MHHIHWmKv '-IB
111 MXllliil'i II n f
The Commoner.
7
i.
"ft
Nov. 3i, 190a
tains, around tho Dead sea are rarely seon "with
distinctness because of this haze. '
IT IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR ANY ONE TQ BE
llove that tho world has obtained but a hint
of tho possibilities of electricity and therefore tho
statement make by Frank Sprague, tho well-known
American electrical engineer, in an interview with
tho London correspbndont of tho ohicago Record
Herald will not occasion great surprise. Mr.
Sprague predicts that tho day is not far distant
when the steam locomotive will bo unknown in
and around London. Xn the beginning, ho says,
there will be electricity for suburban lines and
steam for long distance trains, but soon it will bo
found to bo quicker and more convenient to oper
ate all railroad traffic by electricity up to a cer
tain radius reaching beyond the suburban area.
Mr. Sprague thinks that the general adoption of
electricity by English railroads is coming much
more quickly than most people realize.
J? J?
AN INTERESTING REPORT WAS RECENTLY
issued by tho United States geological sur
vey and relates to coal miners and coal mining in
the United States. According to this report tho
average 190 working days during the year, produc
ing 219,974,667 short tons of coal, valued at ?208,
00,850. In 1899, '410,365 men, working 214 days,
produced 253,739,992 short tons. In 1900, 448,581
men, working 212 days, produced 269,682,827 tons.
In 1901, 484,544 men, working 216 days, produced
293,298,516 tons, valued at $348,910,469. The aver
age price of coal increased from 95 cents a ton in
1898 to ?L19 in 1901.
ACCORDING TO THIS SAME REPORT
tho increase in the number of workers in tho
anthracite mines in twelve years has been from
126,000 in 1890 to 145,309 in 1901, more than 15
per cent During tho same period the number on
gaged in the bituminous mines has increased from
192,204 to 340,235, or a little more than 77 per
cent In the anthracite mines in 1890 the number
of miners was 126,000 who, in 200 days produced
46,468,641 short tons, valued at ?6b,383,772, the av
erage production being 1.85 tons per man per day
and 369 tons per man per year; in 1895, 142,917
men produced in 196 days 57,999,337 short tons,
valued at $82,019,2 , an average of 2.07 short tons
per man per day and of 406 tons per man per year;
In 1900, 144,206 men working 166 days produced 57,
367,915 short tons, valued at $85,757,851, or 2.40
Bhort tons per man per day and 398 tons per man
per year; in 1901, 145,309 men worked 196 days
and produced 67,471,66. short tons, valued at $112,
504,020, an average produuon of 2.36 short tons per
man per day and of 4'64 tons per man per year.
The average price per short ton of anthracite coal
in 1890 was $1.43; in 1895 it was $1.41; in 1900 it
was $1.49, and in 1901 it was $1.67.
THE COAL INDUSTRY IS REPRESENETD BY
two divisions, the bituminous and the an
thracite. The geological report shows that in the
bituminous coal industry in 1890, 192,204 men,
working 226 days, produced 111,302,322 short tons,
valued at $110,420,801, an average of 2.56 tons per
man per day and of 579 tons per man per year; in
1895, 239,962 men, working 194 days, produced
135,118,193 short tons, valued at $115,779,771, an
average of 2.90 tons per man per day and of 563
tons per man per year, in 1900, 304,375 men in 234
days produced 212,314,912 short tons, valued at
$0,913,513, or 2.98 tonj per day and 697 tons per
man per year; in 1901, 340,235 men in 225 days
produced 225,826,849 short tons, valued at $236,
406,449, or 2.94 tons per man per day and 664 tons
per man per year. The average price of bitumin
ous coal per short ton in 1890 was 99 cents; in
1895, 86 cents; in 1900, $1.04; in 1901, $1.05. Dur
ing the year 1901 there were 1,467 men killed and
3,643 injured. In Pennsylvania alone 301 men were
ldlled and 656 injured in the bituminous mines, and
613 ldlled 1,243 injured in the anthracite mines.
The number of tons of soft coal mined was 273,
388 to each life lost, while only 131,524 tons of
hard coal was mined for each life lost.
a? ?
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF ADMIRAL H. C.
