Abstract: Problems of spontaneous combustion and acid corrosion in coal carrying open hopper steel barges are significantly reduced by loading a mixture of coal of various particle sizes in the hopper without segregating and isolating groups of particles of different sizes. This reduces the air circulation paths through the loaded coal and prevents the supply of oxygen necessary for feeding both spontaneous combustion and acid corrosion. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises spreader-deflector means between a chute and the barge hopper floor that distributes the coal particle mixture in a substantially flat loading pattern that eliminates prior art conical patterns tending to create an air flow chimney effect encouraging spontaneous combustion and acid corrosion.