WRECKING AND SALVAGE FACILITIES.

The only wrecking and salvage equipment at Wilmington is owned and operated by the Diamond Steamboat & Wrecking Co. This company has available one tug of 100 horsepower, four lighters, one locomotive crane, and diving apparatus. This equipment will not permit of very extensive wrecking operations. Complete salvaging outfits are available at the port of Norfolk.

COMMUNICATIONS.

RAILROADS.

The port of Wilmington, N. C., is served by the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line Railroads. The Atlantic Coast Line follows the Atlantic coast southward from Norfolk and Richmond, Va., to Jacksonville, Tampa, and Fort Meyers, Fla., touching the intermediate ports of New Bern and Wilmington, N. C., Georgetown, Charleston, and Port Royal, S. C., and the interior points of Greenville, Winston-Salem, Spartanburg, Columbia, Atlanta, Augusta, and Albany. At Richmond direct connection is made with the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad for Washington, D. C., and points north; at Atlanta connections for points north and west are made through the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad and at Montgomery connections with the Louisville & Nashville Raillroad for points west and southwest. The Atlantic Coast Line operates about 5,000 miles of track in the States of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama and serves nearly all of the southeastern territory either directly or through its connections.

The Seaboard Air Line operates about 3,500 miles of track in the same general territory as the Atlantic Coast Line. At Atlanta it is connected with the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad, at Birmingham with the Frisco Lines, and at Montgomery with the Southern Railroad system.

FACILITIES FOR INTERCHANGE BETWEEN RAIL AND WATER.

By means of the belt line which runs along the entire water front, both of the railroads are in direct communication with all of the facilities on the east bank of the river. This belt line enters from the north near the American Molasses Co.'s wharf and terminates at the Clyde Line wharf. It is run and controlled by the two railroads. There are no facilities for the direct transfer of cargo from ship to car by means of ship's tackle, but at some of the piers the trucking distance from ship side to the tracks is very small.

A large portion of the lumber which is shipped coastwise via the Clyde Line is lightered or barged up and down the river from local points. Cotton from the Champion Compress & Warehouse Co. is also lightered to the Clyde Line wharf for shipment to New York, whence it is reshipped for foreign ports. Shipments of this description are very small, however, as they are comprised mainly of odd-lot

orders. The small consignments of naval stores that are shipped from the port are lightered from the Maffitt Naval Stores pier on the west side of the river to the Clyde Line wharf.

SWITCHING CHARGES.

Atlantic Coast Line.-The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad names an intraplant switching charge of $3.60 per car and an intraterminal charge of $5.85 per car for movements at or between industries or plants located on its own tracks. An intraterminal charge of $7.20 per car is made for movement of carload traffic between the wharves of the steamship companies at Wilmington and warehouses and industries having private or assigned sidings on tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad within the city limits of Wilmington, including the Atlantic Coast Line-Seaboard Air Line connecting track. The same charge applies on carload traffic for movement from the wharves of steamship companies, warehouses, industries having private or assigned sidings on the belt line, or Smith's Creek spur to Almont, Pokomoke, Swift, and Navassa fertilizer factories. In interterminal switching, where only two carriers participate in the service, a charge of $5.85 is made, of which $3.51 accrues to the line furnishing the car and $2.34 to the other line. The above charges cover movements "in" of loaded cars and empty cars "out" or vice versa and do not apply on traffic originating at or destined to points outside of the corporate or switching limits of Wilmington. Switching charges on suburban intraterminal traffic ranges from $7.20 to $11 per car, depending upon the industry or tracks served. The following specific charges on specified commodities are representative of the charges named by this railroad:

On bags from the Willard Bag Co. to Almont, Pokomoke, and Swift fertilizer factories___

On cotton from Fernside, N. C., to the Champion Compress & Warehouse Co. and the Wilmington Compress & Warehouse Co.

Per car.

$11.00

7. 20

For switching carload freight between various points within switching limits for the account of the Seaboard Air Line charges range from $2.25 to $5.85 per car, depending upon whether traffic is competitive or not. The charge of $5.85 per car also applies on cars containing both competitive and noncompetitive freight.

