The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-16
GRAIN TRANSPORTATION.
REMARRABLE DEVELOPMENT OF
 THE FICILITIES.

Large Vessels Used in tho Service
 Changes on the Railways-The Largest
 Ocean Freight Steamer in the World,
 New York, May 15,-The largest
 ocean freight steamer in the world, the
 Georgic, of the White Star Line. sailed
 from this port yesterday, but attracted
 no special notice except from those di-
 reetly interested or in the immediate
 vicinity of the passing steamer. This
 indifference is mainly because the
 movements of the large steamers en-
 gagged in the transatlantic passenger
 and freight service have become mat ter of almost daily occurrence. Com paratively few persons, however, are
 aware of the colossal proportions of
 these ocean freight transports.
 An ordinary steamers cargo capacity (say of corn) ranges from from eighty thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand bushels From this size there has been gradual enlargement until ! these wonders of marine architecture assume a cargo capacity of four hun dred and forty thousand bushels of corn. The dimensions of the Georgic in round numbers are; Length 55S feet, beam 60 feet, depth of hold 96 feet, A gross tonnage 10077, net tonnage 6,b70, and cargo capacity 440,O00 bushels Of { corn. The Red Star freighters Ken s ,,Jy ar,1x X in size, each being of about nine thou- V sand gross tonnage and of cargo ca ' pacity of three hundred and seventy E five thousand bushels of corn. A nota- ble charter has been made recently or x the new British steel steamer West S meath, to arrive, for cargo Of three K hundred thousand bushels of corn for M South Africa shipment The enormous dimensions of this vessel are liable to be less appreciated by comparison, x which are: Length 450 feet, beam 56 ' feet, depth of hold 31 feet, gross ton f mage 6,S51, net tonnage 4,486, and cargo capacity, as stated, 900,000 bushels of z corn. The Cufic of the White Star Line is 43O feet long, 45 feet beam, 30 feet depth of hold, 4,639 gross tonnage, and N S,055 net tonnage.
 Consideration of ocean tonnage leads N naturally to a recognition of as notable N development in the railroad facilities of z this country, and to the corresponding Rl changes also in the method of handling H grain. Years ago the shifting of grain, @ the loading and unloading of cargo, N was done by manual labor, but the E great elevator system has entirely su- E perceded this old-time slow and expen- E3 siye service. As a matter of history, in E 1863, this elevator system at the sea- E board was inaugurated by riot, blood IN shed and the burning of several Brook lyn elevators.
 N In the same line of comparison follow H the great improvements agriculturally,
 in the methods and implements and in the opening up of virgin soil westward [sin ever broadening areas thousand or more beyond the once SUD- Mposed limit Retrogression in wheat Aarea has occurred in some countries #notably in the United Kingdom, where MIhe decline has been from 1, ,214.0 900 acres 1to 1,456, ,O0o acres last year, and from be- Hing almost self-supporting to represent
 annual importation requirements of 1.-two hundred million bushels foreign
 wheats. But, on the whole, the de-
 crease in one part of the world has been
 nore than offset by expansion in other
 Sparts In fact supply has overtaken
 Requirements. The increase of fifty
 amillion bushels in the worlds popula-
 tion in the last twenty years has been
 met by an increased production of
 wheat in the principal wheat-producing
 countries of from LAO, ,000, 900 bushels in
 1876 to 26O0, ,0O0, 900 bushels in 1896
 The average rate of inland freight on
 wheat from Chicago to New York com
 spares as follows, in cents per bushel: