944 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. May .19, 1916. ELECTRIC SINKING PUMP. The pump illustrated, which has been supplied to the South Moor Colliery Company Limited by Messis. Holden and Brooke Limited, of West Gorton, Manchester, is designed for delivering 600 gals, per minute against a head of 33 ft. when running at a speed cf 1,160 levolu- tions per minute. It is coupled to a 13 b.h.p. totally enclosed motor, suitable for running on a three-phase 40-cyele circuit. As the water with which the pump is to deal is of a very bad nature, the whole of the pump has been made throughout in special phosphor bronze. The motor was made by Messrs. Greenwood and Batley Limited. The whole set is arranged for slinging in a pit 6’DEUVERY VALVE b' DELIVERY 11 DIA FLANGE 8-ft'BOLtS. 94' PORCLE MOTOR ■INER PLAN OT TOP FLEXIBLE COUPLING —’MENNO BALL BLARING h— 2’ 10' SECTION AB Amen no /LUBRICATORS -D SPLIT COUPLING 6’roOTVALVE SECTION CD I “ ill 'j i k r7V-\<-m' 4 Electric Sinking Pump for South Moor Colliery. shaft, being carried on a double wire rope passing round a guide pulley at the top of the pump framing. The motor is lifted some distance above the pump, so that the latter can be worked submerged if required. TRADE REGULATIONS ABROAD. Amended lists of prohibited exports have been issued in a number of British Possessions and Protectorates. The Straits Settlements prohibit the export of railway wagons and component parts to all destinations other bhan the United Kingdom, British Possessions and Protectorates; and prohibit exports of files to all foreign countries in Europe and on the Mediterranean and Black Seas, other than Prance, Russia (except through Baltic ports), Italy, Spain and Portugal. The Federated Malay States prohibit the export of petroleum coke and carbon electrodes for electric furnaces to all destinations other than the United Kingdom, British Possessions and Protectorates. Cyprus prohibits the export to all destinations other than the United Kingdom, British Possessions md Protectorates of pig iron containing less than 0’1 per cent, of phosphorus, including haematite pig iron, and all other pig iron containing more than 0’1 per cent, of phosphorus, but less than 1’5 per cent, of silicon, together with less than 0’09 per cent, sulphur. Mining Progress in Spitzbergen. — According to advices received from Spitzbergen, this still unannexed Arctic region is likely to be the scene of extensive coal mining developments —mainly for the purpose of supplying Northern Europe. Confident predictions are made regarding heavy supplies in the autumn. Apparently coal-bearing areas are possessed by 10 or more coal companies, one of which, the Arctic Coal Company, has supplied, .the Norwegian State Railways for years. Mr. Welle Strand, of Bergen, who recently returned from these .regions, writes in the Copenhagen paper, Politiken, as follows : “ It is in West Spitzbergen that the great layers of coal are found. The whole of the tract from Advent Bay to Green Harbour—some 200 kiloms. in length— is, practically speaking, one continuous coal field; but the coal varies very much in quality. The large veins are from 1 to . 1-6 m. in thickness, and for long distances they are plainly visible on the mountain sides. Mr. Munroe, the engineer sent over by an American company to examine the deposits, is of opinion that the coal field in Advent Bay has an area of about 35 kiloms., and he estimates the contents at 100 million tons, of which the greater part can be utilised.” Altogether the' Spitzbergen region is estimated to contain 1,000 million tons of coal. On Bear Island the ccal has an ash content varying from 5-87 to 47-1 per cent. So far the trade has not been of any great substance, only about 200,000 tons having been shipped to Norway since 1910, but the high prices now current appear to have stimulated the industry. The Norwegian syndicate which acquired some important coal-bearing properties can ship from a good natural harbour in Advent Bay. COAL SHORTAGE IN ARGENTINA. According to a recent report by the United States Vice-Consul at Buenos Ayres, Argentina is confronted with what portends to be a serious coal shortage for the coming year. Although there has been considerable restriction in the local industries during the past two years, diminishing the demand for coal to a certain extent, the falling-off of imports has been even greater in proportion. In 1915 over 1,000,000 tons less were imported than in 1914. At a low estimate, Argentina requires 3,000,000 tons of coal per year (exclusive of petroleum and other fuel), and during the first two months of the current year, not more than 300,000 tons r were imported, while the ordinary requirements were 500,000 tons. The following table shows the total imports of coal during the past four years, together with the countries of origin, viz. - (Quantities in tons.) Country— 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. Austria 16,990 — — — Africa — . — ... 