COAL GRABS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 148, 18 March 1919, Page 5

COAL GRABS

ON THE WELLINGTON WHARVES. In his animal report, Mr. James Marchbanks, engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board, said:— "Since last year six tmall single-chain Priostnian grabs havo been obtained from Messrs. Priostnian Brothers, Ltd., of Hull; they are "uihible for use with the board's two-ton hydraulic .cranes, and havo a capacity of 2G cubic feet when loaded flush. The cranes on tho Railway Wharf havo been adapted for their use. Apart from minor defects in (Jlie gear, whjch developed aftor the grabs were put in rise, they have worked very satisfactorily. It was proved that while they operated well in,the New Zealand coal, lifting up to about 25 tons per hour pea' grab, they were not so successful in large ■ Newcastle coal, tho output being considerably diminished. The grabs arc hired out to tho shipping companies as required, at tho rate of ss. per, hour,. over and above the hire of the crane, .which is also as. per hour, or a total of 10s. per hour, including the crane driver's wages. Up to the present timo there has been a certain amount of opposition to the use of the grabs on the part of some of the men, ,and although there is ;i considerable saving to the ship by their l.se, advantage has not been taken to utilise them to any great extent, and manual labour continues to bo used more tastefully than it should be.

"During the year preliminary plans were made of a coaling depot, where colliers could be quickly unlor/led, and oversea vesMols bunkered much more readily than at present. Several schemes were considered, all of which- were 'dopendent largely on the acquisition of n suitable site on the proposed - greater Thdrndon reclamation. Aniplo space for the storage of some 10,0(10 lons of coal would be needed, together with 'not less than 1500 feet of quay. Provision was made for handlim; coal In be loaded into railway I nicks, and also coal for (own.

"Over 2!)0,fl(IO tons of coal are used annually for bunkering ships; 110,000 tons am discharged ashore for Wellinglon use, and some 150,000 tons into railway wagons for railway purposes, or for transfer to count it districts, makin" a total of 550.000 tons. After carefully considering the mailer, tho board decided to send its engineer to Panama, and the United Slates of .unerica 10. investigate, principally, the methods in use there for handling coal and bunkering steamships, and to report on this ami other mailers on his return."