The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-30
SIGHTS ON THE wHARvss.
Acres of Freight and an Army Of Men
at Work.

| at Work.
| 1t is worth while 10 pay a visit to the
Ocean Steamship Company's wharves. Such
activity can only be comprehended after
witnessing it. as a MORNING News re-
porter did yesterday The immense sheds
were damned with freight, and wagons,
loaded and unloaded, found it difficult 70
get through the stuff piled up on every
! side, or to avoid the steady stream Of the
wharf men trundling trucks loaded with
cotton and other freight. half dozen
tracks, with trains receiving and discharg-
ing freight, and three steamers loading,
made the scene lively one. People had to
elbow their way through the sheds with
! difficulty.
Interviews with three or four well-posted
officials warrant the statement that taking
| in the guano and lumber sheds, fully 2,OJ0
men are employed about the wharves, and
more than ], 800 trucks are kept constantly
| on move.
ave moved 3,733 bales Of cotton on Non
day. said Capt. BJulineau, Tin addition to
the pig iron, naval st1res, lumber, guano
| and general IA erchendise."
On the wharf where the Gate CITY was
| loading for Boston 10 was almost impossible
| to get along the army of truckmen load
| ing cotton, and the same activity was
noticeab e at the City of Augustus wharf,
i where she vas taking on her ca go for New
York, and the Dessoug for Philadelphia
took all she could carry out.
Extensive improvements are being made
in the Ocean Steamship property. a per-
feet net work of tracks has Sheen
built between Wadley street and the canal,
aud other tracks are being laid. The lagoon
Just south of the main sheds, and between
Canal and WadIey streets, is being filed up
preparatory 70 extending the tracks to the
Sheds in the south. The guano shed, which
went down last spring, is being rebuilt, and
a portion of it is under cover. The floor
hes been laid, and portion OF the roof has
been timed.
Bales of cotton cover acres Of yards and
sheds, aud ceas less, tireless army Of men
is busy from daylight until long after mid
night, the clerks being kept at work during
the busy season as late as 2 o'clock in the
morning.
The freight comes and goes, and goes and
comes. There was freight by steamer yes
terday for points as far west as Salt Lake
City, Utah, which was being loaded on
cars for far western shipment.
Occasionally freight train came in loaded
with freight for ocean transportation, and
as it blocked up the passage way, there
would be blockade of wagons and trucks
on the River street platform, south of the
main sheds, reaching for 100 yards or
more.
"How many trucks are running on the
wharvesr was asked one of the officials.
"Over 800" was the reply.
A machinist was riveting the bolts in
big consignment of new cotton trucks, aud
when asked why this was necessary he
pointed TO lot of ''cripples," showing that
it is necessary TO rivet the bolts which unite
the iron and frame work to lengthen the
life Of the trucks. They weigh 800 pounds
each, it having been found that no truck
lighter than that will stand the rough
usage to which it is subjected, and two
men are kept busy repairing the trucks
"No white man will handle them long,
said the machinist "a few of them try it,
but they soon tire of it. Nothing but the
powerful muscle of the colored wharf hand
can handle the trucks, aud the colorsd
hands have certain sleight which enables
them to manage them with ease"
Four ships week to New York, one to
Boston aud one to Philadelphia keep all
hands busy, for a vessel is unloaded as soon
as she comes in, and the work is hardly
completed Def re the work of loading is
begun. II the visit of the members of the
general assembly should fall on ouch a busy
day as yesterday was it will be a genuine
surprise to the up oou trymen, who will
Il ID such a rush of business as almost to
stagger belief