Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-26
GREAT COAL PIERS
GO TOSCRAP HEAP
Massive Trestlework at.
Greenwich Point Is
Torn Away
REPLACED BY DUMPER
Municipal Docks Soon to
Occupy Site of Old
Landmark Here
REPLACED BY DUMPER


Greenwich coal plers--a landmark for
generations in South Philadelphla-are
being converted into 100000 feet OF
lumber.
For many years these masses of
wooden trestleworE were an important
factor in the commerce OF this port.
Coal by the hundreds of thousands of
tons, for foreign and coastwise shipment.
was shot from pierheads into waiting
barge or vessel
The old coal piers. with their forest
OF huge timbers, have been replaced by
the Pennsylvania Railroads new me-
chanical car bumper. which can handle
$4,000 tons of coal a day. Where the
coal piers now stand the city will in the
future build a new and spacious munich
pal pier, while further south the railroad
company will build ether and modern
coal piers.
Demolition Of the Greenwich coal piers,
agreed upon by the city and the rail-
road, is part of the broad plan of port
Improvement.
Salvagins Valuable Timber
There are six piers at Greenwich
Eventually all of them will be removed.
Two are now in process of being picked
apart beam BY beam for the fine and
heavy timbers of long-leaf yellow pine
Of which they were built in q day. when
lumber was less expensive than il is
now.
Some idea OF the quantity of lumber
employed in building the piers may be
gained from the fact that one of them
Pier No. 6, which Is SO feet high and
/ 500 feet long. is estimated to contain
) 1000, 600 feet of lumber This one pier
49, 80.
removing 1t to have cost nearly $3.50, 900.
The timbers salvaged from Fiers No.
I and No. 6. will go into the huils of
wooden ships and into the building and
repair of wooden piers and docks. Most
Of Il is prime wood, seasoned by the
winds of half century. The shorter
lengths will be cut up and furnish kind
ling enough to start every kitchen range
in Philadelphia some cold day next win
ter.
Folks fond Of figures may find some
thing to ponder over in the small forest
of lumber that is being salvaged at the
coal piers The contractor estimates
there Is sufficient lumber in the piers
to stretch, II laid end on end, from Phil
adelphia to Chicago. Or II sawed up
into inch-square strips it would reach
half way around the globe. A force
Of fifty expert wreckers, with two big
steam cranes, have been at work three
months taking down the piers. and an
other six months will be needed to COM
plete the job.
Has Had Many Uses
BY a curious coincidence the land on
which the piers now stand originally be-
longed to John S. MacATullen, grand
< father of H. A. MacMullen, general man
ager of the Henry A. Hitner's Sons Com
pany, the wrecking firm which is taking
the piers down. 1t was leased by the
owner in 1864 for an annual rental of
$4,000 and was used for oil storage.
Pier No. 1 was built In 1S14-75 at a cost
& of $4,000. No. 4. used as a grain pier,
was built in 1881 and cost $4,000.
while this country was at war the
piers were real bonanza for the wreck
ing company. The wood in them was
the most wanted material for wooden
ships, and the wreckers could not tear
It down fast enough to meet the de-
mands of the shipbuilders. At the war
time price It was worth from SIS to 500
q thousand feet.