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April, 1916 representative manner, as it is esti- mated at dam No. 1, follows: Year Tons. OU rien en ee eos eck 3,420,239 MOS cceee Pete 4,033,685 TUNE e as ene on 3,133,159 OTe os OO ees ei ain 4,105,649 DONO an OR ce a eee 3,140,533 POOR oe ca Pee at eek 3,821,647 Calculations of the volume of_traf- fic through lock and dam No. 1 in 1913 and 1914 indicate that more than 50 per cent of the tonnage consists of coal. Of the total of 21,654,912 tons for the 6-year period, 13,629,260 tons were shipped by coal interests operating mines along the Monogahela and Allegheny rivers. The remaining 8,025,652 tons consisted of iron and _ steel products, sand, gravel, lumber and miscellaneous THE MARINE REVIEW prompt and regular deliveries to the southwest. Ohio river shipping interests hope to regain what tonnage they have ‘lost to the railroads just as soon as they are in a position to operate their coal fleets at regular intervals. The Pittsburgh Coal Co., Pittsburgh, is the principal merchant shipper of coal on the Ohio river. The company owns most of the gas and steam coal areas on both sides of the Monongahela river above Pittsburgh. Approximately 50 mines are operated and all of. these have river tipples. The Pittsburgh company maintains a river fleet of 3,500 barges and coal boats and about 80 steanaships and tugs. Barges and coal boats of wooden construction now are 147 and is propelled by a_ stern wheel steamboat. The Pittsburgh company operates coal mines in Kentucky, which enables it to increase the size of its fleets at Louisville, one of the principal assembling points on the river. The average fleet operating below Louisville, consists of from 25 to 46 barges, hav- ing a capacity of 1,000 tons each. It takes 18 days for a coal fleet to make the trip from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, six days from Pittsburgh to Louisville and five days from. Pitts- burgh to Cincinnati. The completion of the slack water system between Pittsburgh and Cairo will enable car- riers to reduce the schedule to these points, thereby increasing the number of FIG. 6—-STEAMER W. H. FLINT WITH TOW OF COAL BARGES, SHOWING METHOD OF LASHING BARGES IN FRONT OF STEAMER commodities, manufactured in the Pitts- burgh district. Up to a quarter of a century ago, Pittsburgh district coal, or “river” coal, as it is better known, was used almost exclusively by manufacturers having plants along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and heavy tonnages were shipped to New Orleans for steamship com- panies. During the last 25 years, how- ever, other districts have become rather prominent factors in the coal markets along the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers ; in building a profitable business through their ability to promise reasonably railroads also have succeeded in use, but the company plans to em- ploy modern steel vessels as soon as river improvements have been com- pleted. The coal barges and boats are me- chanically loaded at the tipples, after which they are assembled and locked in the Pittsburgh harbor, where they await a sufficient stage for shipment down the river. The coal is screened before it is emptied into the barges, which are loaded to the top gunwale. Coal fleets as they are made up at Pittsburgh usually consist of 17 -boats, each having a capacity of 1,000 tons. The average fleet is 130 feet wide and 700 feet long shipments proportionately. Furthermore, overhead charges of river steamship companies will be decreased materially, since their equipment will not stand idle during indefinite periods of drought. The Pittsburgh harbor ofttimes is literally bottled up by coal fleets await- ing the necessary 9-foot stage to start down the river. The Pittsburgh company maintains complete pumping and caulking equip- ment at allanchorage points and operates an extensive marine shop at Ninth street, Pittsburgh. Marine ways are owned at Elizabeth, Pa., and a sawmill. and repair shop at Monongahela City, Pa.