The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-11-05
LOADING A BIG SHIP.
AN INTERESTING SPECTACLE AT A
NEW YORK WHARF.
Word About Ilghters-The Work Of .
stevedore-iI0w tho Loading of Vessel
IN Conducted - Shipping Merchandise.
Heavy Bodies Handled with Ease.

Stevehore-IIOw the Loading of u Vesse
IL Conducted shipping Merchandise
Heavy Bodies Handled with Ease.
A petroleum broker gets word from firm
N Valparaiso, Chilli that it wants 5000 gal
''ns Of best refined petroleum, but can pay
only % cents gallon, delivered He goes OF
Change and finds that the best he can do is t
get his oil from New York company at /,
cents After talking with this ship agent ant
that he chooses the most advantageous term
which he can find, which are cents gallon
for fleightage. Next he consults an ilisur
ance broker and affects an insurance upor
his petroleum at rate which amounts t.
q cent per gallon. This leaves him profit
OF y cents gallon, or S75 for his morn
ing work.
Meanwhile the order is being carried out
The oil is in the company's works ut Hunter.
Point, making that delectabe locality obi
ously odorous. A lighter is sent for it and
tho 5000 gallons put on board. This oil
may be packed in two different ways-in or.
binary barrels or in tin cans holding five gal
Ions each, two of which are boxed in a ''case'
of thin wood. This latter method of packing
is employed mainly for fancy brands. a
word about lighters: They are broad, blunt
nosed, sloop rugged boats, all deck except I;
little hole of a cabin, and used about the har-
Dor for the transportation Of merchandise to
and from vessels at anchor, or from wharf to
wharf They are thoroughly Unlocking, al
ways in the way, and only to be excused for
existing on the score Of their great usefulness.
The lighters are on the rivers what the carts
are on the streets.
LADING THE VESSEL.
The oil safely aboard, the jolly captain and
his jolly crow Of one set their sail and bowl
along at snail's pace down the East river
until they heave alongside the Valparaiso
ship Then the jolly captain sticks his pipe
in his hatband and the loading of the oil be-
gins. A huge double pulley, technically
known as block, is suspended between the
mastheads just over the hatchway, and
through it is reeved rope long enough to
reach to the deck of the lighter on one side,
and, through second block attached to the
planking, to stationary engine on the
wharf on the other side. On board the vessel
itself a staging is arranged, level with the top
Of the bulwarks and reaching to the edge of
the hatchway, and then the men descend
perilous and shaking ladders and disappear
deck. The oil is now in charge of the steve
dore-a man who makes business of loading
and unloading vessels, hiring such laborers
as he needs from the crowds of men hanging
about the wharves waiting for such chance to
earn dollar, and who are called 'longshore-
men. All 'being ready the men Oh the lighter
pile up eight or ten boxes in double tier,
pass around them fold of rope called
sling, and attach the iron hook at the end of
the tackle the man ON the dock whistles
shrill "Go ahead" to the engineer, whose
drum rapidly winds up the rope until the
slingful of boxes swings over the deck, when
it is seized by brawny arms and guided over
the hatchway, when, obedient to the signal,
"Let go!" the engineer permits his drum to
fly back, and the burden drops like shot to
the tune Of "Stand from under!' There the
tackle is quickly unlocked, an empty sling
sent up, and then the boxes are rapidly
slowed away. their number having been re-
corded by the shipping clerk in his memo
randum book.
The object to be attained-the absolute
necessity-in slowing is to present all jostling
between articles of the largo, and the boxes
IF oil are crowded in sidewise, any way to
hold them tightly together, every crevice be-
ng filled with wooden wedges, so that there
shall not be the least movement. By this time
,he men above have filled another sling, the
whistle sounds again, the tackle creaks, the
yo-he-e-ye, oh-stand from un-n-n-der |" is |
heard, and down comes another dozen cases
o help fill the belly of the insatiate monster.
When all the boxes are in the hold, the officer
II charge of the ship fills out the form OF a re-
eipt called "bill of lading" This is sent to
he Office Of the owners of the OIL and if found
orrect, several copies are signed by the cap
ain-one for himself, kept by the ships
'wners another for the shipper, and a third,
It least, to be sent to the consignees in Valpa-
also as guide to their part Of the transac-
ION, for the freightage is paid ordinarily
pon delivery of the consignment rather than
n advance.
OTHER MERCHANDISE.
The process above described is substantially
hat used in loading whatever be the mer
handise shipped. The main features
cross the decks, broad gangplanks hung over
he ships side to prevent marring her paint,
block tackle and steam engine to
7ind it or or horse power to walk away with
), men to manage the great weight swung
bout so easily by the tackle-these are al
rays present, and only the details vary If
arrels or the cylindrical iron cases in which
austic soda and other chemicals are packed
re to be lifted there are attached to the end
the hosting rope two iron arms with
lrved ends, like half-closed fingers which
utch the chains; but often three or
our barrels or heavy hogshead Of tobacco
r sugar are put in sling. Bales Of cotton,
ags, jute, mating, ETC., are clutched on OPP
osite sides by graphing hooks similar to
lose used in handling ice, which dig into
leir soft sides; but this will not do for bales
cloth, upon which you see printed the
arning: use no hooks" Iron rails are
aught with clamps just in the middle, and,
cling thus balanced, are easily guided by one
ian, end foremost, through a little door in
le side Of the vessel, and landed on hand
uck, whence they are again swung to their
sting place by tackle coming down through
e hatchway. Railroad iron is much used
# ballast in departing ships. 1t lies dead
eight, several layers deep, down in the bot
m of the hold, and the floors of each of the :
wer decks are usually paved with a double
yer of it, upon which the other cargo is
id. If the merchandise over it is light the
ills are fastened down by cross ties of tim
II.
The ease with which exceedingly heavy S
dies are handled by the stevedores men is t
The hatchways are often just