DIAGONAL SHIFTING BOARDS FOR GRAIN CARGOES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1189, 7 February 1880, Page 2

DIAGONAL SHIFTING BOARDS FOR GRAIN CARGOES.

'• . (New York Maritime Register.) In our issue of October 15 there appeared an account of a new method of stowing grain in bulk (republished in the Shipping' News of December 6). Appended will bo found an account'of a most fair atrial of this system. It is taken from a letter just received in regard to the trial of the Quintavalli diagonal shifting boards, written by Captain F. W. Hill, of the barque. Frances, and directed to G. F. Bulley, Esq., the consignee of this vessel here. ■ "Sharpness, November.!, 1879. : " Am glad to tell you that, although we had such a tough passage, so far there is not the slightest damage to be seen, and the wea.ther we have had has been enough to try any>ship. In the Gulf Stream we were hove-to with a gale from the N.E;, ancl in an instant- caught aback and brbUgh't .round to ' ■ the - other tack, witha gale from the S.E., causing a liigh cross sea. 'Again, off the -Bints we had a heavy gale 'from,' the,';S.El, with a tremendous sea from: the S. W. Could not lay-to, on the other tack, so had to run to the northward. One. heavy sea broke on board, knocking the galley to pieces and . falling with such force into the longboat amidships that it knocked some of her bottom outj' carrying away some ; ' of: the bulwark, 4c.'- .Consequently, the new patent fitting had' a good trial, and has fully answered every expectation. I ha,ve carried grain in bulk from the- Baltic, Black Sea, and New. York, and in bags' from Australia'and San Francisco, but never before found my ship so buoyant and comfor: able * with a grain cargo.' I would, therefore, '"strongly recommend it to all vessels carrying grain ; and, were I an underwriter, would certainly insure vessels so'fitTetl at" a less premium. I'consider it much;->safer .than, bags, .as bags will always sag to leeward. On removing the hatches here.l measured the settlement, and found Lt -exactly*'.twelve'; inches, i t thought it possible when we were being fitted up that some ; of the stanchions from the beams to the boards might work out; but such has not been the case, one only'having slightly started. All the other fittings'are just as pefect as when put up at: New York. . "F. W.Hill."