October 23 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 887 COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Clydesdale (Transvaal) Collieries Limited. — The report for the year ended June 30, 1914, shows a balance of cash assets in excess of cash liabilities of £28,834. The gross profit of the two working collieries was £19,853, while revenue from other sources amounted to £2,680. The amount carried to appropriation account is £16,953, giving a total at credit of that account of £48,285. Of this £6,526 has been allocated as depreciation of plant and buildings at Coalbrook and Springs properties, £625 to provide for interest and charges on debentures, and £9,250 for a divi- dend of 5 per cent., leaving a balance to be carried forward of £31,884. Davis (D.) and Sons Limited. — The directors have declared a supplemental interim dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on the ordinary shares for the half- year ended June 30 last, free of income-tax, making a total interim dividend of 5 per cent, for the half-year. Dominion Steel Corporation Limited.—The directors have declared a dividend (No. 11) of 1^ per cent, on the prefer- ence shares. Howard and Bullough Limited.—The directors state that in view of the present unsettled condition of the world’s trade, payment of a dividend on the ordinary shares for the first quarter of the financial year 1914-15 is deferred. Scottish Iron and Steel Company Limited.—The directors have resolved not to declare a dividend on the preference shares for the half-year ended June 30, 1914. Witbank Colliery Company Limited.—Warrants in respect of dividend No. 19 of 12J per cent. (2s. 6d. per share) have been posted to all European shareholders registered on the 15th ult., other than those resident in Germany or Austria. Yates and Thom Limited. — The report for the year to August 8 last states that the net profit, after providing for depreciation of plant and machinery, interest on mortgage debenture stock, and £2,000 to write down investments, is £14,520, which, with the balance brought forward, £6,928, makes £21,448. The directors propose to pay a dividend for the year on ordinary shares at 2| per cent., less tax, transfer to reserve fund £4,000, and carry forward £8,428. NEW COMPANIES. Mine Lubricants Limited.—Private company. Registered office, 16, John Dalton-street, Manchester. Registered October 10. To manufacture, deal in, and supply in the United Kingdom and South Africa and elsewhere machinery, tools, apparatus, and furnishings of every description used in or about collieries, mines, agricultural and industrial undertakings, etc., and also all kinds of greases, oils, lubri cants, disinfectants, chemicals, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000 in £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :— M. Raffael, Inglewood, South Drive, St. Anne’s-on-Sea, Lancashire, engineer ; E. Lewis, 10, Carlton-terrace, Black- pool, gentleman. Qualification of directors, £100. This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. THE FREIGHT MARKET. The record of outward chartering transactions presents a somewhat attenuated appearance this week. On the East Coast shippers are finding considerable difficulty in obtaining vessels to meet their requirements, so loth are shipowners to send vessels into the mined areas. However, there appears to have been some improvements in the arrivals during the last few days — for freights have reached a temptingly high point—and perhaps matters will have righted themselves in a few days. At the Tyne some considerable chartering has been done for London, several large vessels —including two over 7,000 tons each—having been booked for voyages to London up to the end of the year. Coasting business is based on from 4s. to 4s. 3d. to London. North France is dearer, at from 8s. to 8s. 6d. to Rouen. The Bay is firmer, with Bordeaux at 7s. 6d. The Baltic and Adriatic are neglected. Genoa is up to from 10s. to 10s. 3d. At South Wales chartering is quiet. Coasting rates are better. The Bay and Mediterranean are very firmly held. The Islands are