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60 the utilization of room that would be otherwise wasted in the designing of new vessels. This apparatus is in- tended to be put permanently into the vessels in which it is to be used and remain as a part of their regular equipment to be used in any port at which they may desire to coal. A feature of high importance in this ap- paratus is the high speed at which it can handle and efficiently distribute the coal delivered to it. This mat- ter of speed is not only an item of very great importance in the mercan- tile marine but of paramount import- ance in battle ships in time of war when the duration of their presence in a neutral port is so strictly limit- ed. Another item that might be over- looked by some, is the matter of the coal consumed by a vessel while ly- ing in port and which sometimes am- ounts from 80 to 100 tons. Here- tofore the cost of putting in this last increment just before sailing has been very high but with the Michener ap- paratus it will cost no more per ton than that of the earlier bulk coaling. Also it is obvious that with an auto- matic ,apparatus of this character coaling can be carried on at night or on holidays without any added ex- pense over ordinary daytime coaling. Wilbur M. Stone, mechanical en- gineer, of New York, has_ been closely associated with Mr. Michener in the work of developing the appar- -atus, Mr. Stone's wide experience as a consulting engineer and _ specialist in the bringing of mechanical ideas into practical shape, being of parti- cular assistance to the inventor in perfecting the device. Mr. Michener has applied for patents, some of which have been granted, both here and in the maritime countries abroad. The simplicity of the apparatus is a great point in its favor and one that meets with high commendation from the many practical men who have seen it. Officers.and directors of a number of the prominent trans-At- lantic lines sailing from New York and a number of chief engineers of their ships and superinténdents of their local docks, have inspected Mr. Micnener's model and have seen it perform its complete operation with real coal, from the time of commence- ment of delivery to the port hole, to the completion of trimming of all edges and corners of the bunkers, and that. entirely automatically, without any human handling of coal. The un- animity of commendation by these gen- tlemen representing the various de- partments of our great steamship Tae Marine REVIEW lines has been remarkable. The nor- mal attitude of such men when in- specting a new device of so radical a character is that of adverse criticism, but Mr. Michener, while requesting the frankest expression of opinion, as to objectionable features or failure to meet the requirements of the sit- uation, has had nothing but commend- ation. The Michener Stowage Co. is now at work building a full sized instal- lation for one of the large trans-At- lantic liners and which it expects to have installed in the course of a month or two. BELT CONVEYOR FOR SHIP- PING COAL. Messrs. Fraser & Chalmers, Ltd., of London, have recently constructed an interesting belt conveyor for de- 'livering coal to steamers alongside the Victoria Docks at Hull, from the designs of T. M. Newell, the chief engineer for docks of the North- Eastern Railway Company. This plant is illustrated here which is from a photograph supplied by the makers. In explanation it may be stated that the railway wagons which are provid- ed with bottom discharge doors, pass over an underground hopper situated at the land end of the pier alongside which the steamers are moored. A wide belt conveyor is placed under- neath this hopper and extends on to the pier at such an inclination that the head pulley of the conveyor over which the coal is discharged, is suf- ficiently 'high over the hatch of the steamers at the various tides to allow the coal to discharge into the hold. The length of the belt conveyor be- tween centers is about 400 ft. and the last 70 ft. are mounted upon an arm which may be swung in a ver- tical plane, so that the discharge point may be adjusted to any position with- in 24 ft. corresponding with the rise 'and fall of the tide. The coal is discharged over the PHOTOGRAPH OF BELT CONVEYOR FOR DELIVERING COAL TO STEAMERS.,