Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/89

BLISTER STEEL 67 BLOCKADE formerly called cantharis vesicatorius. It feeds on the ash. It is indigenous in the south of Europe, and being, among other places, imported from Spain, is often called the Spanish fly. BLISTER STEEL, steel of blistered apperance formed by roasting bar iron in contact with carbon in a cementing fur- nace. Two subsequent processes convert it into shear steel and cast steel. BLIZZARD, a modern American word whose origin is in doubt. As applied to a severe snow storm the word came into general use in the American newspapers during the bitterly cold winter of 1880- 1881, although some papers claim its use as early as the '70's. It is employed in the Western States to describe a pecu- liarly fierce and cold wind, accompanied by a very fine, blinding snow which suf- focates as well as freezes men and ani- mals exposed to it. One of the most severe of these storms recorded in the West was that of January, 1888, which extended from Dakota to Texas. The thermometer in some places fell from 74° above to 28° below zero, and in Dakota to 40° below. The number of deaths amounted to 235. The blizzard which will long be remembered in the Eastern States began March 11, 1888, and raged until the 14th, New York and Philadel- phia being the cities most affected. BLOCK, a pulley, or a system of pulleys rotating on a pintle mounted in its frame or shell with its band and strap. There are many kinds of blocks, as a pulley block, a fiddle block, a fish block, a fly block, a heart block, a hook block, etc. A block and tackle is the block and the rope rove through it, for hoisting or obtaining a purchase. BLOCKADE. To blockade a port is to close the port to the entrance and exit of all traffic by sea. The right to es- tablish a blockade exists only in time of war and may be exercised only by a Belligerent (q. v.) and only against the ports of the opposing belligerent. Its purpose is to cut off the communications of the blockaded enemy and to pi'event him from receiving supplies or re-en- forcements and from engaging in com- mercial or military exchanges of any kind. The restrictions of a blockade weigh heavily not only upon the blockaded belligerent, but upon the neutrals desir- ing to trade with him. In the interest of such neutrals, the limitations and restrictions provided by international law are many and are strictly enforced by the "prile courts" which determine the validity of captures of neutral ships in time of war. A blockade, to be legal, must be announced with such publicity as shall insure its reaching all interested neutrals, and must be maintained by such forces and in such manner as shall make it effective. An "effective" block- ade has been defined as one which re- sults in serious danger of the capture or destruction of any vessel attempting to violate it. The mere fact that a ves- sel succeeds in passing the line of block- ading ships does not prove that the blockade is not effective. But if en- trance or exit can be made with some- thing approaching impunity, the block- ade is not legal and no penalty will lie against a ship charged with violating it. Violation of blockade is not a crime, even in the eyes of the belligerent blockader; nor are the persons found on board a ship which is captured while attempting to "run" the blockade sub- ject to treatment as prisoners of war. The ship and cargo are, however, sub- ject to confiscation. To this rule there are modifications. A neutral ship which is actually in a port when the notifica- tion of blockade is received is allowed a reasonable time to withdraw, without penalty. Similarly, a ship which has sailed for a certain port which is not blockaded at the time of the sailing but which is placed under blockade before the ship in question reaches it, is not subject to penalty for attempting to en- ter the port in good faith and while still in ignorance of the blockade. Such a ship is not permitted to enter, but is told of conditions and directed to with- draw. If she again attempts to enter, she is a lawrful prize if captured. Simi- larly, if it can be proved that the ship after sailing has received news of the blockade, as may well happen in these days of radio communications, she is a lawful prize if captured while attempt- ing to enter. Still further, a ship which sails for a port known to be blockaded is a lavvrful prize if captured at sea while thousands of miles distant from the port. The intent to violate the blockade is in fact to violate it. Conversely, a vessel which has successfully passed the block- ade outward bound is a lawful prize if captured before reaching her port of actual, not alleged, destination. The taint of violated blockade adheres to the cargo even though it has been trans- ferred to another vessel, if the transfer has been made with a view to evading the penalty. During the American Civil War, it was a common practice for Brit- ish ships with cargo destined for block- aded Confederate ports to clear for Nassau or Bermuda, British ports near the Confederate coasts, and from there to begin what they proposed to regard as a new voyage to the nearest Confed-