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102. say, there is a large hopper space underneath, where coal is drawn out into bags or buckets and then hoist- ed in wells. The difficulty they met with, and which they had to over- come, was that the Welsh coal was a large lump, and would arch, and would not come out of the holes, and they had considerable difficulty in making it flow, because as soon as three or four lumps would fall, as they would after a while, around the opening, the coal, with the weight On top, would arch, so that- 'it was' almost impossible to get these lumps out. That condition was over- come after a while, but I will not at- tempt to say how. I do want to say, however, that I put this question to them--"Wlhy do you not use grabs?" They said they could not, and I in- sisted that they could. They kept at it, and I understand now that: they have overcome the difficulty and are able to use grabs. The same _ ship is now taking its coal from the bot- tom, it. is not dug out at the 'top, and the higher space is available for coal. They have conquered in the use of the grab buckets for Welch coal. I should like to know, in this in- stance, as to whether that danger. of archng of lumps to prevent its run- ning out occurs, and if it does, how they master it. ; Mr. Main: Mr. Miller is quite right. In looking at the ship. I found that the arching must have given them considerable trouble. They have rounded holes, about 1%4 inches in diameter. The vessel had a heating device for thawing this ore out. They have a thawing device throughout the bottom of the ship over each of these wells. A Visit to the Lakes. John: Reid: As a new member I am a little: difident about appearing so often before you, but this is a subject to which I have given con- siderable study, and perhaps I can give you a little entertainment in connection with it. In 1899 I came here for a steel firm to investigate the Carnegie arrangements for mining and shipping ore, and I have the most pleasant recollections of the kindness which I received at that time from the Brown Hoisting Co. and the Car- negie Co. on the lakes. When I went to Conneaut, at the suggestion of the Brown Hoisting Co., I saw the first of the hoisting machines, and it was smashed--it was an experimental one, and had 'broken down. It was thought by some people that it would never be a success, but that if it was 'rolling hatches, THE MarINE REVIEW a sticcess, it would be the machine of the day. In seeing the machine smashed, and the ship placed, I saw this section, not illustrated in the pa- per, close to the hatches, and with the large machine swiveling around, it was evident if the machine was to be a success, the design of the ship would have to be changed. I imme- diately reported to my people, and I said--that if they use these peculiar clam shells, they must put in a bulk- head to hold the ore up, to leave the cargo hold all open, with some form of hatch covering, which need not be mentioned at present, and big arch beams. That was in 1899, and that 'arrangement was patented by my friends, without my advice in the United States, and they thought they would get a cinch on the lake ship- ping, but they did not. Wolvin, in 1904, came out with this arrangement of hopper sides and later this was changed to this form (illustrating). which I think is about as perfect as possible. In fact, the whole opera- tion by which the ore is mined, shipped and carried is a most re- markable series of operations, per- haps the most remarkable series of operations of cargo handling in the world. Suggested Changes in Design. I think, however, if this hopper side was carried right up to the spar deck in tne line: "of the present hopper, that the structural character of the ship would be greatly improved, with a considerable increase in strength, with a girder running fore and aft; and fitted on top a series of so that the hatches might be rolled aside and a much larger space left for the grab, and we would then be able to get the grab away without swiveling. The Hulett machine must swivel around, in order to get the ore out of, the hatches. It rather restricts the ac- tion of the machine. The wunoading of this cargo is a most wonderful sight, I never saw anything person- ally which surprised me- more than this machine. I think the man who designed the machine and worked it up to its present condition of per- fection, mastering all the difficulties, is able to do anything. It is the most remarkable machine you can see anywhere in the world. T am not at all sure that Mr. Sher- idan is right, when he says that very little has 'been done in regard to package freight. That comes in all sizes, but I know on the lakes the package freight has been handled nicely by friction hoist, a shaft run- March, 1910 ning fore and aft along the hatches, and a man standing near the hatch to work the lever. Peculiarity of Spanish Ore, I know something about Swedish ore, because I have had to handle it --this ore is blasted out the same as rock is blasted, and you get enor- mous pieces. You cannot handle it with a grab and you cannot handle Spanish ore like that, as it comes in a peculiar form, and it is so long at sea, coming from Spain, that it gets | into a solid mass, and must be broken with a pick. No grab can enter it properly, as it gets consolidated. It is practically impossible under these circumstances to use the grab bucket. Chairman Capps: Gentlemen, you have heard Mr. Sheridan's paper, and the additional information which we have received in the discussion; I am sure that you will all agree with me in extending the thanks of the society to Mr. Sheridan for his valuable pa- pers. Parker H. Kimball: Mr. Chairman, it occurred to me, not as a discus- sion on Mr. Sheridan's paper, but as a matter of information to those in- 'terested in the subject of automatic handling of ore, that within the past few months there was a paper pre- sented before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers giving the power curves for the Hulett unloader, in unloading ore at Gary, and it oc- curred to me that the members might like to know where to get the power data. Structural Rules for Ships. - James Donald's paper on. 'Struc: tural Rules for Ships" was , then read 'by EE. Ht. Rige. ~In 1907 the United States Standard Association through its chief surveyor, Sinclair Stuart, proposed that amendments to the existing rules of the association should be drawn up. A' committee was appointed and Mr. Donald was delegated. to prepare a new set of rules. Unfortunately before they could be approved, Mr. Stuart died. In order that the work might not be lost, Mr. Donald thought it wise to submit the rules in the form of the paper to the society. Mr. Rigg in abstracting Mr. Donald's paper said: The idea of the second section is to try to subdivide vessels likely to be built in the United States into suitable divisions for readily obtain- ing the necessary scantlings, etc. suitable to every trade. In section 3 an attempt has been made to draw up a table of draft, or free board, which would meet the re-