The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-07-24
ENGINEERS PLAN APPLIANCES
FOR PIERS
Modern Electrical System 10 Sup
plant Old Hand Truck Method
Will Double Storage Capacity
of Wharves.

Upon the strength of an investiga-
tion that has been under way for sew
eral weeks, Assistant Director John
Meigs, head of the engineering force
of the Philadelphia Dock Depart !
ment, will at an early date, render
a detailed report with recommended
tions to Director Norris, relative to
the equipment of all piers in that
port with the most modern and eff
cient mechanical Appliances for the
quick and economic handling Of
freight
New York, experiencl"g the same
difficulties to a greater degree, has
evidenced a deep interest in this Ell
fort in Philadelphia to solve what is
regarded as one of the most difficult
as we'll as one of the most important
problems of successful port admin
istration. Both b. f. Cresson, Jr.,
First Deputy Commissioner of the
New York Dock Department, and H.
Mel. Harding, its consulting en-
gineer, who is a recognized expert on
the subject of freight handling ma
chinery, have requested copies of the
report, with full information as to
conclusions reached and descriptions
of any Improvements made.
Up to the present time the loading
and unloading of vessels in the Port
of Philadelphia, except in cases of
bulk cargoes such as coal, grain, oil,
etc, has been by the ships winch, or
by carrying freight between pier and
ship on hand trucks. The disposition
of freight within the pier has also
been largely by means of hand
trucks.
One of the greatest disadvantages
of such a method is that freight can
not possibly be stored higher than
from five to eight feet, with the re-
suit that the other fifteen or eighteen
feet to the pier roof is so much un-
used, and therefore wasted, storage
space. Figures which Director Nor
ris has had compiled for the entire
port show the average storage height
on piers to be only from five to six
feet which involves a tremendous
sacrifice of pier efficiency.
New York recently installed the
electric truck system on several piers
in that port, and it has been found
to be a successful improvement upon
the old method of man power.
The new trucks are storage battery
cars that can be run to or from any
part of the pier and often to the
deck or hold of ship. Whereas, a
man with hand truck cannot carry
more than five hundred or six hun
dred pounds each trip, the electrical
ly driven cars carry a ton or more.
This system, however, has not solved
the problem of handling and stack
ing the freight, for corps of men are
still needed in the hold of the vessel
and upon the pier to load and unload
the trucks.
Nor does an outside crane system
on the pier fulfill all requirements.
BY such a method the cargo of a
ship is necessarily unloaded at one,
two or three different points on the
wharf, and from there it has to be
distributed by hand trucks. Or even
if telpherage, a system of electrically
operated overhead trolleys, be en-
ployed in connection with the crane
system, to mechanically transport the
cargo, the overhead carriers of neces'
sity follow a given line of track, and
unless there be an infinite number o.
aerial conveyances, freight is agair
dropped along a limited path, from
which ii must be trucked to othel
parts of the pier.
Assistant Director Meigs, in dis
cussing this difficulty, has pointed
to a plan that may provide the rem
edy needed. Thus far the new idei
is only on paper and is product o
New York's endeavor to overcome
similar difficulties. Engineers con
cede that its practical operation in
wolves intricate mechanical problems
but at the same time they say it ma.
prove feasible.
Simply described, this is an i'm
proved telpherage system, with Sc
of tracks running from the shor
line out along the pier, around tn
end and returning to the shore lin
on the opposite side of the pier, thes
tracks being parallel with and only
few feet distant from the piersheu
walls.
At frequent intervals these track
are tapped with switches which com
municate to lateral racks runnin
across the pier and connecting wit
the tracks on the other side. Thi
permits the circuit to be lengthene
or shortened so that freight may b
deposited at almost any point de
sired.
The obvious difficulty pointed t
by engineers, and one that is no
clearly explained away on paper,
how to get the necessary number @
switches, how to operate them sue
cessfully, how to economically NOV
the lateral tracks, and how to Great
mechanism governing the Who'll
which will be practical and efficien
An enlightening discussion OF thi
new system is expected to form
part of the report to be made to d
rector Norris.