the Colliery guardian

AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol. CXIII.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1917.

No. 2924.

COAL AND SHIPPING.

XI.—Coal Supplies at Spanish Ports.

The principal coaling ports in Spain include Gibraltar,
Barcelona and Valencia, on the Mediterranean Sea;
then, on the shores of the Atlantic, are Cadiz, in the
south-west, and Vigo, Ferrol and Corcubion in the north-
west, whilst on the northern coast is the prominent port
of Bilbao.

Ferrol and Corcubion.

Steaming south from the British Isles across the Bay
of Biscay, Ferrol and Corcubion are the first ocean coal-
ing stations available.

At Ferrol is located the principal naval dockyard and
arsenal of Spain; but the port also provides for bunker

J

iH •

*hv '

Bunkering Barge at Barcelona.

Fig. 1.—Mechanically-equipped







supplies to merchant vessels, hulks being 'anchored in
the harbour for the afloat storage of Welsh coal. Bunker
deliveries can be effected at the rate of up to about 50
or 60 tons per hour for quantities of 400 to 500 tons ; so
far, hand (including female) labour prevails; and two
vessels, one at each side of la hulk, can receive supplies
at the same time. The imports of coal at Ferrol
in 1913 amounted to about 28,250 tons, all of which
was consigned from Great Britain, with the exception
of about 5,000 tons: but during the year following the
quantity declined to about 16,500 tons, all of which was
Welsh coal. This decline in quantity was doubtless on
account of conditions attributable to the war. The
bunker supplies during the year 1914 amounted to
12,800 tons, supplied to 192 vessels, of which 56 were
British.

At Corcubion (Cape Finisterre) hulks are also avail-
able, and developments are being effected both by the
provision of mechanical appliances and in connection
with the storage ashore. These measures will improv©
the bunkering facilities, and allow for supplies of up
to 800 or 1,000 tons per day. Welsh coal exported to
Corcubion during the year 1914 amounted to nearly
13,000 tons, all of which was supplied for bunkers, whilst
the previous year the total was about 17,000 tons. The
number of vessels supplied with bunkers during 1914
was 210, of which 81 were British, and called for 4,700
tons. Corcubion, it may be mentioned, is almost
entirely concerned with bunkering, the only other
industry of importance there being the production of
calcium carbide.

Vigo and Cadiz.

Vigo, further south, affords good accommodation for
shipping. The entrance channel to the harbour, which
is about 1,700 yds. in width and 13 miles long, has a,
depth of from about 35 ft. to 100 ft.; there is an exten-
sive anchorage area, and one of the jetties provides
about 600 ft. length of wharfage, with 28 ft. minimum
depth of water alongside, and is equipped with steam
cranes. A new wharf, completed last year, is also to be
equipped with cranes. For discharging coal at Vigo, a
harbour due = 2|d. per ton is charged, but no duty is
levied on coal received for bunker supplies; bunkering
facilities there are also being improved, and Welsh coal

6

By F. J. WARDEN-STEVENS,
M.I.M.E., A.M.LE.E., &c.

is supplied alongside hulks or from lighters. The
imports of coal at Vigo during 1913 amounted to about
34,000 tons, and to about'28,000 tons in 1914. The
effect of the war on bunker supplies, not included in
the above total, was a reduction of about 14,000 tons
during 1914. Vigo is a port of call for numerous steam-
ship lines, chiefly en route for South American ports.
British vessels making regular calls include those of the
Royal Mail, Pacific Steam Navigation, Nelson, Houlder,
Lamport and Holt, and Houston lines.

Further south, beyond the coast of Portugal, is Cadiz,
also a naval port, near the Straits of Gibraltar. This

HOOK *

Fig. 2.—Portable Transporter

(Trolley),

port certainly offers advantages to vessels bound from
America or the North of Europe for the Mediterranean,
and is the most southerly port of call for vessels from
Europe bound for South America or South Africa. The
bay, which is well protected, and about 10 miles in
length, affords a good anchorage for large vessels, and
the trade of Cadiz enables freight to be frequently avail-
able. There is about 42 ft. minimum depth of water at
the entrance to the harbour, and improvements are
being effected there. Vessels with a draught of up to
22 ft. can go alongside the Reina Victoria quay at low
tide, and the Puntales wharf will accommodate vessels
drawing up to 14 ft. of water. Coal shipments from this
country to Cadiz during 1913 exceeded 60,000 tons.
Bunker supplies are free from customs or port charges,

and are available afloat in lighters, which are towed
alongside; or vessels with a draught of up to 30 ft. can
anchor alongside a hulk, which has a storage capacity of
about 3,000 tons. This hulk is fitted with two portable

transporter beams, and two more are being added to the
equipment. The transporters are worked by means of
high-speed winches, and are each capable of handling
about 40 tons of coal per hour.

