Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-21

the banks of the canal. and has located
upon it many important works, which
contribute to the traffic. 1t has also ac-
quired 1883 acres of lard adjoining the
city OF Manchester. where the British
Westinghouse Company. the American
Car and Foundry Company and several
other large American and English con-
Germs have erected immense plants. and
they. too. contribute large volume OF
traffic. The company has established a
coaling depot at Darlington, nine miles
from Manchester, with quay space OF
twenty acres, water area OF six and a
half acres, canal frontage of nearly
three-qparters Of a mile. and twenty miles
of railway sidetracks. which are equipped
with the most improved modern ma
chinery for handling coal between the
railway cars and the steamers which take
on their fuel there.
Great Quays and Warehouses.
At the Manchester terminus the canal
company acquired 1,4C6 acres Of land
which has been laid out in docks and
basins for the accommodation of ves-
sells, there being nine quays. six and a
half miles long, and $50 acres in ex-
tent. The longest is 200 feet IN
length by $50 feet in width. Each OF
them is equipped with steam. hydraulic
AMI electric cranes. pontoon shears, pom
toon floats. HOSTS and various other
modern appliances for handling freight
To accommodate the cargoes as they
are discharged are thirteen warehouses
Of seven stories each. built of solid con-
crete upon steel skeletons and absolutely
fireproof. There are various other ware
houses and transit sheds. which probably
form the largest system in the world: and
they are all built Of concrete and steel.
and could not be set on fire, for there
Is nothing to burn.
An American grain elevator with a
| - 1, al L,,r ~
is in operation and second is under
construction. There is also a cold
storage warehouse with a capacity Of
$500 cubic feet for frozen meat. which
is imported in large quantities from the
United States, the Argentine Republic
and New Zealand. The ships lie within
a few feet Of it and the railway cars
run Immediately alongside. SO that IN
frozen meat can be handled with a
minimum exposure to the atmosphere.
There are cold storage accommoda-
tons for fruit and other perishable
freight owned by the company. and a
private corporation has an additional
system of it's own. The animal wharf
for handling imported live stock Will
| accommodate 1,ooo head OF catt.e and 5Ut
sheep.
There are thirty oil tanks with a
storage capacity of 22.OO0,O00 gallons
upon the wharfs, so that tank steamers
can discharge directly into them.
There are two dry docks. 90 feet and
425 feet long. respectively. for the re-
pair of vessels. and every other facility
for handling trade that you can i'm
agine.
Every railroad in England has con-
nection with the lines belonging to the
canal company, SO that cargoes can be
| shipped without change to their final
destinations. These ARRANGEMENTS ant
conveniences have reduced the handling
of freight to a minimum of time and
expense. in which Manchester enjoy 5
advantages not possessed by any other
port on this side of the Atlantic.
Working Up Foreign Trade.
Since the canal was completed the
agents Of the company have been busy
working up direct trade with foreign
countries SO that now very little frei Il,
| intended for Manchester from or ship
ped from Manchester to forei9n ports
is handled by the railways. There are
regular steamship lines between Man
chester and all the European countries,
Asia. Africa, Australia, Central and
South America, and the principal ports
of the United States. Tn ener y WI II
| which this trade has been worked up
by the management of the canal is
shown in the Increase of he traffic
which in 1904 amounted to 92J, 659 tons,
but last year had increased to $40. 81
| tons. The grain traffic Increased from
| IA $40 tons to 4Od. 40. the traffic in timber
from 1908 to 43O,1O6 tons: cotton from
1855 to 172.13O. and various other
articles. such as wood pulp, fruit,
sugar iron and steel OIL ores, live
stock and frozen meat. There has been
| similar gain In the exports from
Manchester by steamers direct 10 otiel
parts of the world. the principal articles
| beins- cotton goods and yarns. machinery
iron and steel. paper. chemicals. earthen-
| ware. salt. pitch, creosote and coal.
United States Tonnage First.
The United States stands first in the
matter Of tonnage which is due very
la gely to the regular service OF steam
ship lines with New York. Boston. Phil
adelphia. Savannah. Brunswick. Mobile.
Pensacola. New Orleans and Calves ton.
Full cargoes OF timber. lumber and cot
ton arrive regularly at Manchester
| throughout the year from the gulf ports