18,196 Belgium 4,759 2,185 — — Brazil — — — ... 4,768 Canada 9,698 — — Chile — 4 — 1 France — 351 — — Germany 56,450 9.713 4,766 252 Great Britain .. 3,499,989 ...3,977,650 3,242,519 ...1,844,845 Do. possessions. — — — ... 24042 Holland 386 — 70 — Paraguay 14 19 . 80 96 United States ... 115,901 ... 5'>,206 . . 169,786 ... 651,747 Uruguay 3,769 l„0 .. 4,305 — Total 3,707,956 ...4,046,278 . .3,421,626 ...2,513,887 The value of the total imports for each year is placed at (United States currency): Value...... $25,028,703..$27,312,377...$22,995,300...$17,171,237 These values are based on an arbitrary valuation of $6'75 per ton placed upon the coal by the Argentine Custom House for statistical purposes. Very little coke is imported into Argentina, the total imports gradually decreasing during the last four years. The total imports and countries of origin were as follow .:— (In tons.) Country - 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. Germany........... 1,005 ... 615 ... 1,051 ... — United States .... 5,292 ... — ... — ... 1,579 Great Britain ... 24,295 ... 20,702 ... 13,606 ... 9,563 Uruguay ............ 496 ... — ... — ... — Total.............. 31,087 ...21,317 ...14,657 . 11,142 All the dealers of coal at Buenos Ayres are now carry- ing very depleted stocks, and are only supplying such users with whom they have contracts. Others find diffi- culty in getting sufficient fuel, while steamers leaving Argentina ports are able to obtain only sufficient to carry them to the nearest port. The cause of this shortage is due, first, to the restricted coal supplies in Great Britain, which country, as will be seen from the statistics given above, formerly supplied almost the entire needs of Argentina; and, second, to the lack of merchant ships which could be utilised in conveying coal from other countries. It is reported in Buenos Ayres that before any coal may be exported from England to Argentina, a licence from the British Govern- ment must be first obtained. Of late, these licences have been growing fewer and fewer, and even many of the railroads in Argentina (mostly British-owned), and which own their own ships, have been unable to get the needed supplies. The imports from the United States during the past year showed an appreciable increase, although freight rates have gone up to 20 and 22 dols. (a 25 dols. charter was recently reported), while freight rates on coal from Cardiff average about 45s. per ton. Even with these rates ruling, local importers of American coal have not been able to secure the necessary tonnage for carrying coal to Argentina to counteract the existing shortage. Many British ships come from Europe in ballast for the purpose of returning with grain cargoes, for which freights of 120s. to 150s. are paid. If these ships could obtain a licence from the British Government to call at American ports for coal on their outward journey, the problem of coal shortage could be easily solved, at the same time offering lesser freights on the grain cargoes to Europe. The railroads in Argentina report that they have supplies only sufficient for six months. Practically all the lines at Buenos Ayres have already resorted to the use of wood fuel in their locomotives, especially on those hauling freight trains, and in many instances on the slower passenger trains. The lines of the northern part of Argentina traverse the timbered regions, and the wood is comparatively easy to obtain, although the Southern Railroad Company, whose lines are far distant from the timbered regions, has also arranged to burn quebracho wood in its locomotives. During the last few weeks the railroads are reported to have placed contracts for over 1,200,000 tons of quebracho wood with growers in the Chaco territory. This wood (quebracho) is of a very hard quality, two to three tons being equivalent to one ton of