THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN AND JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Vol. CXII. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1916. No. 2915. COAL AND SHIPPING. IX.—Coaling at the Panama Canal Balboa. The principal coaling station, which was referred to in the previous article of this series,* is that established at Cristobal, the Atlantic terminal of the canal, and doubtless this would have sufficed for the requirements of vessels passing through the canal, at least for some time to come. The requirements of the United States Navy, however, called for an additional coaling station, at the Pacific terminal of the canal, which it is now proposed to describe. It will be seen that this station, although smaller as regards storage capacity and extent of equipment, has nevertheless been provided with facilities similar to those at Cristobal, viz., for dis- charging, storing under water as well as in stacks, transferring from storage, and loading. Leases of storage ground are also to be granted. It is presumably anticipated, therefore, that the Pacific station will be patronised also by vessels which are not passing through the canal, but are bound coastwise from South to North American Pacific ports, and from the East to North American West Coast ports; and will also serve to meet emergency requirements in the event of delays or con- By F. J. WARDEN-STEVENS, M.I.M.E., A.M.I.E.E., &c. forms the outer boundary of the coal storage ground. The storage ground extends 345 ft. in depth from the discharging wharf, and is 800 ft. in length. A track- way, 00 ft. in width, for the storage handling equipment, runs lengthwise near the centre, and divides the storage into two stacks : the one nearer the wharf measuring 148 ft. wide at its base, and the inner pile 135 ft. in width. A wall, adjoining the storage equipment track, forms a boundary to this inner pile. The under-water storage space, which is 310 ft. in length, is situated about 305 ft. from one end of the storage ground, and has a depth of 28 ft., extending about 18 ft. below the average sea-level. The open or dry storage extends on either side, and is continued above the under-water storage; the total storage space thus allowing for 50,000 tons under water, and 215,000 tons dry. The equipment provided at this station is about half the total capacity of that at Cristobal, there being only two discharging plants and two loading equipments, instead of four of each; but these plants are similar, both in type and.capacity, to those at Cristobal. The storage transporters; thus delivery to storage will be effected at the rate of 500 tons per hour. When taking coal from storage for loading, not only will the storage transporters deliver to the transfer cars, but the dis- charging cranes will also be used for that purpose, and thus delivery to the loaders will be effected at the rate of 1,000 tons per hour. An elevated storage bin, of 1,500 tons capacity, constructed of reinforced concrete, and supported on a steel structure, is provided on the loading wharf, at the end adjoining the discharging wharf. This is supplied by the transfer cars, which deliver into a receiving hopper situated under their elevated track; from this hopper the coal is raised by an inclined conveyor belt, 42 in. in width, and dis- charged into the bin, telescopic and adjustable chutes being used for delivery of the coal from the storage bin into tugs or barges. Delivery can be effected by means of these adjustable chutes, when fully extended, at an elevation 20 ft. below the level of the wharf deck, and at an elevation 10 ft. above the deck of the wharf when not extended. The loading plants, as already mentioned, are similar to those provided at Cristobal. The conveyor belts of these plants, which are 42 in. in width, are arranged for varying the speed from 225 ft. to 450 ft. per minute, in six steps, and thus the loaders can deliver at the rate of from 60 to 600 tons each per hour. The power requirements for the equipment are pro- i' ■ Ac r gestion at the Atlantic terminal, because the bulk, if not all, of the coal supplies for the coaling stations at the Panama Canal will, it is expected, be delivered from the Atlantic side. Balboa Coaling Station. Balboa, at the Pacific terminal of the canal, was originally called La Boca, and has been used as a port by the Panama Railroad Company for some 20 years, in preference to Panama. The coaling station at Balboa has been constructed on a site adjoining the dry docks, south of and near the entrance to the inner harbour. The general plan of this station, however, differs from that at Cristobal, as the discharging and loading ■wharves adjoin, and extend at an angle of about 135degs. along the water front, forming a sea wall, instead of being parallel as at Cristobal. The discharging wharf is about 855 ft. in length, and the loading wharf about 745 ft. long, so that there is a total of 1,600 ft. water frontage available, with a depth of water alongside varying from 35 ft. at low tide to 45 ft. at normal sea-level. This wharf deck is 48 ft. in width, and at the rear is a wall 10 ft. in height, which * Colliery Guardian, October 20, 1916, p. 745. Fig. 1.—Coaling Station at Balboa. storage equipment, however, differs from that provided at Cristobal, and comprises four tower-type transporters or double-cantilever cranes, the transport track extend- ing from either side of the tower, and therefore over both storage piles. The transfer arrangement also differs somewhat from that at Cristobal, and comprises a single track, of 3 ft. gauge, elevated 17 ft., and sup- ported on a steel viaduct and concrete pillars, situated alongside the wharf, or outer boundary wall, and along the inner boundary wall of the further coal storage pile. These tracks are looped at each end of the storage ground, and extended by parallel looped tracks along the rear of the loading wharf. The steel transfer ears are of the single hopper type, for discharge on one side only, instead of the double hopper type for discharge on both sides, as at Cristobal, but they are of similar capa- city—10 tons; only 34 being provided, however, instead of 88. These cars are operated by two 3 horse-power eonsitant-speed electric motors. The method of dis- charging is similar to that arranged for at Cristobal, but the storage system differs. The discharging plants deliver the coal direct to storage within their range, and it is also distributed by the transfer ears along their track, and across the storage ground by means of the vided for by the main hydro-electric power station of the canal, situated at Gatun, where electricity is generated on the three-phase system at a pressure of 2,300 volts. At Balboa there is a sub-station, situated on the loading wharf, where the electricity supply is transformed down to a pressure of 440 volts fo