On this Date 1757: ADM John Byng Executed
On 14 March 1757, Admiral John Byng, Royal Navy, was executed by firing squad while he was kneeling on the forecastle of HMS Monarch in the Solent. Admiral Byng had been court-martialed for personal cowardice, disaffection, and for not having done his utmost to prevent Minorca from falling to the French following the Battle of Minorca on 20 May 1756. He was convicted only of “failing to do his utmost”. The British and French fleets were numerically equal (ten ships each), but the British had scrapped their group together hastily and its ships were in disrepair. The British fleet suffered significant, but not fatal, battle damage. When the French fleet departed at the end of the engagement, Admiral Byng did not order his fleet to follow.
New Mediterranean Yacht Charter Destinations
The Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Ibiza, Minorca and Formentera, along with mainland cities such as Barcelona, Valencia and Marbella, can now be added to Europe's established 'charter' destinations, announce IYR. With the longest summer season in Europe, and reliable sunshine from April through until late Autumn, these destinations can now add as much as 75 days to the European cruising season - this now brings a season that incorporates Easter through until the "Club closing parties of Ibiza" and the late Autumn sunshine on the southern Iberian peninsula. The Balearics and Spain now join the top cruising destinations of the Cote d'Azur, Costa Smeralda and Amalfi Coast on the charterers' calendar.
News: Lakes Shipping Down 1.4 Percent in 2002
Dry-bulk cargo movement on the Great Lakes totaled 162.3 million net tons in 2002, a decrease of 1.4 percent compared to 2001 and a drop of 6 percent compared to the 5-year average. Iron ore shipments totaled 58.9 million net tons in 2002, an increase of 5.8 percent compared to 2001, but a decrease of 9.2 percent compared to the 5-year average. North American raw steel production totaled an estimated 101.7 million tons in 2002, an increase of 2.4 percent compared to 2001, but the amount of steel made in Basic Oxygen Furnaces that turn pellets into hot metal fell 4 percent to an estimated 50.1 million net tons. The Lakes iron ore trade was essentially non-stop in 2002.
