New-York tribune., 1880-02-22
LOADING SHIPS WITH GRAIN.
SAFE AND UNSAFE METHODS IN USE.
TIVE CAUSES OF MANY DIsAsTERs-HOw GRAIN MAI
Rr KEPT FROM SHIFTfNG.

81 OOO OoO has awakened considerable interest among
shippers and shp-owners Tue question as To no" gram
should be carried-whether In bulk OF III baGsahu s "
the manner OF loading and stOwiug 1t IN vessels ""s
heen much discussed. British shipOwncrs Insurance
oo,,n,nies and Members of Parliament have also re-
Gently awakened the necessity OF taking som" "c1o
Messrs Pnmsoll HamoBd and other members OF fai-
uament having had their attention called I" 'e sIe"
loss OF life and property Occasioned by the iouhoeH
grain-aden vessels upon their VOYAGES from Vhe |"''O
States 10 Europe will make an effort In the present
SION TO put au end TO the carrying of grain cargoes III
III Tho remedtes pointed out are first special surveys
~ order o the Board Of Trade secondly the stowaee o
grain IN bags. .. ~, ,,o
Bureau Veritas Mr.. Parker, OF the American Sh'p""s
1ers' Associations vessel inspectors shp-o"hcrS' s"'
apco men and Others interested in this question: nave
h,,ncht mt some suggestions 10 remedies Whieh
might overcome the present difficulties. lew persons
express the opinion that the only right and proper way
OF shipping grain is in bags, but thus, In the "pno" "
others considerable expense over Othet i''uo
which are equally good The principal ooecuohS " ~
Use Of bags are these They generally n"de OF poor
maternal are seved by machinery ard rip easily 20 that
when slowed away grain leaks out as soon as tue
loosened bags begin to slift aud tumble ABOUT ehud-
eeltng both shp aud cargo. Their first cost "heh INC
bar Is supposed hold about three buSheis Il 42 ccS
eaeh tho sewing after filling costs cent oaH ""
the additional handling from IS TO 20 per cent more
,hon the trimming of bulk grain On each voyage the
bag. ecome smaller owing to the practice OF cutting on
the tugs so that the bag generally lasts "oouV 'nic
VOYAGES Another objection TO the baSgne OF u "hoc
grain cargo that, In the face of great compeon INC
rates of freight low that grain exporters from 'no
limited States would discriminated against by oIhr
oo,,tr,es winch hermit grain to be carried In hulk
Grain 4, often carried both in bulk and bags on the
same vessel but 1t is claimed That such c"goes are "
dangerous as the grain is entirely In boK u'eSs
The vessel is properly celed and provided with strong
shiftug boards The custom Is to load the Vesse TWO
thirds fun with buk grain, and then pnt ayer OF TWO
nj hags on ton These bags. account or the narrow
space allotted hcm must be slowed away pJ heh oh
their hands and knees and under these cHcuS''"00S
the showers are hurried that the WORK CANNOT pe s
isfactouly perioImed tits claimed by some that tne
LAYER or Two OF prevents the bulk grain from sh
inc bodily and that even II the bags should rip nof
oil c ain would leak OUT and further, that the bags
would SO adhere to each other that umultuous siit
ing of cargo such as might occur with bulk gram
would be prevented
II wasaiso claimed that II greater were taken
T., the loading grain there would not he so much dan
GER on vessels 500 and GOO tons as there Is how IL
a. customary when grain loaded In bulk to have an
elevator at each hatch, where II is shot INTO the eSe
like stream of water, without giving Tune ior 'he r
10 escape whereby the cargo Is prevented from seItnS
or permittng 1t to be trimmed properly Attention was
called TO The fact that the percentage OF losses OF laan
xesses s less than that OF those under any other nag
This ia due 10 the great attention paid by the masters OF
those vessels to oading They VIII not ahO" INC Nesso
10 be filed up once, but check the loading Wheh Tue
hold Is not more than twohrds full, aud allow the air
10 escape and the grain settle Where this not done
and the vessel goes Immediately TO sea, let the shhs
hoar he ever so good the moment the least motion Is
given TO the vessel the begins TO SHIFT Admitting
that the captains Uf vessels experienced navgatOs
aud men of high character II s stated that many ol
them have an imperfect knowledge touching the relation
~ cargo TO the ship the frequent cause OF loss OF
virc I'm
A. an illustration II is stated that vessel leaving port
takes a certain tack according TO the direction aha
pYn will seek its level, aud tben settIe ana PaSA
down that side OF the vessel ylng over HEh ,t ns
wind and thus the equilibrium Is destroyed. IN tns
c,uditioa the vessel might encounter hcdNy weather.
when the danger the centre Gi gIns @ ri neiH dnr
ing the first fOrtyeiEht hours Her taEihE port suCH
danger would. IN part. have been avoided. ,,,,,
surveyors who recently Ia TINS country Oh touI
OF inspection that many vessels engaged IN thc Ate
t,de anous sh not deficient III strength are yet nom
their dimensions. proportion anu typc, % ai1 I' tl
ness OF engine power, not suitable 10 coheIH WIN ti
nc storms. Many o; tne steamers en;a&eu ~ t"e Aa
lie freight trade also bIt On speculation ana are
not adapieG for the Work hey are r. qru 70 a. In
,lajnts are also made that many oil them are WaIeI-
ballast tOats anu poI '' "a ,,tr 1n c1rry lorrer
compartments are pumped Out III oIHe' 10 10 oi1 " t
onout of cargo WRen tAcse vessels get 10 sed the}
are discovered TO b. "cranty' QEey 10 caFeehI III
CidcF % obyatc tls tbc "d'ti 'o. . ,il o -
led Which sinks the vessel foot deeper tDah WAcn
sLS et o'.i She al" - them too s and VIII ride
seas cusny Macy Of the recently punt steamers are
20
tom must b. filed with water or other BALLAST 10 MAKE
men ~ 81, c@p" is The loading of British vessels to
,le ..pnsoll load me" which painted circle Win
zonta bar tnrOngh IT, seen GA tn5 sldes Oh D.su
vessel and dc ig1atIng the Daxnuh 0Faugbt OF Wate
II ireOuc!y occurs that when tne vessel is loaded H
per tnis line, aud the survey Cepnc2d ava lii r
E ON deck several hundred barrels OF Hour or deck
load Of cattle TGH W' about bout the ng Of the Sge
pumus Ii SAID ha, In most Vesses WheFe theic Is
da"ger Of the pumps becoming cholcd with grain tao
,rn.u Is small that II 70 lDpOsslbe lOI 70
lct iao to clean II ont In 0lher cases "oA Is b
around pump we'll and leading 20 t1s Is an inclhcu
SLIME opening al The after hairb TINS often becomes
s. flied with foul air for which thcre Is 10 escape at
no one he sent into win saiey; nence II s @
10, Inc ul.pO.e designed. OdC of the dangers oi INC
pumps becoming chokel due 10 The peculiar methods
wavr Against side of the ship boards are naled TO
fr shp ana the ceiling TO permit the foul air TO es-
cane from the blgeS, and the wafer lOr any c"h 70
avod the cal SO Tue ends OF the boards overlap eaC
othrr In some cases the upper ends Overlapping on tc
fnside and in the lower cnds on Tue hsu'
n5 'nS IseT TO separate Where the lower ends of
tle boards overlap II Is claimed there Is IeSs llaDliy
UaJfY thai 1t VIII get wet from water which may iol
low along ne upper boards damaglnE lne gtlh ana anr
boards overlap. although there s Io danger from WaeI
getting - The gram yCt tne TLS @ may rf nd INTO he
poto OF The snip. thus endangerhS the WORKING ol inc
IA stated that many of the gran-carryg vessels arc
nov. beiug f.tted with boxes or compartments WIN
capacity for 5000 10000 bushels and where vessels
sT but i'm this way grain is safe oher caTeocs;
I'm, iAcre Is 10 safety III temporary bulhGeads new
mrfbod called diagonal tuikheuds has been devised -
Am American shipper. which, u IS cal4eo is tt Sutt
49,, fhus lar put into II is SIMPLY permanent
bughcd which runs along the vessel on NE uc OF the
keel tue edge OF the upper uech EatcA 10 'c s'S
OF Lo vessel, we sIOItd 0u be th s,0eN o. an "e o.
eog b. fron the deck thus forming ituncWt .}I4-
md This. II is asserted. oveToomes al tenCeAcy TO
80 onrn lie WATERWAYS is The cese where TIE
grain Is filed up 20 the SIDES Of hc vessel ana oS!D
n;cs The pressure equally around ihe b-e OF lhe SIR
- the vt thus loaded rolls, the body oi gram WhIc
SHIFTS rom side side s 50 small tldl tLe soD9 ~.
the sip cannot be destroyed Another sys,em, upon
the same pTincipe, ana vcG has the sam" eicct U.s.
series of shutters hinged near TIE mdsp sec ION 0l c
nnpcr deck ana running along the Inc OF the KCo Be-
,nt automatic IN theT operation they re1oiate tLeh.
selves with the settling OF The grain. Ihe hrsl cost OF
iIee is about the the first cost OF the Dags ana
moi Ony IS there additional expense III tnel US a'e
vnvares interfere with no other class Oi