THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol. CXIIL

FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1917.

No. 2945.

COAL AND SHIPPING

XVII.—Coaling	in

The West Indies occupy a prominent position on the
important shipping routes between Europe and the
Mexican Gulf ports, Central America and the northern
ports of South America; also on the route of vessels
bound between the eastern ports of the United States
and Canada and the northern coast of South America.
The prosperity of the British West Indies reached its
zenith about 40 years back, the trade then gradually
declining to less than half 20 years later. A slight
recovery has occurred since, which can be greatly
extended in view of the resources available in the
islands—cotton, sugar and other industries, as well as
petroleum.- Further, the West Indian Islands are on
the direct route of the Panama Canal—a fact which
cannot fail to have an important bearing on their
future prosperity, providing ample facilities are afforded
for their development. Regarding their status as
coaling stations—true, American coal has almost
entirely secured the market owing to the geographical
position and advantage possessed in distance and
freight rates over supplies from England, but it
is in the British interest to improve the coaling
facilities at the islands under the British flag even
if American coal has to be handled at those islands.
It remains to be seen whether the policy of imme-
diate action or delay is adopted in the direction
of meeting the competition not only of the coaling
stations at the Panama Canal, but of stations at other
of the West Indian islands, which are possessions or
under the protectorate of the United States, where great
improvements have already recently been effected, as
will be indicated in the following notes.

First, it is proposed to refer to some of the most
important islands of the British West Indies, which
include Trinidad, St. Lucia, Barbados, situated east of
the Carribbean Sea, and, then, Jamaica at the west.

Trinidad.

The island of Trinidad is situated off the mainland of
Venezuela, the capital being Port of Spain, in the north
of the island. The harbour comprises a large open
roadstead, which provides an anchorage of 25 ft. to
35 ft.; alongside the quays the depth at low water is
only about 12 ft., whilst the jetty at high tide affords
a depth of some 17 ft. of water. Vessels rounding
Cape San Roque, on the coast of Brazil, and the most
easterly point of South America, frequently take the
Trinidad route when bound for ports in the Gulf of
Mexico, as the benefit of the strong current is obtained
to best advantage, whilst the hurricane zone is
avoided. Most of the coal supplied to Trinidad is
consigned from the United States—amounting to
something like 120,000 tons per annum, and the rate
of bunker deliveries is from 20 to 50 tons per hour.
The coal is supplied to vessels at anchor by means of
lighters, but floating storage of coal is kept in hulks
anchored about two miles from the shore where there is
about 36 ft. depth of water, and vessels can go alongside
for bunker supplies.

To give an example of bunkering from hulks at this
port, it may be stated that 10 men, exclusive of fillers
in the hold and trimmers in the vessels’ bunkers, are
required to deliver 20 tons per hour, the cost amounting
to a total of about Is. 3d. per ton. Ordinary derricks
are used on the hulk in pairs, one being used for lifting
the coal in baskets from the hold, and the other is rigged
for the outward haul over the vessel’s bunkers. Four-
winches are provided on the hulk, two being used for
each pair of derricks. The hulk has a large single hold
of about 3,000 tons capacity, and there are three hatch-
ways to the hold, which is clear of obstructions except
the usual ’tween-deck beams, these being cut away at
the hatchways. Cargoes are discharged to the hulk by
the aid of the collier’s own gear, in addition to the gear-
on the hulk above referred to. The baskets used for-
handling the coal weigh about 1,500 lb. gross, and have
a net capacity of about 135 lb. It may be added that
the writer has been asked to consider improvements
in the above method of handling from hulks with a view
to greater despatch and reduced costs without excessive
outlay.

It may also be of interest to mention examples of
coal cargoes discharged at Port of Spain together with
bunker supplies. During the month of December 1913,
3,260 tons of American and 1,000 tons of Welsh were
received there ; 3,0<j0 tons of Welsh in addition were
consigned there that month but ordered on to Bermuda.
The bunker supplies amounted to about 7,000 tons,
which were delivered to 31 vessels, the individual
supplies ranging from 20 tons to 835 tons. During the
month of January 1914, the imports totalled 11,400
tons, all American coal, and the bunker supplies
amounted to 5,120 tons, and were delivered to 29 vessels.

St. Lucia.

St. Lucia is almost directly north of and some 200
miles distant from. Trinidad, and it is one of the
Windward group of islands. The capital is Castries,

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

the West Indies.

situated in the north-west of the island—a much
frequented port of call for steamers, as well as being an
important naval station. The prosperity of St. Lucia
is largely dependent on coal bunker supplies, which
increased in value from about £63,500 in 1904 to over
£166,000 in 1913, which was more than half the value of
the total imports. The Bay of Castries, which is well
protected, is a mile in length, and has an entrance
600 yards wide and 30 ft. deep. The port is provided
with a considerable extent of quayage, the western
wharf being 500 ft. long, with 16 ft. of water alongside,
whilst the northern deep water wharf is 640 ft. in
length, with 27 ft. depth alongside, and there is an
extension of 500 ft. to this wharf, with 14 ft. of
waterway; vessels can also anchor in the bay in 50 ft.
of water. Bunkering is effected alongside the wharves,
women being employed in carrying the coal in baskets
up plankways, but owing to the large labour gangs, over
100 tons of coal per hour can be supplied to vessels’
bunkers. The coal supplies amount to from about
130,000 to 140,000 tons per- annum in normal times.

