Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-03
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On BIG ship

brought out by the disaster has en-
phasized more strongly the transition
in marine affairs occasioned by the in
PRODUCTION of steam and machinery as
motive power aboard large ships.
The day of the sailor, the pictur
esque old salt of fiction and history,
who "shivered his timbers' and "chew-
ed his cud, who pulled at the mani
fold ropes of a square-rigger, and
knew each shred of hem by name,
who was shanghaied into service and
kicked into the scuppels by bucko
mates-the day of this quaint, archaic
figure is no more. He has all but pass
ed off the stage of events. In his place
we have strange hybrid creature,
neither, landsman nor mariner, par
taking of the elements of both, know
ing something of both the trade OF
the mechanic and the engineer and
that of navigator. Indeed, by far the
greater number of ships company
know nothing whatever of boat-hand-
ling. ~.
81 Sailors In Crew Of 938.
Take the Cunard Lines Mauritania,
for instance. She carries a crew
which, totals 93S. OF this number those
included in the navigating department
the department composed Of seamen,
constitute less than one-fourteenth or
sixty-nine in all The roster of the
crew shows that the navigating stan
consists Of the captain, eight officers,
eight quartermasters. three boat
SWANS, three carpenters and joiners,
two lamp trimmers and yeomen, two
masters-at-arms, two Marconi operat'
ors, and forty seamen OF these men
the Marconi operators must be exclud
ed as knowing nothing about practic-
al seamanship, which reduces the
ships complement of men competent
to handle small boats to 81 In all.
The engineering staff of the Maure'
tania numbers 393 men-thirty-three
officers, three refrigerating engineers
2o4 flremen, 12O trimmers, and 80
greasers. The personal staff includes
the doctor, the purser, and his two
assistants, the chief steward, and his
two assistants, a chef, two BARRIERS,
two typists, two matrons, seven mail
sorters, 10 stewardesses, % cooks and
bakers. 50 head stewards, and barkeep
err: and 30z dining room and state
room. stewards, In all 476 people. OF
course. some Of these might be emcl-
ent at sea, but it would not seem fair
to rely upon them unless they had re-
ceived some special training In their
unusual tasks.
Seamen Not Needed Ordinarily
Naturally, there can be no criticism
of the management of the companies
that run the big liners for not having
larger compliments Of seamen aboard
their vessels; the seamen are not
needed ordinarily, and their presence,
as a rule, would be superaous. On
board the Mauritania, as on board
the Titanic, the principal work has to
do with matters pertaining to macnln-
cry. These vessels, so often referred
to as floating palaces" and floating
hotels" are Just as deserving OF the
appenation Of floating machine
shops
Almost everything aboard the mod
ern passenger vessels is done by ma.
chinery. The hoistino OF goods and
cargo from the holds, the refrigerat-
ing Of meats and vegetables, every
thing that human ingenuity has taken
out of the realm of human physical
Labor. is done by one kind of engine
or another. Outwardly. and to the
casual eye of the visitor or passenger,
one of these ships seems a mere COL
lection of ornate saloons, palm rooms,
gymnasiums, elevator shafts and state
rooms. But in her depths, secreted
from the eyes OF oil except those who
have the privilege of examining the
intricacies of her operation, are many
chambers and spaces devoted to the
dynamos, engines, and machinery,
which work for the passengers COM
forts.
The telephone and electric signal
alone have done away with the need
Of extra messengers on the bridge.
What need is there Of them, when the
watch ohicer can communicate with
any part of the ship by merely ring |
ing q bell and applying his mouth to
q receiver? And what use would q |
seaman be. in the ordinary course Of
events, for waiting on table in the
first saloon, or for mixing cocktails |
or amounting the sybarite of the Turk
ish bath with oil and perfume? That
iremen, coal-trimmers. and stewards
should know something about beat.
handling is isdisputable, andt he steam +
ship companies profess their intention
of seeing to it that all members OF
their crews in future shall be trained
in this department. But the fact re-
mains, and probably always will re-
main, that the majority Of the crew Of
= big liner are not, and Of necessity,
cannot be, seamen.
s Mechanics in the Navy.
The same question has arisen ana
has been agitated is the United States
navy. It has been said frequently that
the crew Of our battleships are no
longer sailors in the accepted sense Of
the word-one is tempted to say In
the archaic sense Of the word. They
are usually bright. clever young fel-