Valencia and Barcelona.

Within a few hours’ steaming of Cadiz is the entrance
to the Mediterranean, and, passing through the Straits,
Gibraltar is reached. It is, however, hardly opportune
to refer to cqaling there, on account of war conditions
and its naval significance to Britain.

Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast, is of some pro-
minence as a coaling port, as will be evident from the
fact that, during the year 1913, about 181,000 tons of
coal and briquettes were imported, of which quantity
slightly over 55,000 tons—consisting of about 28,700 tons
of steam coal, 12,700 tons of gas coal, and about 14,000

tons of briquettes—were consigned from Great Britain.

The harbour at Valencia provides accommodation for
vessels having a draught of up to 26 ft.; and, as regards
bunkering facilities, floating storage is available in hulks,
one of which has a hold capacity of about 2,500 tons, and
is equipped with a jib crane which is movable on a rail
track. Coal supplies are also effected from lighters.

Barcelona is considered the principal mercantile port
of Spain in the Mediterranean, and as it serves the
largest manufacturing centre of that country, particu-
larly concerned with the cotton industry, coal therefore
is in great demand. During the year 1913 some
1,200,000 tons of coal were received at Barcelona, of
which quantity about 722,700 tons were consigned from
this country, including about 380,300 tons from South
Wales, and 313,800 tons from the north-east coast ports,
as well as about 21,000 tons of briquettes. Of the
balance of the total supplies at Barcelona during 1913,
about 300,500 tons came from the mines of Spain, about
149,000 'tons from Germany, and about 27,500 tons from,
the United States. The changes for the discharge of coal
cargoes at Barcelona include a port due equal to about
Is. 5d. per ton, a transport tax of about.4jd. per ton,
and a quay tax of about Id. to l|d. per metre length of
the vessel and per day. The port facilities at Barcelona
at present include quays, which are equipped with
hydraulic cranes, and have a depth of about 20 ft. along-
side, the minimum depth of water nt the harbour
entrance being about 26 ft. It should be noted, how-
ever, that improvements are being effected, which
include additional dock and wharfage accommodation,
and the 'construction of a breakwater. As regards coal
bunker supplies, floating storage is available in hulks,
some of which are equipped with four portable trans-
porters of the type already described. In this case,
high-speed electric winches are used, and tilting buckets
with a capacity of one ton, by means of which bunker-
ing can be effected at the rate of about 100 to 120 tons
per hour. In addition to the
ordinary lighters, which are
also used for bunker deliveries
at this port, a self-propelling
bunkering barge is available
(fig. 1). This is driven by
steam power, and has twin
screw propellers. It is also
equipped with Temperley port-
able transporters for deliveries
either direct from its own hold,
which has b capacity of 350
tons, or from lighters alongside
and at the rate of about 80
tons per hour. For supplies
through side bunker ports, the
coal is delivered by the trans-
porters, first into elevated
hoppers fitted on the barge, and
then by adjustable chutes.

It will here be of interest to
describe the Temperley port-
able transporter. This appli-
ance comprises a steel beam of
I section, with stiffening plates
riveted to the upper flange.
The beam is slung from a der-
rick by wire ropes, 'and held in
position by guide ropes. A
trolley, travelling backwards
beam, between the loading

this
ends, is operated by a flexible

and forwards on
and discharging	-j - ———

steel wire rope, which passes from the winch through
guide blocks, over a sheave at one end of the beam, and
then over a sheave on the trolley, ending in the hoisting
hook; at the other end of the beam, cleats are fitted to
prevent the trolley from over-running. This equipment
requires only one rope, which lifts the load, transports
it along the beam by means of the trolley, and lowers it
for discharge; and it can be worked by a ship’s winch,