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) Y | . Italian-Built Steamer Milazzo Has Unusual Equipment for Discharging Cargo—Employs Cars and Elevators to Clear Hold ILAZZO, a freighter of M a new type, arrived in New York harbor July 1 on her maiden voyage. This vessel not only is said to be the largest ship in the world for freight alone, but she is fitted with unique equipment for rapidly unloading coal and grain, which she was specially designed to carry... She ar- rived in New York in ballast and is now loading at the foot of Thirty-fourth street, North river, with a general cargo, since, under present condi- tions, it is much more profit- able to carry a cargo of this character than to take on coal. or grain. This vessel is owned by the Navigazione Generale Italiana and was laid down in July, 1914, at the Fiat San Giorgio ship yards at Mug- giano, near Genoa and close to the Italian naval base at Spezzia. She was launched May 14, 1916, and is to be followed by VottrurNo, a_ sister ship which will be launched shortly. M1razzo is designed along lines which differ radically from those usually char- acteristic of freighters. The cargo hold of the ship is floored with steel plates which slope away from or toward the ‘sides of. the vessel. Thus the cross sec- tion of the hull, Fig. 1, shows that the cargo floor between the center of the ship and each side, takes the form of the letter “W”. Underneath each “W” are longitudinal tunnels, each of which is double-tracked. On these tracks are placed small cars. which are spotted, by hand, underneath small gate hoppers - through which coal or grain may be dis- charged from. the cargo hold as rap- idly as required. The cars are then pushed along the tracks to the bot- tom Of a shatt containing cable elevators. T he cables are at- tached to the cars and the - fatter lifted to the deck where they are dumpedinto chutes which dis- OF FIG. FIG. 2—MILAZZO IMMEDIATELY SAN GIORGIO SHIP YARDS AT MUGGIANO, ITALY jaa > al Pa SE VY ZZ p-4 1—CROSS SECTION SHOWING CONSTRUCTION MILAZZO’S HOLDS AND ELEVATOR SHAFTS. THIS FIGURE ALSO SHOWS THE METHODS OF DISCHARGING TO LIGHTERS AND TO THE SHORE AND SHOWS HOW BOOMS ARE SWUNG FROM THE ELEVATOR MASTS FOR HANDLING GENERAL CARGOES The _ shatts Operate are charge from the vessel. in which the: elevators divided below the deck into two branches, which command the two tracks in each tunnel. These shafts are of steel plate construction and are surmounted by tubular steel masts which are fitted with guides, and with triggers which automatically upset and discharge the cars as they are elevated to the proper level. The masts are provided with platforms to which the chutes are fixed. Each chute can be inclined at any desired angle, and it can be brought to any desired height above the deck by raising or lowering the steel masts. The ends of the chutes are hinged in order that they may be swung back to provide deck room when they are not being used. This system is the invention of Capt. AFTER LAUNCHING 290 MAY 14, By E. C. Kreutzberg Cavalieri Emilio Menada. Ele- vators of the Menada _ type previously have been installed on lighters in Italian harbors, and in the ports of Buenos Aires, Rio Janeiro and Dakar. Mitazzo is the first freighter to be equipped with them. The elevators on Muitazzo are 22 in number, 11 on each side of the vessel, and are provided with four cars each; the cars may be transferred from one tunnel to another by means of tracks on the deck which connect the elevator hatches. It is claimed that the slanting construction of the bottom of the hold is a great advantage in that it not only permits cargoes of bulk material to stow themselves when taken on but it prevents them from shifting during the voyage. The elevator’ system is said to be capable of unloading an entire cargo of 14,000 tons within 48 hours. The elevators are operated by steam winches and- these also raise and lower the steel masts to the required height. For: loading gen- eral cargoes, the steel masts are pro- vided with booms which may be swung up to project over the side. MiLazzo is commanded by Captain Cavalieri Simone Guli, formerly com- mander of VERoNA. Mzuazzo is 512 feet long, 65.8 feet wide and has a molded depth of 33.5 feet. Her displacement, when loaded, is 20,040 tons. Her gross tonnage is 11,477 tons, her net tonnage, 7,537 tons and she carries 1,500 tons of coal in her bunkers. She is equipped ‘with a quadruple expansion engine with capacity of 4,000 horsepower. She has. a single screw and is capable of mak- ing 11 knots an hour. Fiscal measures are under con- sideration by the Greek government which -. will: in- clude a tax cf 20 per cent on half the price, of the merchantmen which are _ sold during the present European war. AT THE» FIAT.