MUNN—METHODS   OF HANDLING  FREIGHT.                     43
 

METHODS OF HANDLING FREIGHT.
 

By a. M. Mukn, '95.
 

Few persons not connected with the freight department of a
railroad undervStand the methods which are used in handling
large quantities of freight at terminal or transfer points. It is
comparatively an easy matter to keep account of freight received
or delivered in car load lots, but for merchandise the task is
more difiicult.

In this article freight will be considered as divided into two
classes, out-freight and in-freight. The first class includes
merchandise received from connecting railroads or boat lines
destined to points beyond, as well as shipments originating in
the city. The second class will include only shipments delivered
to private firms or warehouses within the city.

At Chicago, New York, and other large terminal stations,
the business is handled through several warehouses suita¬
ble to the service performed. These houses are designated ac¬
cording to the service performed through them, as out-freight
house, transfer house, boat house, and in-freight house. The
in-freight and out-freight houses are usually located as con¬
venient to the business district as the facilities of the road will
allow, in order to reduce drayage charges to a minimum.

The out-freight house is built parallel to the street forty or
fifty feet from the sidewalk. It is usually one story high, forty
feet wide and several hundred feet long. The floor is paved
with wood blocks or plank, and is about three feet higher than
the surface of the street. The latter should be paved with brick
or other durable material, and should be sloped slightly towards
the warehouse. This facilitates backing in heavy drays and
saves a great deal of time. On the other side of the house are
the side-tracks, laid eleven feet between centres and six feet from
the house. On the receiving side doors eight feet wide are
placed about sixteen feet apart. On the track side doors ten
feet wide are placed about two feet apart.    This allows the use