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AUGUST I, I9gOI. THE MARINE RECORD. PRODUCTION OF COAL. The States producing the most coal last year were: Penn- sylvania, 136,723,006, tons (57,107,660 anthracite and 79,- 616,346 bituminous), valued at $160,159,629; Illinois, 25,- 153,929 tons, valued at $22,529,665; West Virginia, 21,980,- 430 tons, valued at $17,698,734; and,Ohio, 19,105,408 tons, valued at $19,403,362. The production in no other State or Territory amounted to 10,000,000 tons. West Virginia showed the largest increase in tonnage, the production exceeding 20,coo,coo tons for the first time. The next largest gain was an increase of 2,605,138 short tons in Ohio. The net gain in Pennsylvania amounted to 2,150,- ooo short tons. Alabama gained 800,000 tons, or Ir per cent. The most notable comparative gains were made in Arkansas, the Indian Territory, Michigan, and Utah. Kansas increased its production 600,000 tons, or 16 per cent, and Kentucky 575,000 tons, or 12 per cent. Before 1899 Great Britain was the leading coal-producing country of the world, but in that year the United States took first place. The production of Great Britain in 1900 amounted to 225,170,163 long tons, or 252,190,573 short tons, compared with which the United States hasa lead of 15,- 300,000 short tons, or just double that of the preceding year. ‘ Official reports show that the year 1900 closed the century with the largest coal production ever recorded in the United States and continued the supremacy of the United States among the coal-producing countries of the world. Prac- tically complete returns to Edward W. Parker, statistician of the United States Geological Survey, show the total output of coalin 1900 to have been 267,542,444 short tons (2,000 pounds), an increase over the preceding year of 13,802,452 tons, or a little more than 5 percent. The value of this product was $297,920,000, an increase of 16 per cent. over 1899. Coal producers felt a much greater benefit from the improved trade conditions in 1900 than in either 1898 or 1899. Coal contracts are usually made for future delivery, sometimes more than a year ahead, and much such coal was delivered:in 1899 at less than it cost to produce it, the price of labor having advanced before the operators could advance the price of coal. The value of the coal product in 1900 (the value being free on board cars at the mines) was equal to nearly one-third of the value of the total mineral product of the United States in 1899. oO oe WILL NIAGARA RUN DRY? FRANCIS WAYLAND GLEN IN NEW YORK SUN. “Will Niagararundry?’’ Inreply I beg tosay no. Why? First—Because when the Georgian Bay and Ottawa river canal is constructed with 25 feet of water over the lock sills the waters of Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake and Lake Talon will discharge into Georgian Biy and, therefore, raise the water level of Lake Huron. Trout Lakeis 300 feet deep, and is fed by the perpetual snow and ice of the upper part of the valley of the Ottawa. Second—A canal can be cut from Lake Nipegon to Lake Superior. Nipegon is a large and deep lake and is also fed from many streams which rise in the region of perpetual snow and ice. Third—When a ship canal is constructed from Lake Su- perior through Rainy Lake and Rainy river to the Lake of the Woods, another large body of water would discharge into Lake Superior. These three sources of supply will more than counterbalance the discharge of water through a ship canal from Chicago to deep water upon the Illinois river. The Canadian government is protesting against our build- ing the Chicago drainage canal, although Lake Michigan is entirely within United States territory. If Canada has any rights in Lake Michigan which we are bound to respect, then we have rights in Georgian Bay which Canada is bound to respect. We have the same right to protest against her construct- ing a ship canal from the Georgian Bay to Montreal for the admission of war vessels into the upper lakes that she has to object to our constructing a canal from Lake Michigan through the Illinois river for drainage purposes. The Hon. Andrew H. Green, with his usual foresight, has been urging the creation of an international commission for the purpose of dealing with international waters, and also for the purpose of suggesting a continental system of inter- national deep-sea canals. There is no more important question for the electors of this republic than the creation of that commission. THE HEAVENS IN AUGUST. Astronomical data for August, 1901, furnished the MARINE RECORD by the Washburn observatory: Mercury is a morning star the early part of the month and reaches greatest elongation west Aug. 2d. The planet will be favorably situated for observation during a week or more following, rising an hour or more earlier than the sun and from nearly ‘the same point of the horizon as the sun. Venus continues to be the evening star, appearing higher above the western horizon each evening, and increasing in brightness. Mars is getting too low for favorable observa- tion and sets in the middle part of the evening. Jupiter is the most brilliant object later in the evening sky, excepting the moon, and is seen almost directly south. It is followed by the far less brilliant planet Saturn, somewhat east and a little north of Jupiter. The times of suurise and sunset at Milwaukee for the month are as follows: SUNRISE. SUNSET. pol bVeia(:) Ged aRg eer Mer E RE RA e me OHO ARAM We ccs slaetomaas eee cos 7314 AMSUSE GIS cc. ehat cs sae sete ABD oc ece elects we ele cites 7:01 AUBUSE QT Clee cb eccs se ees BOS irvig cis strate are 6:46 August sh Vee ees BDAY. erie he apenigteas Guna 6:29 The times of the moon’s phases are: Third quarter... -....3. TANUBUSENE Rs SO rian 2:02 a. m. New: Moonsi:33 soit AUQUSE 4 cei emis 2:28 a. m. First: quarter, oie. 44: AU BUS 220 tyoGins cess 1:52 a, m, Hull Moons. ¢. tess. AMUSUSE 202) costes fis 2:21 p.m. The principal fixed stars visible in the evening hours during the month are: To the West, Arcturus and Antares; near the Meridian, Vega; to the Kast, Altair. ee EASTERN FREIGHTS. Messrs. Funch, Edye & Co., New York, report the con- dition of the eastern freight market as follows: We regret we cannot report any improvement in grain freights, in fact the conditions are even worse than antici- pated. The continued fluctuation in the price of cereals operates against shippers transacting new business and with the number of prompt steamers pressing on the market, freight rates had to give way. A prompt steamer has just been closed at 1s 9d per quarter on berth terms to Rotter- dam and this figure is all that shippers are inclined to pay for tonnage, even for first half of August loading. Until the quantity of available tonnage is considerably reduced, we cannot hold out any prospect of animprovement. There has been a fair amount of charters effected for general cargo from the gulf, but they are principally for September and the later months, and the rates accepted show a decline on previous fixtures. Timber charterers continue to show little disposition to take up further tonnage, excepting at their own figures. A few charters have been made for deals from the British Provinces, but in this case also owners have had to make some concession in the rates. With the exception of a few charters for case oil to the far east, at rather easy rates, and a few charters for lumber to South America, the market shows but little activity, and we can only say that on the whole the situation remains un- changed. OO oe ovhl STATEMENT OF THE VISIBLE SUPPLY OF GRAIN. As compiled by George F. Stone, Secretary Chicago Board of Trade, July 27th, Igot. RYE. | BARLEY CITIES WHERE WHEAT.| CORN. Oats. STORED. Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. Bufialo ce acess sons 1,133,000 772.000 807,000 44,000 75,000 CHICKS OR yicudememees 3,858,000] 6,813,000 870,000 146,000 1,000 DOtrolti seca. ccwe 239.000 64,000 2,000 12,000 3,000 Daltithcy ccvseanicen ss 1,885,900] 1,722,000 768,000 84,000 42,000 Fort William, Ont.. G75: O00 fs oe fcc cils Pere wk y ute sale ev etera Pees eer T Milwaukee.......... 370,000 593,000 55,000 10,000, 16,000 Port Arthur, Ont.... GA NOG! esas cincbaces ausceslcaie Reliance scr eee Bi to} (2 be RO a 406,000 535,000 68,000 59,000) fs kis Sac ROLOUNLOM sk nee isco BOTOGOI fay ee sciniatca EOOOl gare. cubes heen ee On Canalsitc ie e..c 116,000 34,070 BAROOO| sams eal oceans On Tekes: Oise. 1,296,000] 352,000 203,000 DOO 5 ed akan On Miss. River...... YOGOD iecwe biceliaetelec so allageeewende ca see eess Grand Total..... 29,264,000] 13,387,000] 5,667,000 558,000 308,000 Corresponding Date, TOO) sy esviay ohn 46,354,000] 11,692,000} 5,693,000] 557,000] 518,000 Increase for week..| 1,583,000 145,000]... Rae 125 O00} sree icin cs Decrease ‘‘ REET UeaNcnie anor ieccea Ssigtes) 674,000].......... 33,000 While the stock of grain at lake ports only is here given, the total shows the figures for the entire country except the Pacific Slope. OO Oe THE British bark Calcium has started on her second voy- age this season to Greenland, where she will load a cargo of cryolite. SHIPPING AND MARINE JUDICIAL DECISIONS. (COLLABORATED SPECIALLY FOR THE MARINE RECORD. Error in Extremis—Where one vessel has clearly been guilty of a statutory fault, which is sufficient to account for a following collision, she cannot charge the other vessel with contributory fault, except on clear evidence. An er- ror in navigation, when in extremis, is not sufficient. The North Star, 108 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 436. Construction of Phrases——The phrases “free of partic- ular average,” and “free of any claim for damage or par- tial loss,” in a policy of insurance of a cargo of pro- duce on a canal boat, have the same meaning,—that the underwriter is liable only for a total loss. Devitt vs. Prov- ident Washington Ins. Co., 70 N. Y. Supp. 654. Contributory Fault—The fact that the lookout of the Siemens was not at his post at the time the Star’s first signal was given, while a violation of the rules, was not a fault contributing to the collision, in view of the fact that the Star persisted in attempting to pass after the subsequent dissenting signals of the Siemens. The. North Star, 108 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 436. Insurance—Policy—Construction—Total Loss.