quiet. At the Humber there is a fair enquiry for tonnage for France. Homewards, Australia is very dull. The nitrate ports are firm, and up to 32s. 6d. is quoted for November. North Pacific has a firm market, but the stoppage of the Panama Canal has checked offers, and owners are holding off. The rice ports are steady. The East Indies are quiet; merchants have booked for November loading at Kurrachee at 16s. 6d. for the full range of discharging ports. The Black Sea is still closed, but hopes of an early re-opening are entertained. American chartering is quite brisk. • Cotton shippers are enquiring more largely, grain rates are firm, and timber prices well maintained. The River Plate is rather quieter for current loading. It is gratifying to note the increasing confidence in our overseas trade, which is represented by the decrease in war risks insurance rates. For example, Tyne rates are as follow :—For British and French coast ports, 12s.*fid.; Bay, 15s.; Adriatic, 30s.; Gefle, 60s.; and Genoa, 20s. There can be little doubt, however, that outward business will be even more restricted by the fact that Germans have mined the Scheldt, and that the Russians have been compelled to adopt a similar course in the Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, and the coastage waters of the Aland Islands. However, this latter is not such a serious interference with business as it would have been earlier in the year, for, in any event, frost would have closed Baltic navigation fairly thoroughly at an early date. Nevertheless, for the time being it means that all shipments to the affected portions of the Baltic are stopped from now on. Tyne to Algiers, 3,900, 9s. ; Bordeaux, 3,600, 7s. 6d. ; 3,000, 7s. fid.; Bas Indre, 2,500, 8s. lid. ; Boulogne, 600, 9s., two vovages; Caen, 1,400. 8s. fid. ; Calais, 1,600, 8s. fid. ; Dunkirk, 2,300, 7s. 3d.; Dartmouth, 1,700, 5s. 9d.; Genoa, 5,000, 9s. 9d. ; 4,000, 9s. 9d.; 0,500, 10s.; 4,000, 10s. 3d.; 5,500, 10s. 3d.; Havre, 1,500, 7s. fid.; 1,700, 7s. 9d.; Leghorn, 7,000, 10s. 3d.; London, 3,000, 4s., voyages to end of December; 3,100, 4s. fid., South Metro- politan terms; 1,970, Is. fid., ditto; 4,000, 4s.; 2,500, 4s., voyages to December, 7,700, 3s. 71d., option 3s. 9d. from Dunston; 3,000, 4s. 3d.; 2,000, 4s. 3d.; 7,500, 3s. 10|d., option from Dunston 4s., four voyages; Marseilles, 4,500, 10s. 3d., 600, from Dunston; Malaga, 1,800, 9s.; Naples, 4,000, 10s. OJd., 700; Palma, 1,800, 9s. 6d.; Rouen, 2,500, 8s. ; 1,000, 8s. 6d.; 2,300, 8s. 3d.; 1,800, 8s. l|d.; Roche- fort, 2,900, 8s. 7Jd.; 3,000, 8s. 6d. ; Savona, 5,000, 9s. 9d.; 6.500, 10s.; 4,000, 10s. 3d.; St. Nazaire, 3,000, 8s. 3d., reported; Spezzia, 5,000, 9s. 9d. Cardiff to Aden, 5,500, 10s.; Ancona, 5,000, 12s. 3d.; Algiers, 2,800, 9 fr.; Bordeaux, 3,500, 7 fr.; Brest, 1,200, 6s.; Civita Vecchia, 4,000, 8s. 9d., 500; Cherbourg, 900, 7s.; Cape Verds, 3,700, 7s. 6d., early November; Chantenay, 2,100, 8 fr.; 900, 7s., October; Figueira, sail, 2,000, 12s. 6d.; Genoa, 6,200, 8s.; 4,800, 7s. 9d.; 5,300, 7s. 9d.; 3,800, 7s. 9d.; 6,300, 7s. 9d.; 4,800, 8s.; 7,000, 7s. 9d.; 4,000, 8s.; 7,000, 8s.; Gibraltar, 2,000, part cargo, 7s. 9d.; Honfleur, 700, 7s. 3d.; Havre, 1,400, 6s. 6d., October; 2,400, 6s.; 1.300, 6s.; Leghorn, 4,000, 8s.; Las Palmas, 3,000, 7s., October; Naples, 4,800, 9s., 500, lOd.; Nantes, 2,200, 8 fr.; 3.300, 7 fr.; 3,300, 6f fr.; Oran, 2,300, 9|fr., 400; Palma, 2,000, 9s., 350; Port Said, 4,500, 9s. 3d.; Port Mahon, 2,000, 9s., 350, free tax, October; Rouen, 700, 8s.; 1,900, 7s. 6d.; 1,900, 7s. 3d.; 1,300, 7s. 6d.; Rio de Janeiro, 5,000, 12s. 6d., October; 4,000, 12s. 6d.; River Plate, 4,000, Ils. 6d., reported; 5,000, 11s. 6d.; 4,500, Ils. 6d., early November; 5,500, Ils. 9d., early November; Santa Liberata, 4.800, 9s., 500, lOd.; St. Servan, 1,800, 6s. 6d.; Sables, 480, 8i fr.; St. Nazaire, 2,900, 6f fr.; 4,800, 6| fr.; 4,000, 6| fr.; Torre Annunziata, 5,000, 9s.; Teneriffe, 3,200, 7s.; Venice, 5,200, 12s. Swansea to Barcelona, 2,100, 8s. 9d.; 3,200, 9s.; Rouen, 1,200, 8s.; 1,700, 7s. 9d. ; Naples, 3,500, 8s. 6d., fuel 9s. 3d.; 3.800, 8s. 6d., 800, October 26; Rochefort, 1,700, 8s.; 1,800, 8| fr.; Castellon, 1,300, 10s. 9d.; Aguilas, 1,200, 10s. 6d. ; Nantes, 1,800, 8J fr. Hull to Barcelona, 2,000, 9s.; Leghorn, 4,000, 9s. 6d.; Rouen, 2,700, 8s.; 2,000, 8s. 3d.; 2,500, 7s. 6d., voyages; 1.500, 8s.; 4,000, 8s.; 2,700, 8s. 3d.; 1,500, private terms; 2.300, 8s. l|d. ; Porsgrund, 600, sail, coke, 10s. 6d. Middlesbrough to Gefle, 1,250, 9s. 6d., 400, 72 hours, pig iron. Wear to Rochefort, 3,000, 8s. 6d.; 2,000, 9s.; 3,500, 9s.; Bordeaux, 3,300, 8s. 6d. Forth to Denmark, 1,600, 7s., option 200 tons coke 8s. 6d., 350, 72 hours, October; Rouen, 8s. 3d.; Odense, 1,300, 7s. 4Jd. coal, 200 coke, 8s. lO^d.; Deep Danish Port, 1,500, 7s. coal, 500 tons coke, 8s. 3d.; 850, 7s. 6d. coal, option 200 tons coke, 9s. Blyth to Rouen, 2,500, 8s.; 2,000, 8s. 3d.; Cherbourg, 500, 9s. 6d. Newport to Rouen, 2,000, 7s. 6d.; 4,000, 7s.; Oporto, 1,400, 7s. 6d. Port Talbot to La Pallice, 2,000, 7f fr.; Rouen, 1,400, 7s. 9d.; Genoa, 5,000, 8s., October 26; Nantes, 1,650, 8| fr. Goole to Rouen, 1,150, 9s.; 1,350, 8s. 6d. Hartlepool to London, 1,900, 4s. 6d. ; Marseilles, 4,500, 10s. 3d., 600; Alexandria, 5,000, 10s.; 4,500, 10s., reported. Partington to Rouen, 2,100, 7s. 9d.; 1,600, 7s. 9d., Oct. 26; 3.500, 8s., November. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Chester, October 26.—Coal and coke for the Cheshire County Council (Administrative Sub-Committee for the Chester Union Area). Forms from County Education Office, City-road, Chester. Beckenham, October 26.—Midland small coal, for the Urban District Council. Form from Resident Engineer, Electricity Offices, 45, High-street, Beckenham. Bwlchgwyn, October 30.—Best crank coal, for the Den- bighshire Education Authority. Tenders to Rev. J. Lloyd Jones, Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham. Finchley, N., October 26.—1,000 tons of Warwickshire double screened small nuts or peas, for the Urban District Council. Forms from E. Calvert, electrical engineer, Squires-lane, Finchley. Harefield, October 27.—About 90 tons of good cobble coal, for the Trustees of Harefield Poor Charity. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can he received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, &c. Bull Bay, near Amlwch (Anglesey), October 31.— Waterworks.—Pumping station and plant, concrete service reservoir, and laying about 3,500 lineal yds. of cast iron S. and F. water pipes, and other works, for the Marquis of Anglesey. Specifications from T. B. Farrington and Son, civil engineers, Llandudno, on deposit of £3 3s. (returnable). Glasgow, October 26.—Composition Tube.—Supply of composition tube and tinned composition tube, for the Cor- poration. Forms from A. Wilson, 45, John-street, Glasgow. Halifax, October 26.—Calorifier.—Provision of calorifier of 100 galls, capacity, for the Guardians. Particulars from Steward of Poor Law Hospital, Salterhebble. Kanturk (Ireland), November 4.—Pump.—Erection of a pump, for the Rural District Council. Specification from Clerk. Middleton (Ireland), October 31.— Well and Pump — Sinking a well and erecting pump, for the Rural District Council. Forms from Board Room, Workhouse. Sutton Bonnington, October 28. — Cast Iron Water Main.—Laying, etc., of about 2,350 lineal yds. of 4 in. cast iron water* main, for the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College Board of Governors. Forms from Messrs. Everard, Son and Pick, 6, Millstone-lane, Leicester, on deposit of £2 2s. (returnable). Waddon, November 10.—Pumping Engine, etc.—Deep well pumping engine and pumps at Waddon Waterworks, for the Croydon Borough Council. Specification from Borough Engineer, Town Hall, on payment of £1 Is. (returnable). ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 85 (1914). Improvements in and Relating to Centrifugal Compressors. The British Thomson-Houston Company Limited, of 83, Cannon-street, London, E.C. (A communi- cation from the General Electric Company, of Schenectady, New York, U.S.A.)