Taylor, chief of the bureau of navigation,
shows that the navy is in sore need of more offi
cers for warships. Admiral Taylor declares that
the necessity for more officers has reached such a
point as to be dangerous to the efficiency of tho
fleet' Although the American vessel requires moro
officers than the vessel of other navies, Admiral
Taylor says that the number of officers on our
ships are less than the number on board the ships
of other navies. He estimates that the present
noeds of the naval service require 1,600 offlcors
while tho number on the naval list including mid
shipmen after graduation is only 1,023 or 577 short
According to Admiral Taylor tho vessels now au
thorized by congress, but not yotr completed, will
require 498 additional offlcors to which Is to bo
added 25 per cent for officers sick or on shoro duty
and 160 for casualties during tho next four years
or 783. This number added to the present short
ago, 577, will give 1.3S0. Tho graduates from tho
naval academy during tho next four years will bo
355, leaving a total deficit July 1, 1906, of 1,005,
not counting officers for auxiliary and who would
bo required in tue event of "hostilities. Tho ad
miral therefore recommends the increase of one
midshipman for very member and dolegate in
the house and each senator, one from tho District
of Columbia, and ten annually at large. Ho further
suggests that tho number of lieutenant-commanders
bo increased by thirty lieutenants of sonior
grade and fifty lioutonants of junior grade ana
350 ensigns.
A BILL INTENDED TO SUPPRESS DUELING
in Prance has been introduced in the cham
ber of deputies by a member of" that body. The
Paris correspondent of the Chicago Intor-Occan
says: "Statistics prove that of every one hundred
French duels only four or fivo entail the death of
one of the principals; that in between fifty and
sixty neither adversary Is touched; that in twenty
live tho man in wrong inflicts an injury on the
person Insulted; that In from fifteen te twenty tho
result, without being tragic, accords with the senti
ment of justice. Frenchmen are beginning to look
on the question in a reasonable, practical light
One medical man, Dr. Devlllors, suggests as a com
promise that tho duelists snould fire with inoffen
sive balls made of candle greaso, which would
crumble to powder when thoy strike."
MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE OPINION THAT
brain work is destructive of physical
strength. ThiB claim Is disproved by a recent ar
ticle in the Chicago Chronicle in which it is pointed
out that Colon, Sophocles, Pindar, Anacreon and
Xenophon were octogenarians. Kant, Buffon,
Goethe, Fontenello and Newton were over 80.
Michael Angelo and Titian wore 89 and 99, re
spectively. Harvey, the discoverer of tho circu
lation of the blood, lived to bo 80. Many men havo
done excellent work after thoy havo passed 80
years. Lander wrote his "Imaginary Conversa
tions" when 85; Isaak Walton wielded a ready
pen at 90. Hahnemann married at 80 and was still
working at 91. Michael Angelo was still painting
his giant canvasses at 89 and Titian at 90 worked
with tho vigor of his early years. Fontenello was
as light-hearted at 98 as at 40 and Newton at hi
worked as hard as he did in middle life. Cornaro
was in far better health at 95 than at 30 and as
happy as a sandboy. At Hanover Dr. Du Bolsy was
still praticlng as a physician in 1897, going -s
daily rounds at the age of 103. William Reynold
Salmon, M. R. C. S., of Conbridgo, Glamorgan
shire, died on March 11, 1897, at the age of 106.
At the time of his death he was the oldest known
individual of indisputably authenticated ago, the
oldest physician, the oldest member of the Royal
College of Surgeons, England, and tho oldest Free
Mason 'in the world.
JC
THE WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT OF'
the Philadelphia Public Ledger recently sent
to his paper an interesting story of the claim of
an aged negro employed in the treasury depart
ment that the eclipse of the moon on October 16
had restored his voice. This man is named Merri
man, and his voice has almost entirely been gono
for many months. According to the correspon
dent, when ho reported for duty at the department
on October 17 the captain of the watch was as
tounded to near the old man speak in a loud, clear
voice. He declared that directly upon the passage
of the eclipse he felt his voice changing. Ho did
not know how it could have affected him, but ho
was convinced that the eclipse was the cause of
the restoration of his voice. Ho then went to tho
office where he is employed and astonished tho
clerks by speaking to them in tho same loud
voice. In a short time the news of his recovery
was spread throughout the building, and for two
days Merriman has been busy answering inquiries
and displaying his "new born Voice," as the clerks
call it
SOME INTERESTING FACTS' RELATING TO
public ownership ar presented by a Lon
don correspondent of the Philadelphia PressxIt is
shown that one hundred of the .street railway or-
ionizations with 689 miles of track belong to ran-
nlclpalitics in England. There are altogether 21?
