The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-10-14
in FAR NORTHLAND
Important Events In Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North, Sc
ieeted for scandinavIans and
Their Descendants
BY MARTIN w. ooLAND.

Norway.
Building ships of concrete is Nor
ways latest contribution to the prog
ress OF the world. lack of iron and
steel has prompted this Departure
says an American business man who
Is now In Norway in letter to Chi.
cago daily. $50 satisfactory have been
the preliminary experiments that a
large corporation has been organized
to manufacture concrete ships, and a
shipyard has been opened nj Moess,
on the Christiania ford, about two
hours by rail from Christiania. The
Invention was prompted by necessity,
which Is responsible for many time,
labor and money saving devices 1t
was made by a Norwegian engineer,
who was active for some years in en-
terprises In China. When he returned
to Norway about year ago he found
every bottom In use and no new ones
In sight The oldest canal boat, scut-
tied years ago and lying half imbedded
In mud, had been rehabilitated and
pressed back into service, and ships
heap years before under ordinary con-
dltions were making big profits for
their owners. There was plenty of
hauling to be done. but new ships
could not be turned out fast enough.
Germany's supply Of iron and steel
was closed to Scandinavia; England
allowed nothing to get past the British
isles and the Scandinavian supply was
not big enough to put the price with
In reach Of builders. The engineer
broached the subject of making con-
crete bottoms on steel frames and was
laughed at for his pains-until he
demonstrated it's feasibility. Fortunate
ly for his scheme the engineer is the
son-in-law Of Max Holzapfel Of New
castle, England, known In Europe as
head Of the ship paint industry. Holz-
APPEL is a British subject with enor-
nous holdings throughout Europe. To
back up the experiments Of his son-in-
law was small matter to him. When
he saw that they were successful he
Immediately threw the weight Of his
financial influence into the scale and
the concrete shipbuilding industry be-
gan. 1t was decided at first to build
factory barges, and when ship owners
saw that these would release a lot of
other vessels for carrying service they
became interested in the company. The
barges will be used In the canals and |
fjords. They are constructed of fine |
grade of concrete on steel frame. |
Experiment with bridges has shown |
that the action of salt water Is bene- |
fetal to concrete. Further experiments |
are being carried on at Moess to test !
tenacity, durability and proof against
erosion. Some important disclosures
pre- expected to be made.
The great cod fisheries, which ex-
tend along the coast of Norway from
Bergen TO Finmarken, and are most
productive In the vicinity Of the Lof-
oten islands, have closed with total
catch of 51.397 900 fish, according to
a report by Il. Haldeman Dennison, /
United States consul general at Chris
tiania. This years catch Is 15,43T0O0
|
my year since 1908. The greater part
Of the catch, 44,641 900 fish, were salt
ed and prepared as split fish, 1885,
300 were dried as stock fish, and most
IF the remainder were exported fresh.
the catch was below the av-
,rage the great demand for fish, due
70 the war, made the value greater
han in any previous year. The official
estimate is $20,100,O00. In 1915 the
estimated value was only $9.461, 900,
and In 1914 $S.5S4,5OO. The value
" the herring landed during the past
season was about S23,OO0,OOO. and the
value Of the canned fish exported,
,hiefy sprats and small herrings, was
lbout $14,000,00O. These figures in
licate the great profits that the Nor
vegian fishing industry has made, due
o the high prices obtained because of
he war. 1t has been reported that
he British government has purchased
his years entire Norwegian fish catch,
md that the pi rchase includes also
ardines and other canned fish. BY
'irtue of the resolution adopted by the :
torthing, export duties have been ,
placed upon large v0riety of fish and
PRODUCTS of fish, the amounts ranging :
rom one crown per 100 kilos for split
ish to five crowns per barrel for spiced
lerring These duties came into force
m March 80 and will continue In ef-
ect until June 80, 1917, unless modi-
led by royal decree. Another law I
the export Of canned goods
lfter July 8, except at IA ports speci- {
led, and then only under strict regula- {
ions. L
Camilla Clifford, the acted Norwe-
dan-born actress. will return to the
tage after an absence of two years,
ince the death of her husband, Lord q
Jlfford. In the European war. She Z
vii play the leading role In 1.-THE Girl q
4 the Future" and will appear In sew Y
raj of the largest English cities. q
More than n million dollars will be (
pcnt in improving the harbor Of Ber- q
en- as result Of the big fire last win c
or. Commerce has increased at h
'ondcrful rnte In Bergen during the n
y fcv wears. :