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Dayton cog-belt drive with a reduc- ~ tion ratio of a little over 2.5 to 1, which in turn gives the unloader belt a speed of approximately 1800 feet per minute. The motor is controlled from the boom of the vessel by a cross-the-line starter. Since the load of the unload- er is governed by the amount of ma- terial carried by the boom conveyor, no speed adjustment is necessary. The unloader is mounted on the boom end and so pivoted that it can be raised out of position when nec- essary. This is accomplished by means of a Stephens-Adamson hand winch located on the boom. Under normal conditions the material would drop from the end of the boom con- veyor, but with the unloader in place, the material drops upon the moving belt of the unloader, which throws it away from the boom to a distance of 30 to 50 feet. This method, in real- ity, gives the equivalent of 35 feet extra boom, at a greater saving in weight and operation. At the same time, it increases the facilities of sand and gravel storage piles. _ This type of equipment is adaptable to present freighters, sand and gravel boats or land systems, where existing boom conveyors are inadequate and the expense of longer booms is not justified. The unloader is relatively lighter in weight than the extra length of boom, is flexible in its op- -eration and relatively inexpensive to operate. The accompanying illustrations which were furnished through the courtesy of the Stephens-Adamson Co., will give some idea of the ap- pearance of the units and their meth- od of operation. The Todd Shipyards Corp. recent- ly added to the equipment of its Clinton plant in Brooklyn, facilities for supplying vessels with 200-225 volt direct current. This service is available 24 hours a day and is of sufficient capacity to take care of all ‘‘in port’’ operations. 38 Recommend Measures To Reduce Fire Hazards Fires in piers and wharves involve an average loss of between $100,000 and $200,000 per fire, compared with an average loss per fire in all classes of property of approximately $1000, according to statistics compiled by the committee on piers and wharves of the National Fire Protection as- sociation. Recommended measures to reduce this disproportionately high fire haz- ard were outlined by Charles H. Fischer, New York consulting engi- neer and chairman of the N.F.P.A. technical committee on piers and wharves, before the thirty-fifth an- nual meeting of the association in Toronto May 11 to 14. The report of the committee, which he present- ed for ratification, was based on sev- eral years’ study of the problem, and embodied a number of revisions in the N.F.P.A. code of standard regu- lations for pier and wharf construc- tion. The recommendations included non-combustible construction, com- plete automatic sprinkler protection, and the restriction, of areas open to the sweep of fire, with particular em- phasis on the subdivision of under- deck space where wooden piling may be used. The modern type of steel and concrete pier with steel columns and girders is now accepted as good practice when provided with stan- dard automatic sprinkler protection, the previous requirement for con- 'erete or other fireproofing for steel members being waived. Among the many typical fires studied by the committee in the for- mulation of its report was the fire in the Rhode Island state pier in Providence, which occurred on Feb. 25. The superstructure of this pier was equipped with sprinklers, but the fire originated in the wooden pil- ing where it could not be reached by hose streams. After five or six UOTNVTYUQUVUNSUTEUUEUUILUTEL NGG tN Heavy Duty Box Car Loader Used as a Thrower on the End of the Boom Conveyor on the 8S. 8. Fred W. Green ULCTUSUUL2SUTTOLAUTEUUTUULAT TUE MARINE REvIEw——J une, 1931 hours the piling burned through and the superstructure collapsed with qa resultant total loss estimated at $500,000. The recommendations are made to eliminate such losses. Many Applications Are Received by Academy Before the passage of the Jones- White act, which is doing so much to rebuild the American merchant ma- rine, L. F. Loree, then president of the chamber of commerce of the state of New York, and C. T. Gwynne, executive vice president of that body, analyzed the American merchant ma- rine situation and found that it would do little good to build up a modern merchant marine without providing facilities for a modern edu- cation in the merchant marine pro- fession. The nautical schools then engaged in this education were anti- quated, inadequate and poorly sup- ported. Under Mr. Loree’s leader- ship the chamber of commerce has reached the following decisions: 1. The name of the New York State Nautical school should be changed to New York State Mer- chant Marine academy to define more clearly its mission (this has been done). 2. A modern ship should be pro- vided for training purposes to en- able the cadets to gain a more thor- ough knowledge of modern ship op- eration (this is now being effected by the governor of New York in co- operation with the navy department. The Newport will soon be replaced by the U. S. S. Emprre States, a mod- ern cargo carrier provided with am- ple quarters for cadets). 3. That a shore base should be provided with proper dormitories, class rooms, laboratories, modern electrical, radio and steam equip- ment, ship and boat basin and ath- letic facilties; and that this base should be close to New York in or- der that the student body may re- ceive practical instruction in cargo handling, engineering overhaul, ete., on ships at New York piers. The governor has made requests for a portion of Fort Schuyler on the East river and the chamber of commerce is actively engaged in the work of obtaining this greatly needed acade- my base. 4. The chamber of commerce, well knowing the federal policy of not entering the educational field to educate young men for private pro- fessional careers (at West Point, Naval academy and Coast Guard academy the students are trained for careers under federal employment and not for private commercial em- ployment) supported the develop- ments of the present state marine schools to meet modern require- ments.