Down to the Sea in Ships

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 271, 14 November 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

Down to the Sea in Ships

Apart from the three main departments of an ocean liner, as described last week, there are minor departments, all of which have heavy and important responsibilities attached to them.

The ship hospital is invariably equipped with the latest of surgical devices. Here a staff of two doctors, two nursing sisters, a dispenser and a hospital attendant are ready to deal with any emergency which may arise. In the event of an outbreak of contagious illness among the passengers, the liner is placed in quarantine by the port health authorities. As this necessarily means serious delay to passengers, mails and cargo, a loss to the shipping line of some thousands of pounds is often incurred.

The laundry is a vast department the size of which may be slightly gauged by the fact that on a large liner approximately 30,000 table napkins are laundered, each day. When one realises that this is just a single item—that no account has been taken of sheets and pillow cases, table

cloths, towels and the passengeis own washing —one marvels at the efficiency which must exist in this particular department. A staff of about 16 are usually require 1 to look after laundry section on an ocean liner.

Apart from the victualling department, which is in the purser's charge, this busy man has another and smaller department which is also hifi immediate care. He is in charge of the bureau where passengers may lodge their valuables, check their luggage, obtain stamps and post their fetters, deposit money and cash cheques. He has particulars filed regarding all passengers booked for the voyage, for this information Jis required by the Board of Trade and by the authorities of the country where the passengers will be disembarking. This department supervises the measuring of the passengers' luggage. If it exceeds the specified limit a charge is made for every extra cubic foot.

For the benefit of those who consider a steward's life second only to that of a tourist, let the following time-table be studied. It is the

THE ORGANISATION ON AN OCEAN LINER

actual daily programme of a steward whose ship recently berthed in Jsew Zealand waters: —

5 a.m.—Awakened by the night watchman. . 5.30 a.m.—Scrub out his particular section of the ship. Inspection by second steward. 6.30 a.m. —Breakfast, after which prepare tables for passengers' breakfast. , 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.—Passengers breakfast; waiting at table. 10 a.Mi. —More scrubbing. 11.30 a.m. —Dinner for the crew. 12.30-2 p.m.—Passengers' luncheon; waiting at table. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.—Free for certain stewards. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. —Afternoon tea for passengers. 5 p.m. —Crew's tea. 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m.—Preparing for passengers' dinner. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. —Passengers' dinner; waiting at table. v One of the most interesting of the routine procedures on ship board is the lifeboat and fire drill. This is carried out each week while the ship

is at sea. Prior to departing on a voyage each lifeboat is examined by the Board of Trade officers to ascertain that everything is in order in case of emergency. Permanent fire stations are established all over the ship, and every member of the crew is allocated to one of these. When the siren signal for fire or collision is sounded, followed l>y the continual ringing of the alarm bell, each man ceases work, dons his lifebelt and makes his way with all possible speed to his station. The men at each station have a definite job to do. Some close all portholes in their section; others are in charge of watertight doors. These doors are in sections of the ship where the decks are near the water line, and are operated from the deck above. When the doors are shut there .are emergency exits -which eliminate the dangers of those inside being trapped. Incidentally, these doors are also closed in foggy weather. When the decks and the accommodation regions are clear of passengers each man goes to his allotted lifeboat. So life continues on ship board. Liners arrive • from foreign parts; they linger only long enough to collect their shipments of cargo, and then they sail away. And the two or three hundred passengers making the trip marvel at the perfect organisation which enables them to cross the Atlantic, the Pacific or the Tasman in an atmosphere of gaiety and comfort, and in the shortest possible space of time.