board of the
Deutschland's crew of 557 persons the
cost of providing her 200 or more cabin
passengers with meals, the wages of
the commander, her officers and the
chief engineer helm to swell the list of
expenses. The commanders of the Ger
man ships receive more pay than those
of either the American or British lines.
Aside from their regular wages which
range from $500 to $4,000 a year, they i
have a share in the earnings of their {
ships. On the British lines the cap I
tains receive from 81 500 to $4,000 a
year. without perquisites. If at the I