THE STOKEHOLE SERVICE.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 94, 11 September 1896, Page 4

THE STOKEHOLE SERVICE.

They that go down to the sea in ships may be divided into two classes — those who are comfortable on board a vessel and those who are not. The latter class is so thoroughly saturated with the notion of marine discomfort that they take everything that comes as being only higher or lower on the dreadful scale of salt-water existence; the world of selfish isolation in their own miseries enfolds them utterly. Even with the other class a selfishness greater than is exhibited on shore makes itself apparent on board the luxurious liner, and the most comfortable chair, the cosiest nook, the undivided attention of the pleasantest companion, is made a subject of competition and of rivalry. Sometimes, however, when the best that can be got is obtained, when the awning throws a grateful shadow, and the flitting steward brings the brandy and soda, cool with its floating lumps of ice ; when the air is drowsy with heat, and languor is the only expression of happiness, somehow the attention is aroused, and a wave of pity disturbs the serenity of the lordly passenger's repose, aa he

sees emerge suddenly on the lower deck a smutty, greasy, half-naked figure, shining with sweat, panting for breath, gasping for air. The thought flashes across the lazj p iniud, " "What a hell of heat and misery must be down there where that poor beggar has come from, among the smell of oil on heated bearings, the clouds of floating coal-dust, the white blaze from furnace doors suddenly thrown open, into which the fuel is being madly hurled ! What can life be worth in such an existence as that, and with such a method of earning one's bitter bread P " These thoughts, that are even reminiscences to many of üb, are brought vividly before the mind on looking over the report made by the British Board of Trade Committee on the manning of merchant ships. The first part deals with training ships, able seamen, &0., and we shall have something to say concerning this part of the report another time. We wish, however, to call attention to the recommendation of the Committee in regard to firemen on steamers. They recommend as follows : — " That a fixed minimum scheme of manning should be prescribed for the stokehole service on board cargo-carry-ing steamers; that the weight of coals consumed per day is the best available measure of the amount of work to be done in the engine-room ; that the trimming and firing of three tons of coal per man per day should be the maximum work required of the stokehole staff in temperate climates (excluding the Home trade), and two and a-half tons when trading in tropical waters; that the consumption of coal per day should be notified to the firemen and trimmers when signing on, and at all times afterwards when required ; that it should be made illegal to withdraw men from the prescribed minimum staff of the stokehole for service in the engine-room, or for other purposes ; that ' field-days,' i.e., days on which the engine-room and stokehole are washed and painted by the firemen before reaching port, are the cause of much dissatisfaction, and should, if possible, be avoided." These suggestions seem to us to be practical, and worthy of consideration, not only by the directors of our steam shipping companies, but by the Governmental authorities. That • such recommendations should be necessary implies a state of things of a most undesirable character. Can it be possible that when a fireman or stoker is engaged he is not allowed to know whether he is supposed to stoke two tons or five tons of coal a day ? That, if some of the stokehole staff are removed to the engine-room, the same amount of work has to be performed by the diminished number as would be executed by the original staff — that is, by those who we may be sure were 1 not too numerous at first ? That, besides the daily toil, whose unpleasantness we have attempted to describe, the extra duty of washing and painting the engine-room and stokehole in their heated state and with the machinery in motion, is expected from firemen, &c. ? If so, it is indeed time that the attention of those in authority be called to the subject, and that some attempt be made to ameliorate the lot of men whose existence is so largely made 'up of danger, toil, and discomfort, upon whose courage and strength the safety of our commerce and of thousands of precious lives must often largely depend, and for whom a little timely thought and kindly consideration will neither be thrown away nor received with ingratitude.