22 
THE PA1ST AMERICAN UNION. 
DISCHARGING THE BANANA CARGO. 
The problem of discharging banana cargoes varies according to the 
local conditions which exist at the different ports. As soon as the 
ship reaches the home port and while she is approaching the wharf, 
the hatches are opened up, weather permitting, and the work of 
discharging the cargo begins immediately the vessel is made fast. 
When a cargo of bananas is being discharged the wharf presents a 
very busy and interesting scene. It is, however, an orderly operation 
under direction of the superintendents and stevedores, and a few 
minutes’ observation reveals the wonderful speed, accuracy, and 
sureness of a system evolved from long experience in the handling of 
banana cargoes. 
At New Orleans, Mobile, and Galveston the wharves are equipped 
with unloading machines, each having a capacity of 2,500 bunches an 
hour. The great booms of these machines are lowered deep into the 
holds of the ship and at the sound of the gong the wheels start 
whirring. Suddenly up come the big green bunches in the canvas 
pockets of the endless chain, then across and down to the wharf, to be 
turned out automatically onto horizontal belt conveyors. 
At New Orleans the wharf is also completely fitted with mechanical 
conveyors of elaborate and ingenious construction, which transport 
the bananas from the unloading machine to the door of the refrigera¬ 
tor car. In the case of Mobile and Galveston, however, the bunches 
are lifted from the horizontal belt conveyors to the shoulders of men 
who march in continuous ant-like lines to the aisles between the many 
rows of refrigerator cars and deliver the fruit at the car door. 
Inspectors are located one on each side of the delivery belt, and as 
each bunch reaches the point of discharge its destination is called 
out in accordance with its condition, quality, and classification. 
At the Eastern ports, i. e., Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and 
Baltimore, where the piers are not railway terminals, as is the case at 
New Orleans and the other Southern ports, the unloading of banana 
cargoes is done by hand. The men are placed on stages in the hatch¬ 
ways of the vessels and the fruit is passed up by them from one man 
to another and is taken out either through the side ports or through 
the deck hatches, as is most convenient. The ship is usually dis¬ 
charged on both sides simultaneously, the fruit being unloaded into 
drays or automobile trucks on the wharf and into railroad cars on 
floats on the offshore side. When loaded, the car floats are towed to 
the various railroad terminals where the cars are transferred to the 
land terminals by means of float bridges. At Boston a considerable 
portion of the fruit is trucked to the railroad yards and loaded 
directly into cars. 
