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Time Required to Load and Discharge Cargoes of Ships is All-Important Factor in Problem of Marine Terminal Design hes QUESTION as to what are and what will be the cargo handling methods and appli- ances best adapted to the conditions of the inland and ocean ports of the United States, should be answered in such a way as to be of applicable value to maritime interests. To re- duce a ship’s detention in the harbor to the minimum, a ship tied to the pier being a liability, not an asset; to obtain the greatest return from the marine terminal investments in piers, quays, machinery and buildings, and yet to reduce the port charges to such low figures that they will not be a burden on commerce; to change the present methods so that the cost of transference and of handling at ter- minals will not be, as it often is, more than the water carriage between the ports; these are objects of prime importance. It is not sufficient to describe isolat- ed and existing installations, which may not be those best adapted for ‘general service, but rather to trace the progress of improvements and to show the trend of development, and from. a presentation of this study, to make suggestions for standard methods and appliances. The high cost of the present methods cf handling miscellaneous cargoes and the time required to discharge and load vessels, in comparison with the results obtained at foreign ports, in- dicate the necessity for this study and recommendations. There are two general classes of cargo-transferring machinery — those on the ship and those on the shore. Cargo Classifications In general, two kinds of cargoes are handled; the miscellaneous, com- posed of merchandise of every de- scription, generally known in railway transportation as package freight; and bulk material, as ore, coal, sand and rock, and cargoes composed chiefly of one commodity, as lumber and cotton. This article will confine itself chiefly to the more advanced methods for handling miscellaneous cargoes, and will . describe in a _ brief manner the ore and coal and special com- modity appliances by means of ex- planatory illustrations. Some am- A paper read at the 1915 Engineering Con- gress, San Francisco. biguity appears to exist as to the use and meaning of certain words de- scriptive of marine terminal elements. For clearness the following definitions are suggested. For example, the word “dock” is sometimes used for the word “wharf” and also for the water slip where the vessel is berthed. Jit seems best, therefore, to use the word “slip” for water space between piers. The word “quay” is to signify the wharf parallel to the shore, and “pier”, a wharf projecting into the waterway. “Transferring” or “trans- FRONT -VIEW OF AN INLAND TER- MINAL SHOWING TRACKS AND CRANES ference” refers to the freight move- ments between the vessel and the shore, between the shed and the ware- house, or where there is one direct unbroken movement. “Handling” is the general term to indicate the movements upon the pier and quay, or in the shed or warehouse, includ- ing assorting, distributing and tiering. “Stowing” is the placing the cargo between decks, and “shed”, a build- ing, usually of one story, erected on the pier or quay, which is used in handling and temporary holding of cargoes and designated respectively 300 _railroad WS cs WN By H. McL. Harding the “trans-shipment” and the “transfer shed”. “Warehouse” is the name ap- plied to several stores placedto the rear of the shed. The function of the warehouse is for long freight storage and it is equivalent to a storehouse. “Burtoning”’ indicates shifting the weight of a draft, or the draft itself, from one fall rope to another. When the terminal is located along a comparatively narrow river, quays are constructed, but where’ broad water areas exist, piers are built, ex- tending into the waterway, either diagonally or at right angles to the shore line. The Marine Terminal The elements of a complete marine terminal consist of piers, slips, quays, tracks and various railway yards, sheds, warehouses, dray areas, open storage spaces, and often public markets, cold storage buildings, coal pockets and manufacturing lofts. There are also sheds and warehouses for special commodities. A modern terminal may comprise more elements, but these are enumerated so as to indicate the principal cargo move- ments. Between each of these ele- ments and the vessel and cars there may be at any time an interchange of freight. The following are the principal freight movements, or meth- ods, which require appliances: Between the ship and the open pier and the open quay and the shed or warehouse. Between the ship and other ships or vessels or transshipments. Between the ship and cars. Between the shed and the warehouse. Between the ship and dray areas. Between the cars and the terminal buildings. By following the course of one consignment in discharge, the possi- bility for improvement over existing methods is made clearer. The bale, box or barrel may be between decks at some distance from the hatchway, as in the lower hold of a tramp steamship. The hook of the ship's fall rope, suspended from one boom, is attached to the package, and the load is drawn to and up through the hatchway above the height of the ship’s rail, being then burtoned to the hook of another fall rope, sus- pended from a second boom, and low- ered upon a space of about 8 to 10 feet radius on the side of the pier. Two winches are required for these services, one on the ship and one on