Barbados.

Barbados is about 90 miles south-east of St. Lucia,
and is the most easterly of the West Indian islands.
Like St. Lucia, it occupies an important strategic

Fig. 1.—Coal Transporters at Havana (Cuba).

position as a naval station, being at the entrance to the
Caribbean Sea from the east. Bridgetown, on the
shores of Carlisle Bay, is the capital, and is at the
south-west point of the island. Carlisle Bay is a large
open roadstead, which affords an anchorage for vessels
in about 50 to 90 ft. of water, although there is a small
inner harbour, formed by a mole, with a depth of about
15 ft. of water alongside. About 75,000 tons of coal
per annum are dealt with at Barbados, the imports
there during 1913 amounting to 78,000 tons, and in 1912
76,000. Bunkers are supplied from lighters, and at the
rate of up to about 60 tons per hour.

Jamaica.

Jamaica is the largest island of the British West
Indies, it is about 90 miles south of Cuba and 555 miles
from Colon, and is on a direct route for vessels bound
from the United States and Canada to the Panama
Canal, and vice versa. Kingston, the capital, is in the
south-east of the island, and the harbour has an area of
some 16 square miles, about half of which has a depth
of 40 to 60 ft. Coal supplies can be effected alongside
the wharves, which accommodate large vessels. The
rate of bunkering is about 60 tons an hour, and it may
be added that some 72,000 tons of coal per annum are
consigned mostly from the United States to Jamaica.

These four islands may be said to be the most
important of the British West Indies as regards cal
bunkering. It will be observed that the method of coal
handling is entirely by labour, and that mechanical
equipments have not so far been adopted, although they
are doubtless practicable, at least to some extent. The
quantities handled are sufficient to justify consideration
of improved methods to obtain greater despatch and
probably reduced costs, which will be necessary to meet
the increasing competition, and to ensure the develop-
ment of trade.

Attention may now be directed to islands under the
American flag or protectorate, including Cuba, Porto
Rico, and St. Thomas—recently acquired from Denmark,
at all of which the contrast in coaling facilities is
particularly noticeable.

Cuba.

Cuba is the largest island of the West Indies, and is
situated 130 miles south of Florida. Havana, the
principal port as well as the capital, is at the north-
west of the island, and is about 90 miles distant from
Key West. The harbour channel is 350 yards wide and
1,500 yards long, and has a depth of about 38 feet,
whilst alongside the quays there is a depth of from 23
feet to 28 feet. About 570,000 tons of American coal
per annum are discharged at Havana, of which something
like 25,000 tons are anthracite, and in addition about
80,000 tons of coke are consigned thefe. Owing to the
equipment available, bunkers can be supplied alongside
the coaling wharf at the rate of up to 450 tons per hour,
and deliveries can be effected afloat by means of mechani-
cally equipped lighters, each of which can handle
about 100 tons per hour. To refer- in particular to the
principal coal depot at Havana, this has a waterside
frontage 1,100 ft. long; the wharf is equipped with
five movable bridge transporters (fig. 1) operated by
steam power, which handle grabs, and are used both
for discharging and bunkering. Cargoes of 8,000 tons
and upwards are shipped at Newport News and
Philadelphia, and discharged by this equipment at
Havana into barges alongside the collier, the bridges
having a cantilever extension, with an out-reach of 80 ft.
over the water side; or the coal is delivered to stack
on the storage ground, which is spanned by the trans.

porter bridges and is situated alongside the wharf. In
connection with this depot there are six mechanically-
equipped lighters of the type already referred to, two
of which are generally employed at the same time in
bunkering a vessel—one on each side, though two on
each side are sometimes used at the same time if
required. This depot supplies over 400,000 tons of
bunkers per annum to vessels engaged in the Mexican
Gulf trade.

Another port of Cuba is Cienfuegos, at the south of
the island, and about 195 miles from Havana. The
harbour there, which is 11 miles long and an average of 4
miles wide, has a channel with an entrance about 1,700 ft.
in width and 60ft. deep; vessels can anchor in about
40 ft. of water, and bunker deliveries are effected fiom
lighters by hand, but at a low rate of about 30 tons per
hour. There are two coal piers for- landing coal, and
about 75,000 tons a year are imported there from the
States.

Guantanamo, in the south-east of Cuba, is a naval
station of the United States, and has a harbour 10 miles
long and 3 to 4 miles wide, leading by a narrow channel
to an inner basin. There is a large coal storage
ground, capable of stacking about 16,000 tons, which is
situated alongside the quay and is spanned by a movable
transporter bridge.

Santiago de Cuba, in the south-east of Cuba, and
about 40 miles west of Guantanamo, may also be
mentioned, and will be recalled to mind in connection
with the Spanish-American war. It has a large natural
harbour, but with a narrow entrance ; the depth of water
alongside the several wharves varies between about
16 ft. and 26 ft. It is of some prominence in connection
with the shipment of iron and copper ores, for which
equipments are provided, and it is therefore of interest
also in connection with coal bunkering, as a large