Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-18
TEN TONS IN THIRTY-FIvE SECONDS.

TEN TONS IN THIRTY-FIvE SECONDS.
Down ratified the first fragments Of the
earthly substance and then, in q steady
stream, the balance of the half carload
poured forth. Its scrape against the iron
spout arose to sort of whistle. Then
the noise lessened, and suddely ceased
altogether.
Glancing at my watch, 1 saw that Just
thirty-fve seconds had elapsed. Still hold
ing it in my hand, I watched the move
ments of the train conductor overhead.
He gave his engineer a signal, and the cars
moved off.
Knowing that half car held ten tons of
ore, concluded that had made some mis-
take, and asked the boss of the ore gang.
mo, you are right, he replied '1t takes
between one and two minutes to put car
load into the hold of the ship, and that was
Just half a load.
"And car holds 20 tons7' I asked. He
nodded.
Thirty years ago sailing vessels capable of
carrying 200 and 300 tons of ore had to lay
three and four days-sometimes week-as
the Marquette landing, while the ore was
hauled aboard in wheelbarrs, and then low
cred by buckets and ropes into their holds.
And that ore had been hauled to the land
ing by oxen. Here lay the good ship Harper
with ten times the capacity of one of those
vessels, and her wants could be supplied in
from three to six hours, according to the
amount of ore In storage of the. brand re-
quired for the cargo.
SIX MEN DID THE WORK.
During the whole time the steamer was
being loaded I noticed two men on top of
the dock, one en- the ladder at the mouth of
the pocket or chute, one on the deck of the
vessel, and two in the hold to scatter the
ore-a total of six persons putting on aload
of iron ore of size that 80 years ago would
have employed a small army to handle
There are two Of these conveniently ar
ranged docks at Ashland. Each extends
nearly half mile out into the water, are
very high, and consumed millions of feet of
lumber and lumber in their construction.
They cost $780, 900 apiece, and that is in
country where timber is cheap. They have
q storage capacity of $4,000 tons. The Es-
canada docks have a storage capacity of
80, 900 tons of ore; Marquette docks can
store about 10000 tons also, and the docks
at Two Harbors, Mimi, are of about the
same capacity as Ashland. That CONVEYS
some idea of how railroads with their little
cars-little when compared with the expan-
sive stomachs of boats-can keep up supply
enough to keep the lake marine running
Next year will see immense additions to the
docks of Escanaba.
REMARKABLE GROWTH OF ASHLAND.
The Ashland docks had to supply I'll
vessels during the season of 1890. That was
equivalent to 100 each month while naviga-
tion lasted. or 25 to 80 each week. Seven
years ago you could scarcely find the name
"Ashland" on the lake mariners charts 1t
is the county seat, and the census of 1880
puts down Ashland county with 2, $50 square
miles of territory as having only $50 popu-
lation. But since then the Iron King
pointed his scepter in that direction, and
vessels began to throng its harbor. the
population OF Ashland town alone has
sprung up to nearly L, coo since the Gogebic
range was opened: Its magic increase is
something along the same line as the de-
veIopment of new towns in Allegheny coun-
ty, Patron is the foundat tion of all of them
When the John Harper had received into
her hold scant 600 tons of ore she was ready
to start on her homeward voyage
"Only 1000 tons!' you may say "why.
YOU told US she would carry 2,600 tons"
Yes, she will easily carry that and could
get it at the docks without any trouble, but
In her hold at this moment are barely 1900
tons.