19,502 vessels, 3,889,291 tons; total, 42,597 Total entered and cleared, British and foreign, 5,648,940 tons; foreign, No. LXXXI.-COAL MINES. Reports of the Inspector of Coal Mines to her Majesty's Secretary of State to December 1855. [Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.] MR. MATTHIAS DUNN reported on the inspection of coal mines in the counties of Durham, Northumberland, and Cumberland. During the half year ending the 31st December, 1855, the number of fatal colliery accidents was as follows, 18 in shafts, 11 explosions, 27 falls of stone and coal, 23 sundries; total 79. Mr. Dunn appended a paper on boiler explosions, which concludes with the following safeguards for the prevention of such. 1. It would appear that tube boilers are more liable to accidents from overheating than ordinary boilers, owing to the small quantity of water above the tube, whilst the most intense heating takes place when short of water, and practice shows that little or no advantage is derived from the application of a tube. 2. Every boiler safety-valve should be duplicated by one upon the connecting steam pipe, or an indicator, that upon the steam pipe being equal in area to all the other safety-valves. 3. As very much depends upon the well working of the float, it should either be duplicated or a check apparatus applied upon some other plan. 4. The bottom of each feed pipe should be furnished with a flap or horsefoot valve, to guard against priming. 5. The sludge-pipe of the boiler should be made to discharge in some place visible to the fireman, as there is reason to believe that the imperfect closing of the said pipe has frequently led to unexpected diminution of the boiler water, and consequent explosion. 6. It seems highly desirable that the water gauge employed in the locomotive engines should also be applied to ordinary boilers, which gauge exhibits the state of the water within the boiler. It consists of a glass tube with stop-cocks. 7. I cannot close these remarks without recommending the adoption of a fusible plug of the most esteemed alloy, such plug being placed at the upper part of the tube where such is employed, or in the side of the boiler where most exposed to the flue fire, such plug to be punched out and renewed from time to time to guard against the effects of oxydation. Mr. John J. Atkinson reported for the southern portion of the county of Durham from 31st December, to 1st March, 1856. The total number of accidents during that period was 8. Mr. Joseph Dickinson, F.G.S., reported for the Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales district for the year ending 31st December, 1855. During the year there was a diminution both of accidents and of lives lost. They comprised 34 miscellaneous, 46 in shafts, 56 falls of roof, and 29 explosions of fire-damps; total 165 against 178 in 1854. The number of lives lost was 199 in 1855 against 299 in 1854. Mr. Charles Morton reported for the counties of York, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, and Warwick for the year ending 30th June, 1855. The number of lives lost during the year was 108 against 113 in 1854. In the half year from the 30th June to the 31st December there were 62 lives lost. Mr. Thomas Wynne reported for the district comprising Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire for 1855. The number of accidents was 189, and the number of lives lost 227, of which 38 were explosions of firedamp, 116 falls of coal and roof, 49 falling shafts, and falling substances in shafts, and 24 miscellaneous cases. Mr. Herbert Mackworth reported for the south-western district for 1855. The number of accidents causing death in 1855 was 181, of which 105 were from falls in mine, 27 in shafts, 17 miscellaneous underground, and 9 on surface. The number of deaths ensuing 200. The average number of accidents in the five years 1850-1855 was 134, and the average number of deaths 172. The number of deaths per annum per 1,000 persons employed 44, and per million tons of coal raised 17.2. In the appendix of Mr. Mackworth's report a comparison is instituted of the accidents and deaths in 1851 to 1854 in Great Britain. Those for 1854 were as follows: Mr. Thomas Evans reported for the South Wales district. Mr. Robert Williams reported for Scotland. The number of accidents in 1855 was 68, viz. 16 miscellaneous, 26 shafts, 19 falls of roof, and 7 explosions. The quantity of coal raised in Scotland during 1855 is estimated at 7,650,000 tons, being an increase of 202,000 tons over the previous year, giving an average of one death by accident for every 112,500 tons of coal raised, whereas the average for 1854 was one death for every 82,285 tons raised. Mr. Higson, Mr. Brough, Mr. Hedley, and Mr. Alexander made also brief reports. No. LXXXII.— STATISTICAL TABLES RELATING TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES, COMPILED FOR THE MOST PART FROM THE OFFICIAL RETURNS OF THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. PART III. [Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.] HAMBURG. THE population of Hamburg in 1852 was 158,775, of whom 73,543 males and 85,232 females. There were in that year 5,655 living births, and 377 still births; total, 6,032. 