The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-23

by slGnRl--A Fine job AZ ,roup,,
Clumsy. big. and unwirldly are .i.,.,,
floats on which freight cars are tram.
ferred from one point o anot her ai,..,rH.
rivers and the hArbor. but hig and .0.s,...v
AS they are the powerful tugs tia, f.,
them get about with them " nh crr'sI,.ry
and the clever pilots Of these tug, al,
put one Of these floats into a slip and ID,
against a ferry bridge just a. h.n,ilr
and Just a. neatly a. q ferry prIur a,
land a ferryboat
so much for the handling ~ rro a
these great floats with the carr aboard
hut no less nice and skillful - thu ~.
done in loading them. IN putting the a.,
aboard ~ them. Where car hosts 10.
employed for carrying cars around 't.
city by water. the shore equipment .
like that Of any ferry, With. a. tho ha.a
Of each slip. a float bridge that rises and
falls with the tide. to accommudat, .r..,
to the level Of the boa;
But while the deck Of n ferrvt,s,
loaded or unloaded. may not vary mur.
IN it's elevation above the water tho DO;
OF a car float may vary consIdara1Iv
and II may be necessary 10 elevate M
depress the bridge accordingly II an
he elevated by means Of mechanir,
appliances attached TO il. It j. depressed
by running cars down on II
The yard engine that loads and r.
loads the floats takes around vrrr p
always three hat cars called oilers WA
these cars back Of II for a long link .t.
big engine - able 10 keep "A tho a,s,
bridge. up on the rails on solid l.,al
ground
,ars hauled On a hoat or car- pushed
aboard ~ one are coupled on TO tho zoe,
Idler and " " IL r"ce-sary 10 d"pra.- no
noat to make its outer edge meet the -dg.
Of the hoat IN the clip they back the Idl.rs
down ON It When bridge and Auat are
at the same level they run out from undo
iogRle strap. on the bridge on either .ids
long siA Icch square steel bars which ar.
run through toEgle straps on the de-.
- the hnat and there you have hoa
bridge and car ioat with their edges held
,eCurely together at the same level The
float bridge may now have. according On
ia. tide. a COM iderable Giant mp or down
bat the yard engine IL big enough ard
powerful enough TO haul or To hold tho
cars on that slope whatever 1t NAV be-
And now suppose that here ia an empty
fcat thus made fast ia a slip and waiting
to he loaded The feat ! eng Start one
.nf the biggest sort now IN me. made ru
carry twenty-five fr eight cars on thT'"
tracks ei.h, cars along on either -Id-
and ,iN On ~ track down the middle. The
loading crow tina, will pui The ears on thu
fioai cor. - If sIN men. engine" and fire
iran IN u - engine ard conductor ard
three brakemen on the ears.
The conductor gets hiI orders about
what cars to take and they go around The
yard and pi'k them mp until trey nav" EJr
the tv"T iy-,wo cars together. freICr'
cars range IN l"ngth ir' m ?r 80 90 f'"'.
With the twenty-five fret rht cars gn'
together IN a ttring and coupled III 'n Nh"
snd IT the three oilers IN" engineer - nov
handling a train " ~ crty-fiNe cars. ~
tending for appro Nima,"ly thCwsno
feet a train not 30 very mu' h under
quarter 81 mile long.
1hese cars the engineer - now gong
10 back down aboard the car hoai
smoothly and easily and all without any
trouble though u - to be noted that he
tracks all come 10 The float bridges On
curves ana up az the head Of a tram ~
twenty five cars the engineer may not 10
ahle To see the float he i going 20 back
the cars onto at all. Oh Course b." Do
this by signal from the men on the cars
And now with the float made fast ami
the switches set for the track that he
first line Of cars is To be run on the brake
man standing on the end car, nearest the
float bridge begins gently tn wave H.
hands n man on another car half up tts
train repeats the signal. and nov far ~
there in front the engineer begns TO
come back
And now you see with the whole train
following IN a formidable procession 'ha'
first car. the end Car Of the train. ride the
foat bridge and the leading truck sag
down heavily when " strikes u. hut D.
doesn't sink the bridge, those six inch
steel hars running through the 'ogg"
straps on bridge and float prevent that
and the float II tag enough to hold Nr
ANYTHING. and now the cars keep coming
down the float bridge and sheering ~
on the float along the track for which the
switch - set
The end car With the others following
works along on the track on the foa'
nearer and nearer to the bunker pos
~ the tracks end ard al this tim"
the man on the roof OF the end car .,
waving his hands gently. hut NOR" and
moro gently ~ the end ~ approached
The engineer comes back all IN" nm"
more and more SLOWLY till the brakeman
gives the stop signal and then m" "n.
gineer shuts OF the engn" and Cir"- ih'
brakes the air ard locks the car wh"eis.
and then there you have this section ~ no
tram safely on the hodt
Now that they va get ihis - ring no
the brakeman locks the air in-ld" ?"
cCIuling ~ he car nearest n" hpa' h'iiI"
TO hold the brakes ON the Car~ on M"
hOa'. aud hen he cuts III" uin a. 'a'.
rpad men -av: that - 10 sav he un'"HIN'"'
. he ant onaiiC CUupler- b"t ween M
car and the next one 40 III" f"a 'r.lA'
and also no unIockS the air hral" p -
hot wccn those two oa-s and ih"' n"
gives he engineer the signal
A. the engineer rrIll- ahead 'h"f"
LITTLE non from the AIR hos" a. n - fr7"h
agart when the cars - 'arate IN" "ng'
nser pulls 40 The ward I'LL IN" iH-' a.
- clear ~ the switch. aud then. II M
iICh~S set rIghi he 'u'nc- ha -
signal agnin to leave anot her -lrlrE N
The hoai and then he haTls on M ~
ward again and then backs ~ IN" 'h.''
trIng.
The air left IN the cars On ''. '.'
would hold he brakes on them -"
Z ime bIi sooner or later u wuun ~
nui and anyway they dom rtt' ~.
chances They choke the VINCE 'n'
across each end of The fnat th"v ...'
chain with turns around IN" draw '''
- tho end cara Aud thpu there E....