Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-01-31
BLACK DIAMONDS.
The Coal Elevators and Tramways
OF nesers. Pack ~ e. To. al the Foot
OF Market Atrset.


The Coal Elevators and Tramways
OF Messrs. Packer e. 90. at the Foot
OF Market Atrset.
A LEDGER commissioner visited the
coal elevator Of II. B Packer & Co, at
the foot Of Market street, yesterday, and
witnessed the removal Of the black dia-
monds from the barges into the yard.
Some six barges that wintered below
Cairo and came down since the break of
the ice blockade lay alongside in front of
the company's coal yard. The barges
contain from twelve to fifteen thousand
bushels Of coal each. In order to get
rid Of the immense amount Of hauling
which coal has to pass throug Oh ere it is
transferred from the barge to the yard,
Messrs. Packer & &c. have erected an
elevator, or inclined plane, over which
box cara containing about ten barrels of
coal each are run up from the barges,
and are pulled by hosting engine to
where it is desired to dump the coal, The
old system in vogue and, indeed, the
present system at other yards, is TO move
the coal from the barEes to the yards by
hand, with men and bsrrows, q tedious
and necessarily expensive plan; but
Packer Il Co. have gotten rid of a large
amount Of this expense by using a
steam engine as a hosting power.
A wooden structure or framework,
like a railroad track and ironed,
is ei ested, reaching from the river bank
and upward far into the coal yard. A
floating dock is moorsd in front and the
frsme railway is extended to the dock,
along which dock trucks run on rails,
and these trucks convey the coal boxes
from the inclined plane railway to the
coal barges which are moored alongside
the floating dock. Whea the boxes are
filed they are run out TO the trucks,
which latter are rolled along the track to
the iDcliued plane. The rope which
comes over the rollers and along the in
clined plane is attached to the coal-box
and the steam engine is put to work.
The boxes are drawn up TO the top of
the plane, and there an iron slide at the
bottom Of the boxes is moved by one Of
the men, the bottom swings open and the
coal falls down into the yard. All this
saves labor, aud consequently saves
money! saving which ultimately bene
fits the consumer OF coal. In addition
to this enterprise Messrs. Packer & Co.
have also erected q coal elevator or in.
clined plane railway for the purpose of
loading coal into box-cars and supplying
railway engines with coal on the tracks
in front Of the coal yard. The coal
is shoVeled into boxes in the
yard and the boxes are run up
the inclined plane on to a platform,
and then the coal is let drop into a bin
which holds about one hundred bushels.
The railroad engines are run up il front
and a lsver" is sprung. The front part Of
the bin opens out and the coal drops into
the tender Ct the engine without any
more handling or trouble being neces.
sary. Packer & Co. ara thus enabled to
supply the railroad engines in a rapid
mAHner owing TO the facilities created by
the elevator. They propose making ar
rangements With the railroad companies
so that the citizens residing in the towns,
etc, along the lines If roads can be fur.
nished with coal by the car load, the box
or fat cars to be loaded from their ele.
vator aud transferred, without breaking
bulk, to the consumers 10 these towns.
This would be of great advantage to such
consumers, as it will enable them to get
coal at Memphis prices, with the addition
Of the cost of transportation, in bulk.
A large inland coal trade can in this
manner be created, one which will be
beneficial to all parties concerned, and
which will make Memphis q large coal
depot or center Of trade. The growing
scarcity Of wood aud its rapid increase
10 value will render it niece, sAry to run
coal trains over the different lines Of
roads extending from Memphis ere many
years have passed away. The uptown
office Of Messrs Packer & Go. is at No.
1872 Main street, Immediately north of
Washington street, where consumers can
obtain oil necessary information as TO
the price Of the black diamonds, and a
DO supplied with them to any amount.
We congratulate Mr.. Packer upon bic
enterprise 10 creating all the necessary
facilities to supply consumers with coal
al the lowest possible rates.