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Schedule Maintained (Continued from Page 31) of steel but is divided into two pieces, with the forward third hinged up and aft on the after two-thirds, which in turn is hinged up and aft. No. 5 is the same as No. 2 except that it hinges up and forward. No. 6 hateh cover is similar to No. 1, but hinges up and aft. The steel hatch covers can be opened much more quickly than the old type of tarpaulin-covered wood- en covers. The number of strong- backs is also greatly reduced, a fac- tor which increases the speed of mak- - ing ready for cargo handling. No. 1 hatch has but a single strongback on the upper deck. Insulated wood- en covers are used on the main and lower decks, each requiring three strongbacks. No. 2 hatchway re- quires two strongbacks on the upper deck and five each on the main and lower decks. The after hatches are similar excepting that provision is made for the shaft tunnel in way of Nos. 5 & 6 hatches in the hold. Sinee the Colombian liners carry passengers as well as freight they do not transport very much deck cargo. The weather decks are all of wood and are adequately equipped with ring bolts, stanchions, etc., for the lashing of such deck cargo as they might carry. On the upper deck for- ward there are placed four cargo hold ventilators, which are trunked through the ’tween decks, while six similar ventilators are to be found on the after deck. Two small man- holes, with a 6-inch coaming, give access from the weather deck for- ward to ladders leading to the upper *tween decks. In the ’tween decks other ladders lead below. - On the after deck are four similar means of access. The manholes are equipped with steel covers, inside of which are fitted insulated wocden covers. Description of Winches Four winches are provided at each mast, the after two on the foremast being double-drum winches for use With the 25-ton heavy-lift boom. All others are single-drum double-reduc- tion electric winches, capable of lift- ing 4000 pounds at 174 feet per min- ute. One of the drums of the double- drum winches has the same capacity for use with the 5-ton booms and is equipped with a clutch which throws this drum out of gear and a heavy- lift treble reduction drum into gear. The heavy-lift drum is capable of hoisting a load of 25 tons on a nine- part fall at a speed of 9 feet per min- ute. The motors furnishing power to the winches are all of 25 horse- power. The winches are of rugged construction and did not exceed the motor rating on any of the perform- ances cited above. Similar type winches are used with the cargo arm cranes at Nos. 3 & 4 36 blind hatches. The cargo winches were designed and built by the build- er of the vessels. Recognition has been given to the possibility of the ships entering ports where one man is permited to operate two winches, and the controls for each pair of winches are placed in such a posi- tion that they can be worked by one operator located immediately fore or aft of the centerline of the various overall hatches. The controls have been located so that the operators have a full view of the holds at all times. Cargo Cranes For Blind Hatches The use of cargo cranes in way of Nos. 3 & 4 blind hatches exemplify the efficiency of cargo handling man- agement and the application of sci- entific principles to loading and dis- charging. In the loading of coffee, coconuts, and other bagged cargo, the bags are placed on belt conveyors and carried into the ship through the sideport hatches Nos. 3 & 4 to the blind hatches located on the main ’tween decks. Chutes are placed from the main ’tween decks to the lower *tween decks and from there to the holds. One chute is placed fore and aft, while the one below it is placed adjacent and aft and fore. The bags come off the conveyor and _ shoot down the first slide. At the bottom of the first chute two men pick up the bags and slide them down the adjacent chute into the holds where the gang stows the bags. Operating on No. 4 blind hatch, two such chutes may be placed and thus both the port and starboard No. 4 holds can be worked at the same time. This is an impressive appli- cation of the gravity principle of ma- terials handling. Access is had to the Nos. 3 & 4 ’tween decks and holds both through the overall and the blind hatches. This means that the cargo can be stowed from both ends by two gangs, thus speeding up the process of loading. In discharging from the holds and lower ’tween decks sling loads of freight, in the main bagged cargo, are made up in the holds in way of the Nos. 3 & 4 blind hatches, A line is lowered from the cargo arm crane in the main ’tween decks to the hold and the draft made fast. The sling- load is then hoisted to the main *tween decks. When the draft has cleared the hatchway the crane arm swings around on a_ semi-circular monorail, which allows the arm to be swung either to port or to star- board. The bags are landed on the deck, picked up by the longshoremen and placed on electrical belt convey- ors, on which they are moved out to the deck of the pier. It is also pos- sible to discharge from holds Nos. 3 & 4 by way of the overall hatches, giving two points of exit for the cargo. But one crane is needed at No. 2 MARINE REvVIEw—January, 1935 blind hatch because both the No. 3 lower ‘tween deck and hold compart- ments consist of one large space ex- tending the full width of the ship. At No. 4 blind hatch, however, two cranes are necessary because the shaft tunnel divides the No. 4 cargo told into two sections, port and star- board. The modern cargo handling fea- tures of the new Colombian ships and the manner in which they are used bear testimony to the efficiency of the Colombian Line organization. Passenger Business Up As an indication of greatly im- proved passenger business, the fol- lowing is quoted from a statement recently made by Mr. Baird, passen- ger traffic manager, Canadian Pa- cific Steamship lines: “The most significant feature of this winter’s cruise business is that this year, six weeks in advance of the departure of the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN on her world cruise, every suite. has been reserved, and we have 25 per cent more bookings now than we have had at the same time last year. “During the past few years while there has been a fair percentage of demands for expensive accommoda- tions, travel bargains have been nostly sought. A significant feature of this early booking activity which also indicates returning economic confidence is that steamship com- panies all report their advance book- ings in the higher brackets, with cheaper accommodations still avail- able. This is a direct reversal of last year’s situation, when at this time practically all the lower priced rooms had been taken. The costly accom- modations are outselling the cheap- er, which seems to fix the economic improvement idea even more firmly.” Draftsmen Wanted Open competitive examinations have been announced by the United States civil service commission for positions in ship work, as chief engineering draftsman; principal engineering draftsman; senior. engineering draftsman; and engineering drafts- man, Applications for these positions must be on file with the United States civil service commission, Washington, not later than Jan. 14, 1935. The en- trance salaries range from $2600 for principal engineering draftsman to $1800 a year for engineering drafts- man, subject to certain deductions. Full information may be obtained from the secretary of the United States civil service board of examiners at the post office and custom house in cities having a post office of the first or second class, or from the United States civil service commission, Washing- ton,