HANDLING THE MAIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11508, 2 October 1915, Page 7

HANDLING THE MAIL.

NEW YORK'S NEW POST OFFICE A REMARKABLE BUILDING. j Tim new' Grand Central Terminal Post Office*, said to bo the largest and most elaborately equipped plantain the world for handling hoary mail, was vised for the first time recently. The "building occupies an entire block, and, although it is hut three /storeys high at preterit, it contains 100,000 square feet of floor space. The, building is con-. structed in such a- way that many storeys may bo add'od. Tho structure is unique for its la-bour-saving devices. The whole building is lined with belt earners that eliminate the trucking of mail. It is built directly over the tracks of the 'New York Central railway, and is connected with the Grand Central Post Office by a belt conveyor from one building to the other economically and expeditiously. THE DAY'S WOliK. The problem by which the Post Office Department and the railroad are confronted' is the handling of 800,0001b of mail a day. This mail is carried on 227 trains, eleven of which are mail trains of nine to fourteen cars carrying nothing but mail. The system of conveyors, bucket lifta, spiral aud loading chutes is expected to expedite materially the handling of mails. Tho main entrance is ) on Depew Place. There is a large platform for the receipt and delivery j of mail to and from the waggons. ! When brought to this platform, the bags are dropped , directly from the trucks into conveying chutes, which take them to any part of the Post Office desired or directly to the outgoing trains, where they are deflected by trippers into the proper cars. The mailing platform is 1700 ft long, and oji it are two belts running in opposite directions. One belt ig 940 ft long and the other 600 ft. ITTne cam may be loaded at the same time by these belts. For handling the mail on incoming trains, there are openings in the platform every few feet. into which the mail-bags may be thrown and carried direct to the new or old post office as desired'. The entire platform is lined with telephones and signal bells.