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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :~~
Hico 885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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APPENDIX A.-REPORTS.
The following have been employed since the dates given
(a) C.T. 43, "Kankakee," 5th March, 1916
(a) C.T. 45, "Genessee," 1st April, 1916
(a) C.T. 47,
Hakan," 20th May, 1916
(b) C.T. 48, "Margerison," 23rd August, 1916
(b) C.T. 49,
F
(b) C.T. 50,
(c) C.T. 51,
(c) C.T. 52,
J. C. Hamilton," 22nd August, 1916 "Ed. Greenwood," 22nd August, 1916
Lonada," 31st August, 1916 "Lonbetty," 17th August, 1916 (c) C.T. 53,. "Lonclara," 1st September, 1916 (c) C.T. 54. "Londulcie." 15th September, 1916 (c) C.T. 55. "Lonedith " 5th October, 1916 (c) C.T. 56, "Lon fanny," 4th October, 1916
(c) C.T. 57, "Longerty," 3rd November, 1916
(c) C.T. 58, "Lonhelen," 10th November, 1916
Total
Casualties during 1916
Effectives on 31st December, 1916
14
44 5
39 steamers."
These thirty-nine steamers had a carrying capacity of about.70,000 tons.
2. The fleet consists of three classes of vessels :-
Interned enemy steamers
Prize Court steamers (a)
3.
Preston hopper barges converted into colliers (b) Port of London Authority hopper barges
converted into colliers (c)
Steamer Casualties :--
14
25
3
3
8
39
C.T. 18, "Franz Fischer" (German), sunk when at anchor off the Kentish Knock by bombs from a Zeppelin, on the night of 1st February, 1916. She was on her thirty-third voyage, and had delivered 36,119 tons of cargo in thirty-two voyages. Her book value was £3,938.
C.T. 22, Blonde (German), stranded near Flamborough Head, on 28th December, 1916, and has become a total wreck. She was on her fifty-eighth voyage, and had delivered 42,563 tons of cargo in fifty-seven voyages. Her book value was £1,531.
C.T. 29. Sabbia" (Austrian), torpedoed on the 20th April, 1916. This fine vessel had delivered 156,000 tons of cargo in her thirty-eight completed voyages. Her book value was £21,000.
C.T. 31. "Tergestea" (Austrian), blown up by mine on 13th February, 1916. She had made twenty-two voyages and carried 96,223 tons of coal. Her book value was £39.766.
C.T. 51, "Lonada (Port of London Authority converted hopper), sunk by ' mine or torpedo, on 29th December, 1916. She was on her fourteenth voyage with coals to London, where she had already landed 12,799 tons. Her book value was £39,776.
The above five steamers had a carrying capacity of about 11,550 tons, of which C.T.s 29 and 31 accounted for 8,700 tons.
4.
Steamer Cargoes carried during 1916 :----
1,979,973 tons of coal to London:
152,833 tons of coal to out-ports;
13,497 tons of sundries:
Grand total
2,146,303 tons in 1,069 voyages;
As against
1,829,930 tons in 873 voyages in 1915.
C.T. 16, "George Harper," which has run exclusively throughout her career
in the East Coast-London coal trade, holds the record of forty-one voyages during the twelve months.
APPENDIX A.-REPORTS.
101
The executive management of the fleet has throughout the year continued to be in the hands of Messrs. Everett and Newbigin, of Newcastle, whose work always bears evidence of the ability, knowledge, forethought, and thoroughness which distinguish them.
5. General Remarks.-It is with the London coal trade that this office is mainly concerned, and from the decrease in collier-tonnage now available it is obvious that but for the C.T. steamers the position of London as regards coal supplies would have been a serious one. I know of no means of gauging the domestic consumption of coal in London, but, in spite of reduced street lighting and probably some economies on the part of most householders, there has undoubtedly been a substantial increase in demand throughout the year for gas and electricity. The increase as regards gas may be due principally for cooking and heating pur- poses, whereas the increase in electricity is believed to be mainly for power.
London is supposed to have taken about 16,000,000 tons of coal annually in pre-War days, half being sea-borne and half rail-borne. The undertakings upon whose figures the weekly report issued by this office is based take about 6,000,000 tons, or three-eighths of this total: and this (thirty-seven-and-a-half per cent. of the. whole) supplies the only information at present available to me. The question one would like to be in a position to answer with full knowledge of all, instead of part only, of the facts, is: "What is the measure of relief the CT. colliers have actually given?" I think it may be arrived at with a considerable degree of accuracy indirectly. There are certain factors now common to all coastal trade. These are (a) delays from increased difficulties and dangers of navigation, (6) the temporary unhealthiness" of areas from time to time, rendering the length of voyages under war conditions an uncertain proposition, still tending, I fear, to an increase of average duration. In addition to this disadvantage there has in many cases been a distinct deterioration in the quality of supplies. Inquiries have failed to produce suflicient evidence to enable any figures to be deduced which would permit of the extra freight involved in carrying fuel of lower calorific value being expressed in a percentage. Some consumers have complained most bitterly of the poorness of supplies; others, on the other hand, have been reasonably well satisfied with tenders. On balance, however, I think it must be admitted that mining is not so carefully done as in peace times, and that we have, therefore, had to deal with some additional bulk to produce equal results.
Bearing these matters in mind, I would now refer to some statistics. For the financial year ending on 31st March, 1916, the undertakings referred to above had average weekly receipts of sea-borne coal equal to 82,000 tons; for the following nine months these had decreased to 78,000 tons; in 1915-16 C.T. steamers had con- tributed a weekly average of 35,450 tons; and during the following nine months had contributed a weekly average of 37,800 tons.
In other words, after deducting C.T. carryings, the other tonnage engaged in supplying the requirements of the undertakings had brought a weekly average of nearly fourteen per cent. less in the past nine months than in the previous twelve months. If this shrinkage is general, it follows that the normal tonnage required to convey the total 8,000,000 tons of sea-borne coal assumed still to be wanted annually in London has declined during the period by fourteen per cent., which equals 840,000 tons, on 6,000,000 tons, the difference between the full 8,000,000 and the (say) 2,000,000 tons C.T. steamers have carried.
Approximately, therefore, coal to London by the usual colliers has declined by thirty-five to forty per cent., and famine has so far been avoided by the twenty- five per cent. delivered ex C.T. steamers.
6. Sailing Fleet.-Twenty-six of these small craft appeared in last year's report, but seven have since been lost, and one, the schooner C.S. 81, "Katharina," has been ashore for ten months, and her ultimate fate remains uncertain.
The vessels lost, all of which were German, are:-
C.S. 64, "Behrend," sunk by bombs from submarine on 30th November, 1916. Book value, £1,750.
C.S. 65, "Conrad," sunk by bombs from submarine on 12th December, 1916. Book value, £1,531,
C.S. 68. "Heinrich," sunk by bombs from submarine on 30th November, 1916. Book value, £1.600.
1915.
C.S. 77. “Tilly." lost on (her first) voyage to Cumberland Gulf in October.
News did not reach us until twelve months later. Book value, £1.400.