street railway organizations with 1,307 miles ot
railway and so It will bo soon that practically one
half of tho street railways in England aro owned
by the people In Birmingham, Edlnburg, Oldlmra
and twenty-four other towns tho lines aro leased
but It is said that tho tendency Is toward munici
pal operation. As soon as the leases termlnato
Birmingham will tako charge of tho lines. Forty
one towns not only own but operate thqlr street
railway lines and most of the cities own their
electric lighting supply. In Glasgow, Liverpool,
Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Southampton and a num
ber of smallor cities considerable profit has been
mado by tho public trusts from tho street railway
lines and tho taxes have consequently been ma
terially reduced.
IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT SOME DIFFI
culty will be experienced in securing action
by the Colombian government on tho treaty which
must be made before tho work of building the
Panama canal is commenced. A representative of
tho Colombian government, now in Washington,
says: "There is no uso in attempting to conceal
the fact that the government of Colombia and the
people ef that country aro very resentful toward
tho United States at this timo. The action of Ad
miral Casey in refusing tho Colombian govern
ment the right to transport troops and ammuni
tion across tho isthmus is believed by our peoplo
to have been a violation of treaty righto. We real
ize that, under the treaty of 1846, tbo United
States accepted a guardianship of tho isthmus, so
far as maintaining it open to commorco was con
cerned.' Our peoplo feel that Admiral Casey's ac
tion is a notice to us that overy other nation in
tho world, oxcept Colombia, has rights of freo and
uninterrupted transit across Colombian territory.
Tho question has boon raised as to who owns tho
isthmus, and as to what right Colombians havo
on their own soil. This feeling is very bitter at
this time, and it is certain to considerably delay
the negotiations over tho canal strip. I am con
vinced that ovontually tho treaty will be negotiated
but it may bo somo months before any favorable
action can be secured."
ASIDE FROM THE UNFRIENDLY FEELING
, toward tho United States on tho part of Co-'
lombia tho fact that thoro is at present no official
body representing Colombia with which this coun
try can carry on negotiations provlde's another
embarrassment J. T. Ford, a civil onglneorwho
has recently returned from Colombia, in an Inter
view with a correspondent of tho St Louis Globe
Democrat, says: "Since tho breaking out of tho
rebellion in Colombia thero has been no sessions
of congress at Bogota, nor any elections. Presi
dent Mariquin has from tho start been the sol
power of government Even tho courts of justice
havo abandoned their sittings. Tho action of our
naval forces In landing troops on the isthmus
doubtless created somo resentment, but this can
bo dissipated. It saved Panama from falling into
tho hands of tho liberal armies. At present the
government forces seem to havo a decided advant
age, but it Is unsafe to predict a termination of a
South American war. This conflict has cost 100,
000 lives, has paralyzed business and checked
progress In every direction."
COMMENTING UPON THIS INTERESTING
situation this same correspondent points out
that somo of the friends of the Panama canal
proposition insist that it would be sufficient to have
a treaty negotiated between the United States au
thorities and the president of Colombia, allowing
tho ratification to await tho assembling of tha
Colombian congress. While this would probably ..
be legal enough, the prediction is safe that the
United States will not tako any such chances. Tho
rejection by Denmark of the treaty for the pur
chase by this country of the Danish West Indies,
after It had been ratified by this government, has
convinced the state department officials of tho un
wisdom of taking final action in such matter
without having definite assurances of ratification
from tho other partyto the contract Thero is but
little probability that tho United States will ap
prove the treaty with Colombia and then tako the
chanco of having it defeated by the Colombian
congress at some time in the future, if a stable
government is over established in Colombia and a
session of the congress convened. This Is partic
ularly truo in view of the feeling of resentment
against the United States that is so pronounced in
Colombia. In spite of Mr. Knox's favorable ra
port, therefore, the outlook for the adoption of
the Panama canal treaty is still far, from 'bright.