The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-22

pense of handling and rehandling by
hand labor; and when we consider
the exposure of freight at open land
ings, in all weather, waiting for boat
or truck, we are forced to admit that
such a system does not more than
suffice for local incidental express
| traffic. The packet lines may well in
| crease their passenger traffic and
largely increase revenue from express
! freight traffic: but only with easily
accessible terminals arranged for ex-
peditious landing, unloading and load
| ing and getting underway again in
all weather; and on a prearranged
schedule that will be observed as
closely as in railway travel. This
! subject is well discussed by Captain
Streckfus.
Freight Terminals But the
! freight carrying capacity of the pres
ent packet boat is very small indeed.
| The table in Mr.. Bowen's report to
I the city of st. Louis shows that it
averages for all boats arriving at and
leaving that city during the year
| 1914 but LOG tons. Should we attempt
! to handle barges Of large tonnage in
| the piecemeal fashion we handle
| present packet cargo, the terminal
| cost would be beyond all possibility
| of offsetting by low cost of water
| haul. Therefore this terminal cost is
| the factor to consider; and to reduce
| to the lowest possible proportions by
| the introduction Of mechanical hand
! ling system on permanently located
| docks.
Location Of Docks-Just where
/ these docks should be located must
be determined by the city engineer
| in conference with the navingatIon in
terests, so as to secure accessibility
and safe landing; ample depth of
| water at all stages of the river and
! freedom from distractions, cross cur
rents and eddies making approach
and departure unsafe. The river re-
| quirements are the first considera-
| ton; but scarcely second are the land
requirements, convenience of access
from the center of trade and residence
| for wagon, railroad and passenger
traffic. These conditions are best
considered by classifying the term
i inals according to the class of traffic
| to be handled over them. These term
| inal classifications were outlined by
| Mr. Bernhard and filled in by Messrs.
Bowen and Won Pagenhardt. They
appear in the succeeding chapter III.
"cost Of Docks-The expenditure
to be made by town for river ter
minal must be proportioned to the
traffic to be handled and will vary
from the modest plan suggested by
Captain Streckfus for minor packet
boat landings, carrying passengers
and handling only small tonnage Of
freight, to the most pretentious Of
the largest cities for enormous car
goes direct from water to railroad or
railroad to water. Or the design may
be one to accommodate great tonnage
Of single commodity, handled in
bulk or in uniform packages. In all
cases the type adopted should be
made ample to accommodate a gen
erous increment over the present or
existing river traffic. In all instances
the design should admit of extension
for increased tonnage without a tear
ing down and throwing away Of
earlier structures. The simpler ter |
minals, with inclined levee and romp |
or gang plank access to boat, may be |
so designed as to subsequently be |
fitted into a dock design for larger |
tonnage on the same site, with verti |
cal face and pile or retaining wall |
with a wharf at the level of the orig |
inal warehouse floor. Such a series |
of designs have been sketched by |
Mr.. Won Pagenhardt and are de-
scribed in chapter III"
ITO be Continued.)