The Washington herald., 1909-07-25
WILL SUPPLY FUEL
Savannah Has Station for
Ocean Steamers.
LOCAL COMPANY BUILDS IT
VIII Have Capacity for COnIinE
CORstwise Vessels as Wen rs
Those Engaged in Ocean Trade.
supply VIII BE Delivered to YES
sells by Lighters.

Savannah, Ga, July 24-Thirty days
from now the coaling station which the
Ocean Steamship Company is building at
its Savannah docks will be finished The
work is being pushed rapidly and IS pro-
crossing satisfactorily.
After this coaling station has been com
pleted Savannah will be in a position 20
furnish fuel for every steamer which
comes to this port, including all the
coastwise vessels which burn coal. The
station is not a pretentious affair in ap-
pearance. but the work has proceeded
sufficiently far to attract considerable at
tention
Steamers Can Cool T-;cre.
Primarily Ae Ocean Steamship Com
pany is building the coaling station 10
supply fuel fo- ts ON steamers. but the
capacity Of the station will be far in ex-
cess Of the needs Of vessels In the Savan-
nah line. Consequently the officials OF
the company undoubtedly had outside
business IN mind when the station was
designed. and It looks as II It viii III the
bill
II VIII no longer be necessary for tramp
which come by Savannah TO go out OF
their way to Norfolk for coal They can
be stocked with fuel in Savannah, after
the Ocean Steamship Company's station
Is finished, as promptly as they have
been served at other ports where a busi-
ness Of coallng ships is carried on.
In the OEeechee Canal.
The vessels viii be supplied while they
lie at their docks from specially con-
structed lighters through their coal ports.
The station is located about 100 yards
from the river back ia the Ogeechee Ca
nal The canal is being dredged out by
the steamship company, so there will be
plenty OF depth at ebb tide for the light
ers 10 be navigated. The lighters viii be
built so they VIII Just 1T in the canal
They win be towed into the canal and
moored under an elevated track which IS
being constructed Big steel coal cars
wiz be switched on this track and
through their bottoms tons of coal will
be lowered to the lighters.
The coal cars have a capacity of about
fifty tons. The lighters VIII hold the con.
tents Of six cars. or 900 tons. which IS the
amount Of coal consumed by the City Of
Savannah on her trip from Savannah to
New York. The transferring Of the coal
from the cars to the lighters viii require
practically no time, as the bottoms Of the
cars open and the whole load is dropped
II is estimated that the ships can be sup
piled at the rate of about sixty tons an
hour.
Facilities for Unloading.
1t VIII be equally as easy to coal other
steamers In port and many times cheaper
than beating It all the way I'D TO Nor
folk The facilities for unloading the
coal are being constructed for permanent
use. The bridge over the canal is re-
enforced concrete. and cypress plling is
being used for the tresue for the elevated
track
AS a protection against coal mine
strikes, tie-up on the railroads. and such
other delays in delivering coal a big re-
serve yard viii be provided. This yard
will be adjoining the elevated track. close
enough for the coal TO be scooped I'D by
the steam shovel and dumped on the
lighters Thousands Of tons of coal will
be stored in this yard. which will have
concrete floor. This will give the com
pany a generous supply of fuel from
which 10 draw in times OF emergency.