The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17
IEMPHIS COMING
INTO OWN AGAIN
INRNERT TRAFFIC
J aking Over by the Govern
ment of Mississippi and
Warrior Barge Line Trade
Gives Stimulus.
By. c. P, NEWeERN.

WITH h completion of plans now
rnder way and the expenditure Of
thorized Memphis will be perhaps bet
ter equipped with river facilities than
hny other city along the Father Of
Waters. River traffic at Memphis was
Tor many. many years one Of this city's
foremost activities. but due to condi-
lions that were general throughout the
patton. he desire for speed resulted in
reduction of river traffic and a CORE
sponding increase in rail traffic.
However. with the taking over by the
United, States government OF the Mis-
MBisslppi and Warrior rivers, river traffic
hgain Is coming into its own and in
#prder TO compete with other cities along
The Mississippi river Memphis has
come face to face with the need of
modern and adequate facilities for
handling the business that rs coming
#and will continue to come to Memphis
from the Mississippi river.
the Memphis Terminal commission
mas already secured plans and specifi-
cations for improvements TO it's prop
erty at the foot of Georgia avenue that
VIII cost several thousand dollars and
When completed will put the Bluff City
well to the forefront in the way Of up
to-date freight handling devices.
The city of Memphis owns the prop
erty on which tne improvements win be
placed and will consist of a large freight
All SlOIdEG NdTGllOuS6 ana the 1HSIHl-
latlon OF a tractor-traileE system will
reduce the handling of both inbound
and outbound freight to a minimum.
Tractors Augment Boats.
Under orders of the terminal COM
mission, w. F. Schulz, engineer, studied
the terminal facilities of other cities
and from his observations outlined a
plan for the use of the Memphis COM
mission.
Motor tractors will be installed for
the purpose of hauling about the ware
house hundreds Of t~railers. These
t%railers will be placed on board the
barges arriving in Memphis and loaded
directly from the boat.
These. trailers will then be brought up
an incline to the warehouse and after
being coupled together will be carried
by the motor tractors to their proper
place, either for storage, for local dis
tribution or to freight cars to be un-
loaded n transported to their ultimate
destination inland.
There will be a sufficient number of
these t~railers to permit their use in
the storage department which action
will reduce handling to a minimum, as
the goods received at Il warehouse
Will only be handled two times from
barge to trailer and from trailer to
Irelgnt car or auto truck for local dis
~ liA2CoiceS where freight so reCelV-
ed Is destined for inland points the
,trailers will be run into the waiting
freight cars and unloaded there; where
the goods Is consigned to local mer-
chants the trailer is switched to the
proper platform and the goods placed
directly into waiting auto trucks.
Plans have also been made for out
bound freight, the same trailers being
used, running. down the incline laden
with outbound freight and these goods
unloaded directly into the barge. "Sne-
cial facilities will be provided for
handling. cotton and cottonseed prod
ucts. These facilities will doubtless
consist of gravity conveyors of improy~
ed design onto which the cotton and
~cottonseed products for export will he
loaded directly into the barge from the
warehouse and handled with the min
mum assistance of man, machinery be-
of the work.
Expense will not be spared In maxi
ing these terminals modern and up-to-
GATE IN every respect. The terminal
commission already has available a sum
sufIlclent to carry out the project as
at present outlined and a further iss1e
OF bonds is provided for with which
ness justifies. Jus
John b. Edgar, fire and police COM