steam coal in the production of heat. This wood sells for 8 to 9 dols. per ton,,while coal (steam coal) is sold at Buenos Ayres at the present time at 26 to 30 dols. per ton. In normal times, that is, prior to the European War, steam coal sold at 8 to 9 dols. per ton. Recently the Argentine Consul in Cape Town cabled to his Government that coal merchants in South Africa informed him that they could supply the Argentine Government with 5,000 to 10,000 tons of steam coal per month. Here, as well as in the case of American exporters, the question of obtaining the requisite tonnage for transporting the coal presents itself. The reserve supplies of coal of the Argentine Public Works Department for harbour and river dredging work, sanitary work, and for other immediate purposes, are exceedingly low, as well as those of the Navy Depart- ment. There is also an inadequate supply of petroleum for fuel purposes. The Comodoro Rivadavia Oil Fields, operated by the Argentine Government, are capable of producing and delivering in Buenos Ayres approximately 8,000 tons per month. There are only two tank steamers for transporting this fuel to the city of Buenos Ayres, although two more are now being built in American shipyards. Many local industrial plants and river steamship companies, whose owners installed oil- burning equipment, have been obliged to revert to the use of coal on account of their inability to obtain a sufficient and regular supply of crude oil. These 8,000 tons of Comodoro Rivadavia oil, supplemented by crude O’T coming from the United States and Mexico, are only a drop in the bucket of the fuel required at Buenos Ayres. How serious the fuel situation is may be judged by the fact that with many industrial concerns, the banks, with their discounts and accommodations, are taking into consideration, as a prime element of credit, the fuel requirements of the client, his stock on hand, and his outlook for future supplies. The large amount of American coal already sold at Buenos Ayres during the past two years has given every satisfaction to the users. Several shiploads of different American coals have been sold to the local railway com- panies. In many instances technical experts accom- panied the cargoes for the purpose of demonstrating to the companies the proper manner in which to use the coal, and, following these methods, the results obtained compared favourably with the best of Welsh coals which the railroads had been previously using. Local indus- trial users of American coal have also expressed them- selves as being entirely satisfied with the quality of the coal received. With the establishment of American coal in this market, and the restriction of the country’s former source of supply, there presents itself a still greater opportunity for American coal to become even more firmly embedded in this market. The market for three million tons per annum, as a low estimate, is an impor- tant item which American coal shippers should not over- look, nor should they overlook the question of the neces- sary provisioning of merchant tonnage which would make them independent of foreign ships in carrying their coal to a market, which for the time being remains almost without competition. The International Resident Buyers, 33, Union Square, New York, have issued enquiries for bids on coal as follows : 150,000 to 200,000 tons steam coal, Pocahontas or New River, deliveries May to October, c.i.f. Italian ports and c.i.f. Marseilles; 400,000 tons Pocahontas or New River, delivery May 1916 to April 1917, c.i.f. Rouen; 2,000,000 tons Pocahontas or New River, for delivery during the next two years, c.i.f. Marseilles; 1,000,000 tons Pocahontas or New River, for delivery during the next one year or two years, c.i.f. Genoa; 1,000,000 tons Pocahontas or New River, for delivery during the next one year or two years, c.i.f. Atlantic ports (French); 250,000 to 500,000 tons coal for delivery during the next 12 months, c.i.f. Northern Spain ports. Hull Coal Exports.—The official return of the exports of coal from Hull to foreign countries for the week ended May 9 ■is as follows :—Bergen, 2 tons; Dunkirk, 850; Gothenburg. 3,142; Guernsey, 806; Hornas, 1,404: Harlingen, 753; Rouen, 3,660; Rotterdam, 594; total, 11,211 tons. Corre- sponding period, May 1915, total, 51,775 tons. These figures do not include bunker coal, shipments for the British Admiralty, nor the Allies’ Governments.