—Where a cargo of produce on a canal boat insured “free of any claim for damages or partial loss” was so damaged that the gross proceeds of the sale of the portion saved equaled only one-fourth of the value when insured, the loss was a constructive total loss, for which the insurer was liable. Devitt vs. Providence Washington Ins. Co., 70 N. Y. Supp. 654. Negligent Discharge of Cargo—Where a bill of lading consigned a canal boat alongside of a steamer for the purpose of transferring a cargo of iron from the canal: boat to the steamer, and the iron was properly put in slings in the hold of the canal boat, and two of the loads fell, from contact with the side of the ship, because there was no guy to control the slings in rising. the canal boat was not liable for the resulting loss. Vincent vs. Hogan et al., 108 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 428. Collision—Navigation of St. Mary’s River—Rules Gov- erning.—The special rules governing navigation in St. Mary’s river, approved by Act March 6, 1806, take pre- cedence of all general rules, where they appiv, while, as to matters not covered by them, the general rules for. nav- igation on the Great Lakes, embodied in the White law of February 8, 1895, and those promulgatud pursuant to its provisions, govern. These statutory rules are mandatory, and evidence of prior usages and customs cannot justify their violation, but a vessel which disregards them must show, im case of collision, that their violation not only did not, but could not, contribute to the disaster. The North Star, 108 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 436. Injury to Vessels at Wharf—Storm.—A steamer came up to her usual berth at a dock during a gale and storm, and. owing to the failure of the wharfinger to make fast her stern line in time to prevent it, she was swung around by the wind, striking and injuring a wharf boat which was moored in the same slip, and crushing an electric launch which was tied up to such boat. It appeared that the line was thrown promptly and the wharfinger acted with reason-’ able promptness, and that the engines were promptly re- versed, but there was not time to make sternway before the ship swung so far that she could not go astern without striking the opposite wharf. Held, that, even with the pre- sumption against her as the moving vessel, it could not be found, on such facts, that there was any want of ordinary care or skill on the part of her officers or crew which ren- dered her liable for the collision, but that the real cause of the accident was the violence of the storm. The City of Aberdeen, 107 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 996. Marine Insurance—Construction of Policy—Effect of Rider.—The charterer of a vessel, which it employed in the carrying business, took an open cargo policy for $5,000, containing the provision, “but no damage to be paid unless amounting to five per cent.” By a rider it was provided, “Warranted free from. particular average under five per cent, each kind of goods and each bill of lading interest sub- ject to separate average.” Held, that the effect of such rider was merely to change the liability of the insurer with respect to what should be deemed a partial loss thereunder, ly making the five per cent provision applicable to each kind of cargo and each bill of lading interest separately, instead of to the cargo as a whole, so that liability attached in case any one species of cargo or bill of lading interest suffered damage to the extent of five per cent, but extending only to such species or interests which sustained damage to that extent; but that, a loss under the policy having been ascer- tained, the amount to be paid by the insurer must be deter- mined by the usual rules applicable to marine policies, the same as would a loss on an entire cargo, if the rider had been omitted; the insured standing as his own insurer to the extent of the value of the cargo above the amount of the policy, and sharing a proportionate amount of the loss on each part. Chicago Ins. Co. vs. Graham & Morton Transp. Co., 108 Fed. Rep (U. S.) 271.