No charge on traffic to and from Navassa Station is assessed when this company receives the line haul. For more complete details on the switching charges of this company, see its I. C. C. B-2262.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad.-The Seaboard Air Line switching charges on intraplant, intraterminal, and interterminal movements are similar to those of the Atlantic Coast Line. Both carriers provide

that these charges apply on intrastate traffic only and do not apply when in connection with a line haul.

The usual charge of both carriers for ordinary movement of carload traffic, between connecting lines and various destinations within switching limits, is $2.25 per car when in connection with a line haul. The Seaboard Air Line provides that the above charge also applies when a car is ordered and placed but not used, such charge to be paid by the person ordering the car. Neither company assesses a switching charge on cars containing freight transported or to be transported over their lines. No switching charges are assessed by the Seaboard Air Line on traffic to or from Navassa Station when it receives the line haul. Complete information on the switching charges of this company are published in its I.C.C. A-6826.

CAR DEMURRAGE, WHARFAGE, HANDLING, STORAGE.

For these charges, see port of Charleston, page 67.

ABSORPTIONS OF TERMINAL CHARGES.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad absorbs the switching charges of connecting lines, lawfully on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission, when not in excess of $2.25 per car, on carload traffic destined to or originating at points competitive with the switching line. On carload traffic moving between the connecting track of the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line Railroads and warehouses or industries having private or assigned sidings on the belt line or on Smith's Creek spur, this company absorbs the switching charges of the Atlantic Coast Line on traffic which is competitive between the two lines when such charges are not in excess of $5.85 per car. The Seaboard Air Line absorbs the icing charges at regular icing points on cars of butter, eggs, and dressed poultry in lots of 5,000 pounds or more when such shipments are moved from points on or north of the Ohio and points on or west of the Mississippi River. This company also absorbs 15 cents per bale of the lighterage charges on cotton from its wharves at Wilmington to the wharves of the Champion Compress Co. at Wilmington, when originating at or destined to points competitive with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad absorbs and pays to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad $2.25 per car on inbound and outbound competitive traffic for the use of the latter's tracks to reach the sidings of warehouses or industries not located on its own line. In connection with the absorptions applicable at Wilmington and Charleston this company publishes a tariff, G. F. O. 8734, I. C. C. A-3915, in which it defines the terms "competitive" and "noncompetitive" and shows in detail what points in the several territories are or are not competitive points. Reference to the above tariff and also this company's I. C. C. B-2262 is necessary for complete information.

MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES AND ALLOWANCES.

EXPORT AND IMPORT TRAFFIC.

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad makes a charge of 15 cents per piece or package for marking import less carload shipments forwarded in bond.

On cotton, loaded or unloaded at Hilton Compress, Wilmington, N. C., on shipments moving via Seaboard Air Line Railroad from or to Wilmington, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad pays to the Hilton Compress Co., 14 cents per bale for loading or unloading to or from cars. Both railroads serving the port provide for the weighing after arrival at the port of shipment of cottonseed meal and oil cake, when for export, free of charge, and upon request such weights are furnished shipper or consignee. This traffic is weighed by the companies for protection against claims for shortage.

No charge is made for diversion, reconsignment, or holding for orders carload traffic for export, whether at the port or in transit, on the lines serving the port.

DOMESTIC TRAFFIC.

Reweighing of carload freight at destination at request of consignee and on company track scales is performed on the following basis: Consignee deposits $2.25 for each car to be reweighed. If a difference of 1 per cent but not less than 500 pounds develops, billing is corrected and amount deposited is refunded; otherwise no correction is made and amount deposited is retained to cover service of weighing. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad perinits the stopping en route for partial unloading of fresh meat and packing-house products at a charge of $5.85 per car. This company also names a charge of $2.25 per car for weighing empty cars at shipper's request.

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad names an allowance of 500 pounds for strips and supports on shipments of lumber in flat or gondola cars.

STEAMSHIP LINES.

The Clyde Steamship Co. has a weekly coastwise service between Wilmington, New York, and Brunswick, Ga. The Carolina Steamship Co. has an irregular service between Wilmington and European ports. These two companies operate the only services out of this port.

THE FREIGHT-RATE SITUATION.

The freight-rate situation is included under this subject in the report on the port of Charleston. (See p. 70.)