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26 TAE Marine REVIEW HOW OVERSEA SHIPMENTS ARE PACKED. In the following report Special Agent Crist, writing with an evident lack of complete understanding of the from Tientsin, the great commercial depot of north China, strain to which breakable goods are subjected in transit describes at "TAE. Marine. REVIEW 27 containing 10 sheets. These boxes, or cases, were con- structed of three-eighths wood on the sides and five- eighths-inch on the ends. The wood .was entirely too light in weight and, being of soft pine, was subject to fracture on very slight jar or strain. The sheets of glass were evidently laid in the boxes with loose hay. Hay length the Man met in which goods are packed in this _. country, how received at their desti- nation, a id furnishes illus- trations which give emphasis to his descrip- tion, and which can not fail to convince Am- erican manu- facturers and exporters of their deficien- dies "tin this particular: as well ase: ime press the gen- etal reader with the cor- rectness and the forceful- ness of charges that have been so frequently made and to this market. In one instance, by a slight oversight, an reiterated by our consuls and agents relative to American automatic piano player barely escaped complete destruc- methods in dealing in foreign markets. tion. There - 4s probably no ! FIG. I.--CASE GOODS. WOODEN CASE DESTROYED IN TRANSIT, the sides of the boxes from blows and knocks, but thick enough to disguise the presence of the box, and having no' strength to sustain weights independent of the slight support given by the fragile box it would have been far better if there had been no such covering and the boxes had been shipped bare, with the cautionary signs usual in shipments | of glass or other fragile com- modities. Had this been done the boxes would have been stowed in places on shipboard to sure their safety. Instead of that in all likelihood they were: placed with: | 'other baled _. and sacked 'cargo, and from the appearance of the glass; it parent other sacks had been placed on top of them. Under 'IN LINING PARTIALLY DESTROYED. FIG. 2.--CASE GOODS SHOWING CONDITION UPON ARRIVAL. FIG. 3.--CASE GOODS, might have been sufficient if it had been securely woven about each. separate sheet of glass. Each box was then carefully wrapped in more hay and the whole encased CONDITION UPON ARRIVAL, the most favorable con- ditions these boxes could not have withstood the weight of a single bale of ptece goods, and if several thousand pounds of flour sacks should have been loaded after the eight sacks of one thing to which Amer- ican expo:t- ers can give their attention that would bring better returns than that of pack- ing. As a gen- eral proposi- tion the wood of which they construct their cases' is too light in weight.--- Where one- half-inch © stuff is required they will use three - eighths. If t-inch stuff will insure safe delivery Eng- lish and Ger- a glass had been placed in the ship's hold the weight would have com- pletely crush- ed them. At any stage of the. transtt these goods were liable to destruction,and it is -- impos- sible to state at what stage they were de- stroyed. Up- on opening two. of .-the sacks the box- es were found the contents utterly de- stroyed. There FIG. 4.--CASE GOODS, CONDITION UPON ARRIVAL. man exporters use that thickness, while many Americans select a three- quarters or seven-eighths thickness. Two cases in point have been brought to my attention within the past few days which showed that the utmost thought, attention, and care had been expended upon the details of packing, but The first instance was that of a shipment from a west- ern manufacturer of window glass. This lot comprised eight packages of Opaque or figured window glass in wooden boxes. From the. invoice there had been. ap- parently, 80 sheets of glass placed in flat boxes, each box FIG. 5.--CASE GOODS ANIJWALES OF AMERICAN GRAYS. in a gunny sack. oo , There was no marking upon the sacks to indicate their contents; and upon ordinary examination they appeareal to contain only hay, straw, or other indestructible merchan- The covering of hay was not thick enough to shield dise. FIG. 6.--JAPANESE YARNS. CONDITION UPON ARRIVAL. was not a piece of glass left larger than possibly 8 or 9 inches in length, with jagged edges, and varying from one inch to four or five inches in its greatest width. The other instance to which reference is made is a "piano player" from an eastern manufacturer. This ma- was quite ap-- crushed and,