Wichita eagle., 1889-02-01

1 Win frozen ana benumbed hands, as he
glances into the vast concavity of blue ano
icy water below him. He does not object tc
trim cargo when it shifts, or to 90 aloft Il
secure main top royal when the wind is
singing death rattle through the standing
| rigging, when the foot-rope IS running
slack through the stirrups and the reel
| points are stiff as iron rods. But he most
| decidedly objects to receive or discharge
cargo in port That he considers the duty
| Of 'longshoremen employed by the steve
| dores. 'Longshoremen are many here in
| New York. Two years ago they were very
| prominent in the Knights of Labor, but
| since they inaugurated strike against the
| Dominion line a few years ago they have
not been the objects of much newspaper at
tention. They are fine, manly, able fellows
and if they do hang around the saloons Oh
the {" Slips and all over South street it is
because their work is of an intermitten,
nature, and not because of any desire tc
idle away their time
The 'longshoremen whose business it is to
load and unload ships must be within the
reach of the stevedore from daylight to
dark, and SO down on South street near the
ferry and on Burling and Coenties slips,
where boss stevedores congregate, rooms
are fitted up for the men in rough sailor
fashion, where they can sleep, drink and
play cards ID their off hours
About 10000 men, all told, handle the
freight that comes into and leaves the port
of New York, and the wages paid them
yearly is estimated at over $4,000, 600.
Every race is represented except the Chi
nese among these workers along shore.
In New York harbor there are, ell told,
300 stevedores, and many have amassed
great wealth. They are in effect the agents
of the consIgnees to whom capgoes are
brought, and like agents for the "charter
party the legal m aritime term for any
person or company chartering vessel to
convey a cargo of goods from one port to
another. To illustrate: A vessel has been
chartered to convey cargo from New York
to Liverpool. She is ready for her cargo
and her cargo ready for her. The ''charter
party calls for his stevedore, as all large
shippers usually continuously employ the
same man, and contract with him TO
put their cargo aboard. This does not
mean that it shall merely be put on
the vessels deck. 1t must be slowed
away in the hold and between decks in a
proper manner for an ocean voyage. These
contracts are based either on weight or
measurement, and often on both; and the
cost Of loading a cargoo Of 1,000-ton bark or
a great ocean steamer will vary from 81 500
to 5000. While the vessel is beng loaded
he is practically its master. For while a
ships captain may suggest regarding stow
age, he must after all yield to the arbitrary
ruling of the steVedore, who thus becomes
the responsible party for the good condi-
ton of the cargo on delivery at its foreign
port
The stevedore usually has several fore
men in his employ. These are 'longshore-
men who work either by the hour, week or
month, at an advance of about one-third
over the ordinary workmen. When vessels
are to be loaded or unloaded these foremen
start out on the street and selectwith almost
unvarying impartlality their gangs"
among the 'longshoremen always waiting
about the approaches to the docks, fire.
quently in most picturesque groups, and
then the liveilest of commotion begins. The
'lopgshoremen working force comprises a
foreman at each vessel, who has entire
charge of the work and who keeps the
time of the men. assistant foremen IN num-
Der proportionate to the magnitude of the
task, headers" and regular laborers.
Headers and assistant foremen receive
five cents per hour extra
If vessel is loading and the stevedore is
able to secure the cargo rapidly, alarge num-
Der Of gangs are worked Usually one gang
is employed at each hatch and side-port,
but frequently, if hurried, two are used
Then there is the dock gang, who handle
theofreight to the ships side and see that
it is started right in its ascent by the
'whip" to above the hatch for lowering,
he bo ba
cargo. These usually consist of two men
and ''headern on either side Of the yes
sci. The header practically represents the
stevedore in the proper slowing of the
freight, and the ''headers" must be bright
men, for on their directions and care rests
the possible good condition of the cargo
The spots where heavy and light materials
must be placed; arranging so that freights
likely to niure each other are kept sep
arate; slowing so that the cargo shall be
borne at the vessels center of gravity, and
that she shall not roll and strain from great
dead weights in improper places; and then
that the crafts utmost carrying capacity
shall be utilized all must be considered and
met and adjusted: for a badly-placed cargo
may shift at any moment in storm
and send a vessel to the bottom. The
raising and lowering of the whips tackle
is signaied by the shrill call Of an
assistant foreman's whistle by the hatch,
where this man stands al the port side and
receives the packages coming in or gong
out of the vessel and attends to their being
lowered properly and in safety, for hun
dreds OF 'longshoremen's lives have paid
the penalty of careless handling Of ocean
freight along these very wharves.
The stevedore business of the port of
New York is now crowded into narrow lin
its. For want Of dock room some of the big
steamship companies have been forced 10
the Jersey side, while those on the New
York shore are crowded. Along the North
river on the east and north along the East
river shore the sailing craft of the world
mainly clusters, while the Brooklyn shore /
for little distance above the bridge is COW
cred with docks and basins extending for I
miles.
The 'longshoremen differ much from sail I
ors IL one essential respect They are /
proyideut and many OF them have quite . 1
little pile in the savings banks. Their work /
IS hard, and the pay not large. busquite a /
number of 'longshorenen, especially the /
Irish, manage 70 marry and support fam /
ily in moderate comfort They are peace /
able set, seldom figure in the police courts, /
and not half as rough as their rough call /
ng would cause one TO imagine /