—Centrifugal compressors as commonly constructed comprise one or more stages, each stage having an impeller with suitably shaped vanes, a means which receive fluid from the impeller and converts the principal portion of its velocity into pressure, and an enclosing casting. The impeller or impellers are driven by electric motors, steam turbines, or other prime movers. In some cases the compressor is driven at constant speed, the driving element being controlled by a speed governor or equivalent device. In other cases the compressor is driven at variable speed to cause a constant volume of fluid to be delivered. These compressors usually discharge into a receptacle having considerable volumetric capacity over and above that of the compressor itself. Such a receptacle may be the pipe line to which the compressor is connected, blastfurnaces, or other apparatus connected thereto. Such compressors operate on what is termed a rising characteristic at light loads, mean- ing thereby that an increase in the volumetric output is accompanied by an increase in power. This peculiarity is wholly or at least in a large part due to the action of the means for converting velocity into pressure, said means receiving and acting on the fluid from the impeller before it 25 >5 10 N J. 19 LQQozsSyx 14-Lj 20 FFL. enters the pipe line or other apparatus connected thereto. The use of said means, while having a very important func- tion in the production of compressed fluid, give rise, under light load conditions, to what is commonly known as pulsa- tion or surging of the fluid undergoing compression. This invention has for its object to overcome these highly objec- tionable surgings or pulsations in compressors of the type referred to, and to that end a valve is provided on the inlet side of the compressor for throttling the admission. The amount of this throttling should automatically vary as the amount of fluid delivered by the compressor varies, and should be sufficient, particularly under conditions of light load, to modify or change the characteristic of the compressor from a rising to an approximately horizontal characteristic. To accomplish this is provided wdiat may be briefly termed a volume measurer that is acted upon by the incoming fluid and connects the movable part thereof to said throttle valve in such a manner that the throttling action decreases from light towards full load operating conditions of the com- pressor. This apparatus is, in addition to the governing mechanism which regulates the speed of the motor or prime mover, employed to drive the compressor. Fig. 1 is a ver- tical section showing the improved mechanism; fig. 2 is a partial vertical section taken at right angles to that of fig. 1; fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a weight for adjusting the action of the mechanism, and fig. 4 is an end elevation of a centrifugal compressor showing the mechanism in posi- tion. (Five claims.) 231 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Suspenders for Electric Cables and the like. P. Huntington, of 13, Cumberland-street, Liverpool, Lancashire. The object is to provide improved means whereby a cable-embracing loop variable in size may be readily made or opened. According to the invention, there is slidably fitted on the suspender material a hoop or band provided with one or more upwardly directed projection or projections, which enters or enter a Fig. I. Fig. 2. hole or slot punched out of or otherwise formed in the upwardly turned lower end of the suspender material. In a preferred construction said slidable hoop or band is formed of wire rod, both ends, or one end only, whereof being so bent or turned as to project upwardly at approximately right angles to the suspender encircling portion. Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and fig. 2 a front view of a cable suspender provided with the improvement. (Three claims.) 9302 (1914). Improvements in Apparatus for Washing Gases and for Analogous Purposes. W. B. Davidson, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C., of Fortrose. Gravelly Hill, Birmingham, and A. J. Liversedge, A.M.I.C.E., of 63, Northampton-road, Croydon, Surrey.—Relates to apparatus for washing gases