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ception of Fords, are lifted with the cranes so that a dolly can be placed underneath. The load is then pulled to ship side by the crane trucks. An important point in this operation is that the coupling between the truck and dolly is at the same end of the truck as the hook on the crane. Therefore after the box has been lifted it is not necessary to turn the truck around to couple up with the dolly. On crowded piers a long run up to 100 feet might be necessary to find room for turning and this coupling feature of the trucks used by the American South African line saves much time. Fords are picked up by the three ton cranes and carried on the hook to ship’s side without the aid of a dolly. This method however is not feasible if the pier is very full of freight because of the narrow aisles, in which the dolly system would be much faster. Platform slings are used in handl- ing small cases. The drafts are made up on the floor at the pile and are picked up by the cranes. Spreaders are used to keep the cases from fall- ing from the platform sling while being transported to ship’s side. Net Slings are Used Net slings are used in handling various commodities, especially barb- ed wire. When using hand trucks, it is only possible to put three reels of barbed wire on each truck, but with net slings it is possible to put as many as 52 reels on one draft making the draft up at the pile rather than at ship’s side. These drafts are then picked up by the cranes and taken to the proper hatch. :a<* Rope slings are used more. exten- sively with this crané operation than any. other type of sling. Large cases of various shapes and sizes are most easily handled by carrying them on the crane hook. When carried on hand trucks, it is difficult to take them through narrow aisles, but hanging from the hook of a crane they can easily be swung so as to pass through quite readily. The American South African line UUDLUNUQUULUUIUTTAUUUUTUUUECUOEU TEAR Type of lift truck used by American- South African line interchanges be- tween platform bodies and crane attachment. It takes but a few seconds to drop the platform body and engage the crane attachment UUUTTATEETLTUETRLUROTAECUOAATTCUCGAAO TCE ships load for six ports, therefore, must have their stowage arranged carefully to facilitate discharging at the other end of the run. It has been found advantageous to place many lighters on the opposite side of the pier rather than off shore so that the material on the lighters can be worked to any hatch in the entire ship. The same electric crane trucks are used for taking the material from the lighters to ship’s side. By using the topping lift type of crane or crane attachment it is possible to take the cargo from the lighters with no difficulties due to tide levels. The drafts are made up on the lighter and are then pulled by the crane, which is at the stringpiece of the pier to a position where the draft can be lifted. The crane then carries the draft to the proper hatch of the ship. Ags many as three lighters are worked at one time by these crane trucks. It has been found, over a period of years, that one truck per hatch is ample to move the freight as fast as it can be stowed. In many cases the drafts are accumulated ahead of the ship’s hook in the pier doorway. By accumulating several drafts ahead when running on short hauls, the truck can make longer hauls without keeping the ship’s hook hanging. These complete drafts in slings which are accumulated in the doorway are lifted with the ship’s tackle without the difficulties often encountered when auxiliary gear is AUNVUUUOQUUEUEUTUVUUUTENUTUUDOUU ETUDE LETTE This type of 3-ton capacity electric crane with teles- cope boom handles freight from deck of lighters and trans- fers drafts to any one of several hatches at low cost TAQUUUUUUUUOOOUOQOQUQUOONOOOO0U0O0N T0001 MARINE Review—April, 1931 The drafts in the slings can be placed side by side or even two used. rows deep and still be taken aboard without the draft falling apart. Some advantages which the Ameri- can South African line has found in the use of power equipment are out- lined above. In addition, there is the | decreased cost per ton and the speed- ing up of the operation until there is now practically no over time work. The electric trucks enable making long hauls from any portion of the pier to ship’s side with much greater speed than is possible with hand trucks, and it is possible to get close stowage of the cargo inside the ship by its proper selection from any por- tion of the pier or lighters. The pier in spite of its narrowness is remarkably free from congestion because there are no hand trucks used and also because motor trucks can now come in and leave their loads at any convenient place. The motor trucks thus are quickly un- loaded and get off the pier and they do not have to wait for a chance to unload at one specific point to be near any hatch. Breaks Speed Record The Canadian Pacific liner Em-+ PRESS OF JAPAN arrived at Vancouver on Feb. 21 with a new trans-Pacific record. Arriving exactly eight days three hours and 18 minutes after leaving Yokohama, the new liner clipped three hours and 40 minutes off her previous record, established last summer. Although the EMPRESS or JAPAN has been in service less than a year, she has twice broken the record between Yokohama and Van- couver and has established new fast speeds between Vancouver and Hono- lulu and Honolulu and the Orient. Passage of the Copeland-Parker bill at Washington on Feb. 27 for 24-hour inspection service at the New York quarantine station will eliminate the present inadequate system of “sunrise to sunset” inspection. ce The bill was introduced at the re- quest of the New York port authority to improve conditions. 87