1,632 marriages, and 5,435 deaths. The revenue in 1852 was 387,458., and the expenditure 368,789. For the Total. year 1855 the revenue was estimated at 416,4487., and the expenditure 441,976. The revenue is divided into ordinary and extraordinary. In 1852 the ordinary revenue was land and fire tax, marks current 643,000; excise, 1,209,215; customs, 1,076,156; stamp duties, 783,409; tolls, 291,860; ground rent, 172,605. The extraordinary-extra loans and taxes, 73,606; land tax for fire loan, 1,422,621; and 464,475 additional for fire rates. The public expenditure was-Ordinary, 291,822 for members of the senate; 537,890 military; 166,180 police; 517,325 harbour expenses; 453,313 buildings; 402,576 charitable institutions; and 1,581,142 interest and expenses of public debt. Extraordinary expenditure-1,887,096 expenses for the fire loan. The public debt in 1852 was 4,990,031., of which 1,970,2317. the old debt, and 3,019,800l. fire loan. The number and tonnage of vessels which belonged to the port of Hamburg in 1855 was 448 vessels, of 159,663 tons. The number of vessels entered in 1855 was 4,593, of 309,002 lasts of 3 tons; and cleared 4,562 vessels, of 309,984 lasts of 3 tons. The value of the cargoes entered in 1855 was 18,233,635l., and cleared 10,687,5861. The total value of imports and exports was, in 1846-imports, 21,124,9297.; exports, 20,729,405%. In 1855-imports, 39,641,864l.; exports, 38,041,620l. The imports in 1855 consisted of provisions, centners 7,164,142, value marks Bco 122,686,390; raw materials, centners, 24,404,458, value M.B. 193,544,410; manufactures cent. 1,198,349, value M.B. 136,304.210; specie and bullion, cent. 8,533, M.B. 76,023,180. Total, cent. 32,775,482, M.B. 528,558,190, 39,641,864%. The exports consisted of provisions, cent. 5,873,504, M.B. 112,759,120; raw materials, cent. 13,204,877, M.B. 187,318,050; manufactures, cent. 1,099,338, M.B. 126,306,640; specie and bullion, cent. 9,134, M.B. 80,837,790; total, cent. 20,266,853, M.B. 507,221,600, 38,041,620%. LUBECK. The area of Lubeck and suburbs is 82,824 acres, and the population in 1853, 54,166. There were in 1853, 1,608 births and 1,469 deaths. The budget of the public revenue and expenditure for 1855 was-revenue, 58,8771.; expenditure, 68,500l. There belonged to the port of Lubeck on the 1st of January, 1855, 70 vessels of 6,398 lasts of 2 tons. In 1855 there were entered 972 vessels of 55,371 lasts, and cleared 958 vessels of 54,246 lasts. The value of imports in 1855 was 3,744,281. In 1853 the Lubeck Sea Insurance Society insured property to the amount of 21,823,524 marks, at the rate of 2.19. It paid 427,830 marks for losses. The profit was 49,175 marks. BREMEN. The area of Bremen is 96 square miles, and the population in 1852 was 85,000. In 1855 there belonged to Bremen 264 vessels of 140,418 tons. In 1855 there were entered 2,557 vessels, of 199,223 lasts of two tons, and cleared 2,674 vessels, of 215,213 lasts. The value of cargoes entered was 4,423,8817., and of cargoes cleared, 4,130,1757. The total value of imports was, in 1855, 8,875,8291., and of exports 8,154,053l. HOLLAND. The area of Holland is 12,608 English square miles, and the population on the 31st December, 1854, was 3,238,753. In 1854 there were born 41,446 males and 40,346 females. In 1853 there were 3,374 schools, 7,027 teachers, and 392,161 scholars. In 1855 the public revenue was 6,108,2727., and the expenditure 6,145,055. The public debt was 99,342,569. In 1855 there belonged to Holland 2,230 vessels, of 275,927 lasts of two tons. There were built and registered 178 vessels of 26,197 lasts. There were entered with cargoes 7,788 vessels, of 1,303,450 tons, and in ballast 469 vessels, of 81,093 tons; and cleared with cargoes 4,242 vessels, of 820,126 tons, and in ballast 4,203 vessels, of 633,544 tons. There were also entered with cargoes 1,193 steam-vessels, of 349,920 tons, and in ballast 138 steam-vessels, of 57,049 tons; and cleared with cargoes 1,359 steam-vessels, of 403,785 tons, and in ballast 19 steam-vessels, of 6,233 tons. The total imports in 1855 were 28,551,505l., and the exports 26,171,089%. The total value of imports for transit, and afterwards exported, in 1855, was 8,064,3831. In 1854 the produce of Holland was, in imperial quarters, wheat, 557,859; rye, 1,249,292; buckwheat, 457,312; barley, 521,406; oats, 1,062,132; peas, 72,070; beans, 213,159; potatoes, 3,619,594; flax, 131,722 cwts; tobacco, 59,308 cwts. There were in 1854, 234,193 horses, 1,144,953 cattle, 856,266 sheep, 239,733 pigs, and 101,222 goats. HOLLAND-JAVA AND MADURA. The area of Java is 513,366 English square miles. The population, in 1853, was 10,290,000. The amount of duties received in 1854 was 669,660. The number of vessels entered in 1854 was 2,348, of 172,837 lasts of two tons; and cleared, 2,490, of 177,981 lasts. The value of imports in 1854 was 3,359,017., of which the value of merchandise was 2,823,112l., and of specie 535,905l. The value of exports, 6,070,463l., viz., merchandise 5,688,378, and specie 382,0851. No. LXXXIII.-REPORTS ON THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION. PART II AND III. [Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.] Mr. WARRINGTON SMYTH, M.A., F.G.S., reported on mining and metallurgical products. Coals. Among the coal-producing countries of the world Britain takes the undoubted lead. The coal produce of the United Kingdom in 1854 |