CRANES ON WHARVES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 1 October 1909, Page 9

CRANES ON WHARVES

{< k HAVE WE TOO MANY? | ' SEVERE CRITICISMS, 1- THE HARBOTJE boakd and shippers.' '-Tho big; hydraulic cranes; on tho King's ;Glasgo\v! Wharf<9rß the.cause"of a, !::/£ood. deal discussion in shipping circles just I', ".: now,'and tho polioy of tho Harbour Board in >. this, connection does not meet with, unqualified., fv approval.' The .question :is not altogether a \(] -new one, but it has acquired great importance ■> from the:facts that tho King's Wharf has'now stroUurV and ! '-.. .to-some extent tho Glasgow ~Wbarf also, will •;' bo. used. for . discharging cargo.'as well #3 for loading. In tho post, tho Glasgow Wharf, like thijsEailwayiWharf,: has been: devoted almost. exclusively -to tho .oxport trade, and tho qucs-. .tion i whethor tho installation of .'liydraulio ,-'.;,crane3:on. tho Glasgow Wharfj and:tho #milai. King's!: Wharf, ;• are' well "v inwardeargo has-.^.^*.ll»«6me|bp».of,,i)res|ing:-toterost.-:it;jDiij-. ;.bo noted in- passing that tho Wellington Har- • >. bonri.'Board is somewhat'singular in its crane policy..; At.:Auoltland, ships.:uso:.thcjr.own gear; to a much larger extent. < On the King's Wharf. ;. i.:.:', Before some exports yestorday/ f; i •a' Dominion reporter wont 'down to tho wharves ■ to { refresh his -memory-ag to"what'-the cranes are /really.: like. :. He.: found, that tho King's : .: . Wharf is furnished with twolvo hydrauho gan- •• cranes, six on each side. A gantry orano *'i: a>i Crtiho>; built: ■ on;ajilatfornu'.and ■.ii'itha yi: ; prfsent_.instance,: : these;,platforms, ate' of suchra' :;;v'.neightC I *'.width;';and'construction'.that'.roilwiy them;' Tho logs supporting!'::. the:■>'; platform -terminato ' in, wheels, 1 ff' j" which run on rails laid upon tho wharf.'and •>,-aro.xonnocted with gear, for shifting the cranes v„ i to and fro along rails so as to place them ik; opposite a'lship's: hatches.'. Of these; rails',upon. - which/the cranes run, thn .ono nearest - th.o s ----.middle .of the wharf , is", 10 inclles.high,*and about' 6-' inches 'wide.,! It: thns fo.rms.'a 'lbwvwall," as it! ;.=:,: : -%ero,.running.aloig'-thbavhaTf!from;ond.to end, ■!ij and-'dmding tho 'lev;elVspace .between; tho cranes. .y.J'dnditfio sheds !from the-space whora'the^rail-j way-linos 'are laid, - With such 'a barrior, as lij railway metals/ Whichare'. not sunt] !\.-level!":mthVthe'de6kini'of; the-wharf,' it-'is ob-i impracticable >:to j discharge - cargo .on ,V f "'.! outet"; section - of; tho .wharf: and. run •it .into the .sheds, -as would- otherwise- bo done.-...-.-,-!Qi6.'Kine'B.r!Wharf . has twelve 21-ton : and. lSowt.i,double-powered '!- hydrauUo"gantry-cranes;' • • "fd tho. Glasg(iw Wharf has ten 2-ton cranes of a L '-!'■'Similar > ; typo.':, Theyarrangoments, -as,, to Tails,|vKeto.;sare,;fto sam(j; iwhary^^-.:!!:;,•!,;!:■: "Double-Banking," f Tho first shipping authority who was pre--5 v,':-\ pared, - to' talk ■■ to the> reporter T said; that his. ,l.;! !^ ; great;'obiection';to :the,-present , appliances -was :Was-impossible! - the iship's gear • for .'dischargins. Ho had found the cranes at Sy : ,iTthei; Glasgow Wharf very useful..in loading,' and, [ thcy.wouldbo useful also'for'discharging, both :.i; .therbfand.Top! the -.King's..' Wharf,': but- it 'was! !;■ ,;! of teh\ highly; desirable -'to: ba -able !•! to'!,"double-,-banti'vv thaW is,/-to!, keep'two .'slings going. at ; ' orio'-.hatch.'-'This could -.bo-dono if the ship's fear, could bo used in addition to tho hyriiilic,'crano?on; thevrharf.-trat' the difficulty ;-, !; i.wti that tho ship's gear could ' not land tho slings . ;. olear of the, rails on the wharf. 'This .difficulty ■ could be overcame, .by. placing a movable j jlatj\irith- !an': : inolined,' plane- - from 'it doirn to'the level ccntral portion of • tho i. .wharf. The .'Harbour' Boanl - had been >:;:.:ask'ed.)to.;db'this'.:bnt;no:dei;isionvhtid;y«t;bee,p. fi ' t/aiinouhcedj, ..IJnless.: this -was'.';d6neiihe; did 'hot see how. the ,big.oversea steamers .could get tho ,::!;"J.'guick 'discharge ',W;hich r tli!ijr'ire9'idKd,K:lik:'load''. in^',;ithe! cranes : all. th'StV'was^n«e&ssary. Tho railway trucks were liecdecj .-for londii]^ ;;;':,!.ine4t-;'ond;'butt«r/!! , ;Ths ; .Vailway»llnte the'nse of-ifaittrj;.' cranes, and '. hence tho obstacle 'to- qnick diseharße, as .-air. yf S ready;.'explaiiledi,j;i! Hithort6-'!moSt'?of the!;- big! ,p';' oversea:!vessels- had-discharged at'-the,Queen's ' < AVharf or the Jcrvois Quay-- breastwork, and the. largest- of .them .had alwavs rused their own not.high jdifiic-ulty f. ! in: : 'Monblo-banldnc"': ; :-under those cireum|,i;!;'Btany ,| :'''''-;' ; 's-''' ;7! *''- : •

