The Washington herald., 1912-12-22
Christmas Ships Go
To Epery World Port
Holiday Git-bearing Vessel for Philippines Is
Government Transport-Yankeeso on the
Canal Zone Also Remembered.

hardly realizes the fact that such q
thing did not exist twenty-one years
ago. But at that time there had been
newly appointed a Postmaster General.
John Wansmaker, who was a business
man; and 1t struck him Immediately that.
inasmuch as mail-sorting staffs were al
ready at work on express trains, there
was no good reason why similar STATS
should not be installed on express steam
ers.
Thus Il came about that In 1891 the
first sea post-offlces were organized, on
the German lines. The American lines
followed suit five years later and the
White Star Line In 1904 In 1908 a Ike
provision for the handling and distribut-
ing of mails was adopted by the French
Lfne-the Campagnie Generate Transat-
lantique. At the present time there are
twenty-one sea post-offices in operation
on the Atlantic Ocean.
These marine pOst-ofices handle each
year 100000 pieces Of mail matter, not
including 5000 sacks of newspapers. The
total weight of material is nearly Is
OO0, O00 pounds, and. II loaded on standard
cars. it would I'LL more than 200 such
railway vehicles at three tons to the
car.
A sea post-ofice on the North German
Lloyd lines has two clerks, one Ameri-
ward bound. on the way to Europe, it
is a United States-German post-ofice"
and is under the direction OF the Arneri-
can clerk. On the way back II is a
"Deutsch-America post and is In charge
Of the German official, who wears a
military uniform Of blue, with brass but
tons and a sword.
Marine Clerks Qualifications.
had previous experience in the railway
mail service or in the distributing Of
foreign mails at post-ofices on land
When in charge, at sea. he is called A
mail master" 1t is required OF him
that he shall be proof against seasIck-
ness-a very important matter, inasmuch
as he is often obliged TO sort his letters
when the ship is rolling and pitching so
violently that he can hardly keep his
footing on the deck. An arduous life is
his. but there are a few compensations.
He enjoys five remarkably good meals
every day. is at liberty TO attend con-
certs or dances in the evenings. and
on reaching New York or at the Eu-
rOpean end of each trip he has five days
Of leisure. On some vessels, however he
is not allowed TO drink in the smoking
rooms or talk with passengers. lest, be
ing in uniform. he be mistaken for one
OF the ships officers and suspected OF
neglecting his duties 10 loaf.
The mail master on a transatlantic
express steamship sells stamps, and in
some cases registers letters. The system
of sorting letters and newspapers and
pouchinS mails resembles that adopted
on postal Cars-the likeness being render
ed more striking through the fact that
the workroom is restricted in area and
illuminated by artificial light. As rule.
il is poorly ventilated and is directly over
the screw or opposite the steerage
kitchen.
Up to date there have been three seri-
Gus disasters to OCean-gOing post-ofiCes
One OF these occurred March T.. 1886,
when the HI-fsted Oregon went down in
the Harbor of New York with J9S sacks
them. and most of the rest. floating out
to sea, were picked up during the neat
six months along the Atlantic coast
from Portland TO Cape HatteTaS. all
but 1874 sacks being eventually reCoN-
cred. Many Of tn lonE-soaked letters.
whose addresses had become undeciph-
cradle. were sent to the Dead Letter
ONCE al Washington and dried by fur
mace heat as a preliminary 10 investt-
eating their contents.
HrroISm of Mail Clerk.
Six years later, in January 1892. the
Elder went down off the Isle of Wight.
with 5S7 sacks. all of which wOuld
have been lost but for the energy and
presence of mind of the mail master,
William H. Hall, who. while the ship
was sinking and in the midst of the
direSt confusion, the passengers taking
to their boats and anxious only for
their lives. got out the mail bags and
safely landed all but furty-Seveu of them.
The third disaster was TO the Elbe.
which. in JanUa-y 1895. sank in the
Straits OF Dover with 80 sacks. Two
postal clerks lost their lives in this
mishap. but. the water being Of great
depth, divers rescued all Of the mail
matter-much of II reduced to the con
dition of papier mache.
At the port of New York are two
swift steamers, maintained by the
Post-Office Department. whose business
it is to take aboard the mail sacks
from the ocean liners while the latter
are waiting At quarantine. and to fetch
them with all speed to the dock As
might he imagined. their rapHci'v Is
taxed to tn" utmost at Christmas time.
when steamers are delivering from
1000 to 1000 sucks of postal mater in
a single cargo. On orc 81 n occasion,
in the hurry and sCrimmaEc. a sack
missed the chute and went ovC rbOard.
but was promptly recovered hy an on
Ger and two sailors who dived for IL
very important part Of the cargo
of Christmas ships each wear consists
of registered I"ttcrs containing cash
and money orders. which persons OF
alien birth in America forward at this
season to relatives and friends in their
native lands. The money orders thus
dispatched average about so, and the
total amount runs up into the millions.
Italy gets most of the money conveyed
in this way: then Germany, Ireland,
and China. In the order given. But the
Italians are frugal souls. and a com
mon method of theirs is to go. five or
six of them together. TO a post-offfce.
and put their money orders in one en-
velope. thus saving the fee of 10 cents
apiece. RENE BACHE-
Girls Who Solve Problem of Living.
From the Christian Herald.
The annual exhibition of the Manhat-
tan Trade School in East Twenty-third
Street, New York City. was held the
other afternoon and charmed the hun
dreds of people who attended #. One
girl in the novelty department had made