Coal shipments on Great Lakes improve in October

Coal shipments on Great Lakes improve in October    Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 4.1 million net tons in October, an increase of 7.6 percent compared to a year ago, the Lake Carriers' Association said in a statement.
   The increase occurred despite a damaged coal loader on the dock in Conneaut, Ohio. As a result, Conneaut was able to ship only three cargoes of coal during the month.
   'The coal total for October was, however, nearly eight percent off the month's five-year average,' the Association explained.
   Thus far in 2005, the Great Lakes coal trade stands at 35 million net tons, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to the same point in 2004.
   The trade is also nearly 5 percent ahead of the five-year average for the January-October time frame.
   The Lake Carriers' Association, based in Cleveland, represents a dozen American corporations that operate 55 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes..