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These forks pick up the sliding boards. The machine piles one load on top of another for storage on the dock when making up cargo prior to the arrival of the vessel. When the cargo is due to move outbound, the truck picks up the slingboard with its two to three-ton load and moves it to ship side, or for side port work, rapidly deposits the sling board loads on four wheel trailers, which aré worked in trains, two or three each, and hauled by a gasoline tractor over the Barlow elevators and into the ship side ports. A straight and level continuous movement of freight. By this method, ramps of any nature, have been eliminated. As an interesting example of what can be accomplished by the use of modern freight handling equipment; such as the elevators and electric trucks; the operating department of the Grace line reports that on other vessels, for which the line is agent, the following is accomplished: One shipment, consisting of 270 drums of material, weighing 88,000 pounds, was discharged from the ship, loaded on trucks and cleared from the dock in three hours time. This shipment was handled by the electric trucks alone. Three motor trucks were used for hauling the ma- terial to the warehouse, some dis- tance away. Under previous methods, this same amount of cargo handling would have taken six to eight hours, using the same three motor trucks, but without the electric trucks. At another time, 120 tons of coffee and steel were received from a coast- wise vessel and handled over the dock in two hours time. One lift truck and one gasoline trac or were used. While the records are not com- plete for the working of the ships the Grace lines operating depart- ment has the situation well in hand, and is confident that it will show ma- terial improvements over the figures given. All men connec‘ed with the organization are very enthusiastic and greatly appreciate the facilities at the Bell street terminal furnished by the port of Seattle. <— Hoist Unit | \ OUTER PLATFORM Panama Canal Traffic Less During Last Year Traffic through the Panama Canal during the calendar year 1932, from figures given in the Panama Canal Record, showed a decrease over that. in 1934. The total tolls for, the year 1932 was $19.685,- 671.81, compared with $22,530,- 820.84 for 1931 and $26,146,024.96 for the year 1930. The total tons of cargo transported through the canal during 1932 wag 18,099,938, as com- pared with 22,048,197 in 1931 and 27,847,941 in 1930. The number of transits for 1932 was 4367 com- pared with 4972 for 1931 and 5885 for 1930. Commercial vessels of 22 nati: nali- ties transitted the canal during 1932. Of the total transits 38.6 per cent were vessels of the United States and 24.3 per cent were of British registry. These two nationalities thus made up 62.9 per cent of the total transits for the year. The ten leading nation- alities were, United States, British, Norwegian, German, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Italian and French. The standing of the various nations in percentage of tons of cargo trans- ported through the canal in the calen- dar year 1932 is as follows: United States, 43.0; British, 24.5; Norwe- gian, 8.6; German, 4.7; Japanese, 5.4; Dutch, 2.4; Swedish, 3.4: Dan- ish, 2.6; Italian, 1.1; French, 1.6; all others, 2.7. Brilliant Rescue at Sea The AMERICAN MERCHANT, under command of Capt. Giles C. Stedman has added another brilliant rescue at sea to the fine record of American seamanship. The AMERICAN MER- CHANT was delayed three days in reaching port by heavy weather and by her heroic 12-hour fight against a mid-ocean gale in rescuing the 22 sur- vivors of the British freighter Exrerrnr Ciry, on Jan. 20. Part of the delay was due to the reduced quantity of fuel oil on board due to a liberal use of = —-——Hoist UNIT t INNER PLATFORM To CoD STORAGE _— AuTOMaTic GATE 252 Floor UPPER Lwarr 3 Soret lone mescor----------- ie ! 2 COUNTER BALANCED : FouDina Arron “| scncy tt —_________l1} > hk apr rN i + Le Lower Limrr BoTtH PLATFORMS 32 Section of Bell Street Terminal, Seattle, Wash. MARINE REVIEW—March, 1933 the oil in calming the breaking waves in making the rescue. The Exeter Crry had lost overboard her captain Ernest Legg, her third of- ficer, a seaman and an _ apprentice when the AMERICAN MERCHANT came up. The remaining 22 were taken on board the AMERICAN MERCHANT by skillful seamanship. Captain Stedman maneuvered his ship close enough to the EXrTerR City to shoot a line across. By making fast a line to a lifeboat, it was hauled to the side of the EXETER City and then safely ferried back and forth between the two ships until all of the survivors of the sinking EXETER City were safely on board the AMERI- CAN MERCHANT. On arrival in New York harbor, international code flags were dis- played on ships there, reading ‘‘Very well done.’’ No greater tribute could be paid to the seamanship ex- hibited by Captain Stedman and his men. The medal of valor of the city of New York was awarded to Captain Stedman, who is one of the youngest captains in the transgsat- lantic service. He is 35 years of age. lron Steamboat Co. Only $15,050 was the total bid at auction for the seven iron hull ex- cursion vessel of the Iron Steam- boat Co. recently offered for sale in New York harbor by the receivers. These vessels, the CEPHEUS, CYGAUS. TAREUS, PERSEUS, StRIUS, PeGAsuS and the CreTUS go back to the year of 1881 when they were built as excursion boats for use in New York harbor and for the run to Coney island. At that time these vessels represented an investment of $1,250,000. It is estimated that in the many years of operation, this fleet carried 95,000,000 passengers. The name of the company originated in the fact that the vessels all had iron hulls. These hulls, it is said, are still in excellent condition. School Ship Graduation The New York State Merchant Marine academy held its annual graduation exercises on Jan. 31 at the Maritime exchange, 80 Broad street, New York city. Arthur M. Tode of the class of 1912 presided. Highteen graduates were present- ed with diplomas and licenses in the merchant marine. The graduates in the deck depart- ment were: Walter Barnett Jr., O. A. Friedlander, G. H. Lundell, Donald McKinlay, W. F. Stevenson, Howard Thompson, J. Jj. Arasino- witz, J. W. Behnken, Daniel Dillon, P. R. Emmons, R. W. Power, Ros- coe Smith, and G. J. Tullberg. In the engineering department the graduates were: F. J. Caldwell, Edward Gallick, John O'Donnell, L. W. Smith, and S. B. Whitmore.