The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-14
WORK TO START
 ON DOCKS SOON
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(Continued from Page Seven.) tween One Mile creek and Three Mile creek, immediately north of the present improved water front and partially within the corporate limits (. Mobile.
 To Relocate Tracks.
 Relocation of the Louisville and Nashville railroad will be accomplished by building new tracks westward about 500 feet, beginning at the bridge over Chickasawbogue creek. The main line l crosses the marsh and swamps of 1 Farmers island at an elevation above the highest storm tide at that point, crosses the Mobile and Ohio railroad yards and finally enters Commerce street at the foot of Adams street. The new bridge over Three Mile creek WI be 1,200 feet west of the present draw bridge, while the bridge across One Mile creek will be eliminated. The stream will be diverted. through canal, to Three Mile creek, and it's bed filled in to make room for yards and docks.
 Storm protection has been one of the determining factors in the selection of the site for improvement and the mak- ing of the plans therefor. Blakely island which forms the east bank of Mobile river at that point, will stand between the state docks and the upper waters of Mobile bay. The development of the dock system will require the removal by hydraulic ~dredges of nearly 1,000,- 900 cubic yards of sand and silt from slips and river front and this earth will be used to raise the land to be occupied to a height of Il feet above mean low water, which is point well above the highest water ever known-at Mobile.
 Following studies made by the state docks commission of other ports in the United States and Europe, it was de- cided that the type of docks best suited to the business, both present and flu ture, of this port should be the pier and slip type, wherein system of piers 1900 feet in length by 800 feet wide, with slips on either side $50 feet wide, equal in length with the pier, would give passage to steamers seeking berths at the pier.
 Tracks Provided
 General Sibert's office gives the in formation that wharves or aprons will surround the piers and be constructed ot reinforced concrete, carrying three railroad tracks on the deck. These aprons will form huge cofferdam which will be pumped full of sand to provide a foundation for steel transit sheds, one of which will occupy each side of the pier, being 1,50O feet in length and 1SO feet wide; three railroad tracks will run through the center of this pier and serve the transit sheds on either side. During the handling of ordinary busi- ness, freight will be handled to and from cars at the rear of shed, but if emergencies arise and. occasion ds- mands, cars may be placed SO that freight can be handled to and from five railroad tracks to or frcm the sheds, speeding up freight handling to a point it is believed cannot be equalled by any port on this continent.
 On the city side of the first slip there will be reinforced concrete apron of the same length as the large pier, and will accommodate three of the larg- est freight ships afloat. On this side of the first slip will be developed a steel transit shed one hundred and twenty feet wide and fourteen hundred feet long, in the rear of which will be constructed a modern cotton warehouse with high density presses through which 1t is proposed to export cotton with greater dispatch and at a lower cost to the shipper than is now charged at any gulf or South Atlantic port. At the river end of this area will be To- cated a steel storage warehouse three hundred feet wide by six hundred feet in length in which will be handled com modities requiring long term storage, also the business of the Warrior Barge Lines. These hst named facilities will be located at the head of Commerce and Water streets, conveniently near the city to afford ample facilities for the exchange of local tonnage by truck or dray.
 Plan Grain Elevator
 Space has also been provided for a reinforced concrete terminal grain ele- vator, which may be added when the business of the port justifies.
 One of the most interesting ideas in connection with this develof ment, is the establishment of joint interchange yard, wherein all railroads entering Mobile will enterchange cars with each other as well as the Docks Commis- sion. This gives each railroad a con nectioTh with docks through the joint interchange, from which the Docks Commissions engines will handle all cars moving to or from the docks; in-