Increased t t E . ,The- i'extt'shippirip sman'-'irHo-'was'.fseen .ex-, pifsscd.'.more.dissatisfftction;. .:Thcre were'. .too : mpny j;oranesj ;he. -■ considered,on / tHqs : loading' : wharTeSiV'ond ;jnotr enoughon - thd i-a :oiieen'B .-Harbour Board'-h(is?i,hadvtho: rails;, laid/m ;such.a<:wny that wo .can't: dear. them.. -p-jthv-.the.. ship's, gear, and, the. Railway Department won't jlet rnilavi..So; 'weiMo':b.bli|!ed:te,HSo-;the hydraulic bran.es, arid,' ; ttu'-Jbqprd vhfes bumped., up. the: jprjeefrom', 3s,' 61 to 5s an hour." '"Sweeo'Them Away I" ■ " SHllj7R^6nKer^|teMtherit^'were ' rbade 1 by • _ the :nextranthoritj\..'He would like to see ft great away,:aiid>tho'.:worlc dene by moans •of the' ship's . gear.; Ho held thattthe cranes were practically, useless for disfthat?mi!. carpo.i ,They.worej'~-ho..considered, • nitf^.do^>ttMa ; ;tli<d^'3. v ; ported !thisjyiew-:by,' shbwing'ihat/a 'slirigi'.wheri. ■. cained by. a '.crane, .traverses' a' large 'curve, say a 7 semicircle,'whereas ■ ; .when> operated i .'■ bv.' a Ehip's"tackle'and 'derric];s .'its 'liori7,'ontal journey -through! the* air approxi mates to n straight ~,., J infej;Twti', s d^clra^i#rid;Hw6'i':.Win,ehesVrbh'':''a.^ i #rid;Hw6'i' : .Win , ehesVrbh'':''a. Said,-: woWd ! wflrkthree ;slfnits: ...fa.* the-crane's two,- ond .nt half the;cost.; "He 'J^<^Kt;'th«.::]Jarli6uf^^rdvWoald.>.'te v ßetinft. In/.i' Teprparbitrary manner ■-it"''compelled phipS; to'discharge at ithe Kinir's -'Wharfi'.where ji?MVthe>board's' cranes'at :.; ; ,55.'iaii.', hoilr.' r plus '.the'; 1 cost: ijfH shifting them,; Qiieeh's ,',they,i?could :use;;their.,ownv'gear. ',;;The would, J; no.VdpiibtjVmate sthe .cranes .retufh ..a'gpbd per? ; ?rCentage''on.!c6st,'~but'.the'. r shippisg. : .Would; have 'i • The Board's Point tff View, ; : E. "Nicholls,. secretary ,to the .Har- ■ s;bpnr 'ialsib; sflsti- by.".the reporter.", He': ,'f:'BaiaHhat : .i.t ; .was tooearly'yet'.to 'passjudgment o.i ?the .Wharf , cranes., 'Only • three ;s!(omban'ashad'JaMed'.lol)o'itbiis,*.:;thefßannbck•r;: dr<d'tonsr , ; f-Wheri' dvbig'lineri ; with: 5000: or ■ 6000, . ; tbh.<to' i unloadi-,ea'tte' aldng/ '.th'ore 'Would ;bb.a an. 'opinion', on Vi;th.e | ; bffibiency. , and: : suitabilitrf;;of:;th'e. ; plant.'. : .'Xt i;^wa«y ! agreed;between;the.' s boird and^'thbr.shijh present. a.fair itnATTje;: The proposal 'to place 'a- mbvable'.platform' 'vrailiray ; gtary.to" 'be : ;used ; :: ; in-.diseharginp,vWas'-:discussedion that'occasibnt •:;alidiwna:subjeot(to>the fgeneral-Uhdefstanding / ■ '> ref erred-r lofc'.r- .'p . r t 'A'lnV,r6ply.:toa'(question,Mri. .Nioholl3'- said. s - ; .ttat ;from;..th'6l'point 'of vvlew:-of ''the J ,,icharges,ithe 'cranes', did-not iraate: aay'extra-': Sordinary profit; . but. they : were largely used by ::fthe"■'bbard.itself: for..;shit'ting ; go6dsi arid, taking, •' that into account, they paid;very.well.. ■ >: ; --.Th'9 Welye 'cranes on the -King's •'Wharf, frith. : all their accessories,'cost J218,179.' ' •