Special note: 3-mast schooners, light or loaded, each way to or from port terminals $30.00 3-mast schooners, light or loaded, to or from North State and Tux- 25.00 Towing or shifting: Charge each way in addition to docking. WHARFAGE Wharfage charges at all piers open to the public are governed by Agent Speiden's tariff. (See Communications p. 61.) LOADING AND DISCHARGING VESSELS Freight-handling machinery. The quartermaster terminal is the only facility in the port which is mechanically equipped for handling general cargo. Its equipment consists of two full-arch gantry cranes, which run the entire length of the wharf string piece; cargo masts, which also run the full length of the wharf; one electric portable conveyor stacker, electric tractors and trailers. The Columbus Street terminal, and the Seaboard Air Line pier have electric conveyors, while the fertilizer factories' wharves on the Ashley River are equipped with unloading towers and surface or elevated tramways. The Southern Railway Pier No. 1 has five electrically driven chain escalators and gravity rollers. The escalators are mounted on ramps located on the upstream side of the pier, where small boats come alongside to be unloaded. On the opposite side of the pier on the string piece are railroad tracks, which, together with the gravity rollers, insure rapid loading with a minimum amount of handling. The Tuxbury Lumber Co., and the North State Lumber Co., have electrically operated tramways from wharf to plant. The Johnson Coal Co. pier and the Consumers' Coal pier are equipped with loading towers and overhead tramways connecting the storage bins with the towers. The Southern Railway coal pier has a modern coal loading and unloading plant which is capable of handling a carload at an operation. This facility is more definitely described under Coal-Bunkering Facilities (p. 26). The Concentration Compress & Warehouse Co. and the Oakdene Compress & Warehouse Co. have no equipment for loading. All cotton is transferred from the warehouses to the piers by hand trucks, whence it is loaded into the ship by means of ship's tackle. Methods of handling cargo.—Fertilizer, which is the largest import of the port, is unloaded by means of unloading towers. These towers contain electrically operated clamshell buckets which are lowered into the vessel. The bucket is hoisted to the top of the tower, whence the fertilizer is dumped into a hopper which conveys it into small tramcars. The tramcars are generally mounted on elevated tramways which lead into storage sheds located on or to the rear of the piers. When the cars are filled they are run into the storage sheds and the fertilizer is dumped into hoppers which convey it to the floor. At the Seaboard Air Line terminal fertilizer can be transferred direct from ship to car by means of a series of hoppers on an elevated tramway located on the string piece of the pier. These hoppers lead directly to the cars under the tramway. In case the pier at which the ship is unloading is not equipped with unloading towers the ship's tackle is used. In this case the fertilizer is deposited in small portable hoppers, which in turn convey it into dump carts, called "Georgia buggies." These carts are then run by hand into the storage sheds and dumped. Package freight at the municipal terminal is handled by ship's tackle in conjunction with cargo masts. The cargo may be transferred direct from ship to cars or it may be landed on the wharf and conveyed to the storage warehouses in the rear by means of electric trucks and trailers. In case the cargo is too heavy to permit the use of the ship's tackle, the wharf has 2 movable 15- and 25-ton gantry cranes mounted on the string piece. These cranes are sometimes used for loading and unloading package freight, but this is only done in case the ship must be loaded in a hurry. Coastwise cargo is loaded and unloaded entirely by hand trucks which are run directly from the piers into the ships through side ports. Cotton is handled entirely by means of hand trucks and ship's tackle. The bales are brought from the warehouses to the string piece, where they are placed in rope slings and hoisted aboard by means of the ship's gear. LABOR The open-shop plan for employment of labor is generally used. The basic pay is 25 cents per hour, with 371⁄2 to 47%1⁄2 cents per hour for overtime. STEVEDORE CHARGES Stevedoring at Charleston is on a parity with other South Atlantic ports, and the rates range from $0.40 to $2.00 per ton, depending on the commodity. MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES Agency fees. These range from $50 to $100. Bill of health. See Quarantine under Federal acts and regulations. Consular fees.-The charge of the British consul for entering and clearing is $4.68; Norwegian, $1.10; Netherlands, $1; Cuban, $1; Italian, no charge. Demurrage charges.-These are in accordance with terms contained in the vessel charter. Dispatch money.-Terms contained in charter. Harbor-master's fees.-$12. Hospital dues.-None. Services are free to beneficiaries of the service. Inspection of cargo.-The charge is $25 for each person attending survey. Interpreter's fees.-The average cost is $5 to $10 per day. Light dues. None. Launch hire.-Variable. Port warden's fees are $2.50 and up, depending upon service performed. Quarantine. No charge is made for inspection. Fumigation at standard rates. Running lines.-The charge is $5 for each service. Surveyors' fees.-Lloyds Agency and the New York Underwriters have representatives in Charleston and publish a list of fees chargeable for different kinds of surveys. Practice in Charleston is to charge according to the nature and extent of the survey. The minimum fee is $15. Water.-Drinking water is supplied at 35 cents per ton. FUEL AND SUPPLIES ELECTRIC CURRENT Electric current for power and lights may be obtained from the South Carolina Power Co. Alternating current at 110, 220, or 2,300 volts, single or 3-phase, 60 cycles is available. The rates for industrial purposes are as follows: Primary or demand rate: (a) First 100 kilowatts of demand at $1.50 per month. All in excess of 100 kilowatts of demand at $1 per kilowatt per month. (b) The primary charge in any month shall be obtained by multiplying the maximum demand for that month in kilowatts by the primary or demand rate. Secondary or consumption rate, per month: First 40,000 kilowatt-hours. -per kilowatt-hour. Cents 1.5 Several of the piers and wharves have their own power plants. Information regarding electric current at the various piers and wharves at the port is given in the table on piers, wharves, and docks (pp. 29 to 43). WATER SUPPLY Fresh water is furnished vessels at the Army base terminals, the Columbus Street terminals, and Union Pier at the rate of 35 cents per gross ton. At private piers the rate is from 30 to 50 cents per long ton. Water delivered by barge is 60 to 75 cents per long ton, depending on haul. Richardson Bros., Inc., operates two water boats from the Consumers Coal Co. pier (reference no. 30 on the map), having cargo capacities of 11,500 and 14,000 gallons each. Information regarding water supply available at the various piers and wharves is given in the tables on pages 29 to 43. BALLAST The price of ballast at the port of Charleston ranges from 50 cents to $1 per ton. OIL BUNKERING There are five companies furnishing fuel oil to vessels at the port of Charleston. 75549°-35-3 |