FIFTY YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15657, 10 July 1914, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

PROGRESS IN SHIPPING. #STJNLOADING BY STEAM. .'■ d> r om the Hbrald of July 11. 1884.) ' ft is'B curious and interesting sight to eViratch the process of discharging the. cargo • of» vessel alongside the wharf by steam. ::.•;The engine of Messrs. Butt and Anderson, I -it,, "King Lew," is a small specimen of 7 ■•'•■ -jimneering skill certainly; but watch the f;. efforts of "King Lear" and you will be ? 'astonished at his power. At first sight ;- he appears to be merely puffing consider- ]■■■ jbly, and working himself about in his [■;; various limbs for the sake of the amuse- '; pfcnt of the exercise, but presently a :; •■ whistle is heard, and His Majesty's atten- ,• dant touches a small lever at his side, and '. immediately he goes into a state of frenzy, .an working his small, piston-rod with ; th 9 speed of 70 or {10 swings to the '' minute, he emits a roar, and immediately , about 7cwt of goods are hoisted from the hold of the ship to the main-yard, and ;;hen lowered with a crash of the engine •• /una I .'* squeal of the blocks exactly on to .the spot intended. The king again fishes , jewt, or 7cwt, or any weight up to 2 tons, ; volt, of t v o hold and lands it on to the «iarf. Thus lie works all day ion<» if ; jecessary, as hard as 50 men and five or . ' pi horses, or no gently that a baby ..might be hoisted tenderly to the yard- ' ana and landed without injury on the :7wharf. .This groat .assistance to the '■;. manual labour of discharging ships' cargoes is not the only one. There is another lat work on the wharf, but as it '■•'is'' inferior to tho royal pretensions of ■ "King . Lear," wo have chosen His -Majesty for description.