THE WAREHOUSING OF GRAIN. 135 



the approaches, it was a work of much difficulty to design a 

 building that would suit the various requirements, which 

 were as follows : — 



(a) To load from a vessel (1) into the granary either in 

 bulk or in sacks, (2) into railway trucks, (3) into road 

 waggons. 



(b) To distribute the grain readily to the various floors of 

 the building. 



(c) To get the grain easily from the various floors to the 

 ground floor, weigh it, and get it loaded easily into railway 

 trucks, road waggons, or small vessels. 



Various plans were made out, showing arrangements 

 adapted for discharging vessels by cranes or elevators, but 

 it was found that, by the custom of the port, it was neces- 

 sary to weigh the grain on deck, and therefore it was not 

 possible to adopt any of those mechanical appliances for 

 discharging from the vessels. 



The building is 232 feet 6 inches long by 99 feet wide, 

 the width being determined by the extent of ground be- 

 longing to the Corporation. There is a line of rails in front 

 for both broad and narrow gauge trucks, with a verandah 

 over it. At the back of the building there is another line 

 of rails. Inside the building there are two lines of rails 

 at front and back, and a centre hauling-way, 25 feet wide, 

 with six cross-roads to the quay, and recesses at the back 

 portion of the building for loading carts. There is a cross- 

 line of railway inside the building with four turn-tables, 

 the traffic being worked by hydraulic capstans. The roof 

 is in four spans, and the space between the queen-posts 

 is made use of for the longitudinal bands. At the middle 

 of its length the roof is constructed so as to provide 

 accommodation for the transverse bands. Under that floor, 

 which is called the machinery floor, are the grain floors. 



