The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22
PORT CONTROL IS SAFEGUARDED BY
 JOINT HOLDINGS
Federal, City And Private Ownership Working
 In Harmony

l Away back in the days of it's alder | manic government, Mobile began to realize the necessity for the public con- trol of at least a portion of the river frontage, and to act upon that realisa- l tion. The city acquired and now ownr I several parcels of real estate on river and bay front, and holds title and ri. parian rights at the foot of all streets 1 that extend to the river front.
 The most valuable acquisition of all has been proved to be the strip of land acquired by the city, extending from the foot of Dauphin street for a dis tance of 1,600 feet. and back from the river 125 feet. The greater part of this area Is covered with steel shed having concrete floor, rail connections and city water. Its central location in- creases it's value and usefulness.
 The space covered by the shed is 124,200 square feet and it is used for the storage of freight of every character awaiting shipment. Three steamships can unload and take cargo there at one time.
 This is the landing place for the War rior barges that bring cotton and other products to the port and take merchan- disc thence to up-river points; also for the barges from New Orleans that con meet the Warrior and Mississippi sec tions of the inland and coastwise water ways service.
 River packets taking cargo for Selma and Demopolis land at the municipal wharf, as do the Mobile bay boats that ferry to the eastern shore resorts, Daphne and Fairhope, carrying freight, passengers and many automobiles of tourists, eastbound and westbound. In every respect, the municipal wharf has been a paying investment for the city and seaport of Mobile.
 - Coal Handling Plant
 Birmingham coal operators contrib uted $15,O00 towards the fund of $37,- 500 required for the purchase of the site on Blakeley Island, on the east bank of Mobile river, where stands the coal and ore handling plant of the 1s- lands and coastwise waterways serv- ice. The remainder was raised by the Chamber of Commerce in Mobile and a total of $65, 900 was subscribed for the purpose. A. part of the same site which extends across the island to Polecat bay, is occupied by the United States shipping board fuel oil station. The entire frontage. purchased was 1,5OO feet, which gives room for two addi- tional units of the handling plant, should this extension be required. Modern And Efficient
 This plant is one of the most modern and efficient of its kind on the gulf seaboard. It is electrically operated with power furnished from across the river by way of a submerged transmits sion line. It has been in commission for two years and has demonstrated the power of such economical facilities to attract new commerce to a seaport. It handles large quantities of coal, manganese ore and sulphur.
 Coal is barged down the river from the Cordova or other river bank tip ples and is removed by the handling plant, placed aboard ocean carriers or delivered in the storage bins for future shipment. Manganese ore from Brazil, Cuba and other foreign countries is un- loaded from ships to barge or storage and is transported to the steel plants of the Birmingham district via the barge line.
 Sulphur Is brought from Texas ports by ocean-going barges to the handling plant, where it Is transferred to War rior barges for shipment to the interior for various commercial uses.
 The plant has no rail connections and is used exclusively as a link in the waterways system. It has ca pacity from barge to storage pile or from storage to ship of 400 tons per hour and the storage capacity of the bins is 10000 tons. The bins are To- cAted parallel to and directly in the rear of the wharf, which has a frontage of 500 feet. A steel unloading bridge and a steG reloading tower travel in- dependently the length of the wharf The coal or ore is weighed automatically in the retaining process and passes from the unloading hopper to belt conveyor, thence to the reloader tower and to the ship. The unloading bridge operates a four-ton bucket, and the en. tire plant is electrically operated and lighted.
 Fuel oil Station
 The shipping board fuel oil station another of the publicly owned faeili | ties at the port, has twch tanks with
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