Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-14

COOKING MEALS
ON A %BATTLESHIP

The U. S. S. Texas. the most recently
constructed battleship of the United
States navy. is the first battleship on
which coal-flred ranges have been en-
tirely replaced by the electric type.
The equipment consists of 10 ranges in
the general mess galley, five in the Of
ficers' galley, and two bakers wen
The immense extent of the cooking
operations on board this ship are only
realized after considering the uan
tity of feod prepared and the number
of people served. The crew consists
of 800 men and the officers number
about 20. The officers meals are a
little more elaborate a those served
the crew, but the quality of o
served Is about in proportion to tho
numbers fed. Coffee. tea, boiled meats
and vegetables for the general mess
are prepared in steam 1acketed cald-
rons and therefore do not require the
operation of the electric ranges. In the
officers galley, where less food is pre-
pared, electricity Is used exclusively for
cooking and even boiling.
About $500 pounds of bread is re-
CURED a week, not including that con-
sumed in the officers quarters. Other
foods have to be prepared in like guam
titles. A single meal requires as hlgh
as 500 pounds of meat, 175 gallons or
coffee, and 14O gallons of soup. The
cooking operations. named in the order
of the quantities of food prepared by
that method, ore boiling. frying, roast.
ing and broiling. More than half of
| The food, by weight. is boiled, while that
baked and roasted about equals the
amount fried.
The switches controlling the differ
ent parts of each range are placed IN
q compartment above the hot plates:
The switches connected to the hot
plate and oven circuits are each
equipped with an auxiliary blade,
which, when closed. allows energy 70
flow through an auxiliary heater unit
to produce a high heat" needed In
rapid cooking.
Sufficient cooking apparatus has
been installed, so that under ordinary
conditions 1t is necessary to operate
only four-ffths of the ovens at a time.
BY leaving q fifth of the ovens idle
each week it is believed that the heat
Ing units will last a longer time.
The time required to prepare each
meal depends on the food to be served.
The temperature of the hot plates can
be raised from normal to a working
valu in about 90 minutes by connect
Ing the "h~igh-heat" unit for five min
utes at the start and using only the
main element thereafter. BY operating
the "high-heat' units in the ovens In a
similar name the temperature can be
brought up to the proper value IN from
20 to 80 minutes. Only about SIN MN
utes is required to start the brolier.
Particular care is exercised to pro-
cure economic operation of the ranges
by concentrating the cooking on a Few
ranges so that the inefficlency OF inter-
mittent operation is avoided. The head
cook supervises the operation to see
that switches are not left closed when
q range Is not in use.
The first class cook on the Texas
declares tina he considers the electric
range far superior to the coal-1lred
type. First of all, the use of the cleo.
trio type eliminates the necessity OF
handling coal II ashes. consequently
there is less dirt present In the room
where the food Is prepared. The cleo
trio range is much cooler to work
around, the heat being hardly notice.
able ever on hot days FurthefInore
he declares it is much easier to COOK
with the electric equipment, as the tenn
peratures in uniform,
The ranges have been In constant
use on board the Texas since March
~. and since that time three meals a
day for a crew of 900 have been pre-
pared without an interruption or delay.
In the general mess galley five COOKS
and a head cook are required each
watch. In the officers galley there are
four cooks, one for each officers mess.