The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-07
OCEAN FOOD SUPPLY
COST OF PROVISIONING LINER
 s5o,ooo A TRIP.
No Restrictions on Appetite of Travel CTS on Modern Floating Hotels Only Experienced Buyers lntrust-
 ed to Business of Ordering.


 
 New York.-Of importance not sec ondary to safety, convenience and sanitary conditions in travel by sea is the food supply of the modern ocean hotel. Every item in the gastronomic list from a little neck clam to hot tamale must be on hand ready to be served if ordered.
 The introduction of the la carte system of dining on steamships of the present is responsible for the eXtraos- dinary demands for luxuries at sea. Travellers are no longer compelled to sit through table d'hote meal. There is no restriction on appetite or purse.
 On the German Atlantic hotels a traveller may now order trout or tench fresh from an aerated reservoir.
 Leaving out of consideration the special restaurants on the top decks, in the dining-room. without extra charge, any dainty appetite or mere caprice may desire, is immediately produced.
 Only the most experienced buyers are intrusted with the bu,iness of selecting and ordering supplies for big ships, which is a line of wholesale catering different from buying in large quantities for hotels and restau- rants on shore. Stewards on land can purchase from day to day or send out side. The buyer for vessel must lay in for the trip at least, although as a rule supplies are bought for the voy. age or round trip. In the case of the sea hotel, after leaving port there is no turning back for something for gotten"
 During 1907 the cost of catering to the travellers of the North German Lloyd line, according to statement just published, was more than $4,000,- 900, as against a little more than S7,- 000,000 for coal The fleet travelled a total of 6,254,703 miles, or about 200 times around the earth.
 This gives the average cost of pro visioning the fleet as 66 23 cents a mile With the express steamers of the Atlantic the cost is very much greater.
 Thirteen years ago the cost of pro visioning the St. Louis for a trip to Southampton was s40.000. The cost of provisioning the Kronprinzessen Ce- ellie, with her increased tonnage and the big advances in the cost of sup plies since 1895. would probably be nearer $50,000.
 n fipnnI excluding from the calculation poultry fish and game. l4.000.000 pounds were eaten on the German Lloyds last year, It would require a line of freight cars extending from Central park to. the battery. or q trains of 30 cars each to carry such quantity. These steamers carried last year 66l.2 pas sengers, which would reduce the ay- craze cost of feeding passenger, cal culating the expense at 66 2-3 cents per mile, to about s6.30ia.
 The 661,25S passengers put away 6,547 1928 eggs, which, if packed 30 dozen in a case and 100 cases to the car. would require 119 40-foot cars, or more than five trains to transport. During 1907 nearly 100000 more eggs were eaten than in 1906. Ex- elusive of poultry. 100000 pieces of game were ordered at table. Of capons and chickens, 100000 pounds was found necessary. Of Blue Point oysters the number amounted to 1s2,- $40. Little Necks, 455.190, crabs and Holsters. S2,633 of fresh turtle for soup 13. 3.407 pounds.
 The bakers used more than 100000 pounds of flour, of which 6,770.000 was wheat, 7s2.220 rye for pumpernickel and 9,5S7 buckwheat. Babies drank 76. 623 bottles of sterilized milk and 200 900 pounds of sugar was consumed. Of vegetables 346,231 bushels of "spuds" were peeled. or 2000O,000 pounds 24956,S93 pounds of ice. TO- 900 pounds of peas and beans, 52l,052 pounds of coffee, 40.976 pounds of tea. 65 PCT pounds of chocolate and cocoa, 1.205, ,964 pounds of butter and $12,724 bounds of salt.
 More than 100000 lemons and nearly 3,000,000 oranges and mandarins were peeled, nearly six carloads of grapes eaten and s100,000 was paid for fresh fruits. not mentioning grapes. oranges, mandarins, apples, pears, pineapples, bananas. etc. For fresh vegetables not otherwise specified Si0S,s43 was spent. Of raisins alone 90. 900 pounds were bought.
 During 1907 2.S27,225 cigars and packages of cigarets were sold, to- gether with 51,3S3 bottles of cham pagne and 25O,0O0 bottles of claret and moselle, and 511,492 bottles of beer, or about SC of a gallon per cap ita. Each passenger drank about a gallon of mineral water.
 The storehouses and wine cellars at Bremen are said to be among the most complete in the world Many Of these supplies, including the ice-cream, are bought in America.