The Opelousas courier., 1889-11-02
SHIPS In THE HARBOR
FIVE HUNDRED VESSELS ANCAoh
AT NEW YORK IN A MONTH.

How They Secure a Place for Onioao-
iuo-In the Hands OF Revenue IN
misunderstanding Out the Cargo.
Pretty nearly five hundred vessels OF
gil sizes, RIGS, tonnage and make-vessels
propelled by steam and vessels propeileu
bv wind-fnd an anchorage n tins har'
hor in one week. These vessels, repre-
senting every industry imaginable and
valued at millions of dollars, come anu
20 almost unknown, save to the few hun
bred directly interested In their existence.
All these vessels find berths in this port,
which is second to none in the world, I'M
load their cargoes under tho Watchtul
ewes of Uncle Sans agents, the United
States Treasury agents, better known as
Custom Inspectors, ship a new cargo, or
mayhap only take on ballast, receive their
clearance papers from the Custom House.
and in a few hours leave the port OF New
York far astern; the only notice of their
departure and arrival made by the daily
press being the name of the vessel, Its
Captain, consignee and destination.
When an agent of an incoming sailing
vessel or tramp steamer-that is, a
steamer not belonging to any company
owning a pier-has been notified by tele-
graph from Sandy Hook that his vessel
has been sighted, he hurriers to the Dock
DEPARTMENT, secures the lease OF a certain
pier, telegraphs to the Hook the number
of the pier secured, his Captain is signaled
that fact from the Western Union tower
at the Hook, and the vessel proceeds to
this city. Before arriving here she has
to undergo several ordea!s. The first IS
at Quarantine. On coming alongside OF
Fort Wadsworth the tug Preston, with
| Health Officer Smith or one of his assls-
tants aboard, ranges alongside the
| steamer.
The Captain meets the doctor, who asks
him o number of questions regarding the
health of his crew II passengers, the port
he came from and the general health
there.
These formalities over, and providing
that the Captain can show a ''clean bill
! of health" as the health statement is
termed, the steamer continues on to this
city. She will not have proceeded far
when three shrill toots of a steam whistle
will cause her Captain to slow her up. A
small tug flying the colors of the United
States Reven0 Marine is the signaller
A line is thrown to the small boat from
the steamer, a hawser run out by its aid,
and as soon as the two boats are made
fast a boarding officer climbs aboard by
means of a rope ladder let down by the
steamers crew. The vessels manifesto
Is given to the boarding officer, w inn
nediately regains the tug. One igpector
Is then sent aboard, if the boat is only a
freight steamer, two if she has passen-
gers. The lines are then cast off and
again the vessel is free.
The shippers next tussle is at the pier,
70 which, as he has been informed by his
agent, he is to tie up. When he arrives
there he finds that there are other boats
here, whose masters are not disposed to
move. This difficulty is soon got over by
The aid of the dockmaster of the district
In which the pier happens to be, and with
4 great deal of shouting, hauling and
general hubbub the steamer is made fast
to the pier and her gang plank is run
put.
On the pier the skipper and agent
meet, discuss the voyage, exchange pa
pers and finally adjourn to the steamers
cabin to pour over the manifest.
During all this time the customs lie
;pector has not been idle-especially so
If it happens to be early in the afternoon
and the vessel has a large cargo. At g
orders the matches are removed, the
stevedore's men and the ships crew get
to work, and o the cargo is being
moved out of the hold, where it has lain
probably for many a day. AS each bale,
bag, barrel or box is taken out it is care
fully checked off ON the manifest, while
the covers are taken off by other inspec-
tors sent up from the Barge Office for the
occasion. Constant practice makes the
inspectors adept at this work, and nc
time is lost.
While the work is at its highest the
sunset gun booms from Castle WillieR OF
Governors Island, and the inspector in
charge of the work gives the order tc
stop. Sunset is the hour when Uncle
Sans Treasury servants knock off work
a aafotaks s s ST : Rat maslfe aRT han aesS o7 @P' {
the night inspector. If the ships agents
are in a hurry to get the steamer away
again, the latter, REINFORCED by another,
continues the days work, and that night
may see the end of the job.
The steamers commander Is Their
handed back his o. KID manifest, while
the Custom House people keep a sworn
copy of it. AS soon as the Inspector
leave the pier the vessel has been, in thu
vernacular Of the Treasury Department
"discharged ."-New York Ssar.
Chief Matches and the fen LANGUAGE