The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-22 00:00:00

Shipbuilding on the Clyde,

At no period in the history of shipbuilding on the Clyde
has this branch of industry been so brisk as it is at present.
Several new building yards have been opened on the banks
of the Clyde this year, but nevertheless there is work enough
for all. The stimulus thus imparted to the shipbuilding trade
is in a great measure to be attributed to the numerous orders
which builders have received from private firms and parties
for steamers intended for the hazardous work of running the
blockade, a stroke of good luck for which cur shipbuilders
are indebted to the deplorable war raging in America. As
a proof of this activity we may mention that at present there
are no fewer than 42 deep-sea steamers being built for
blcckade running alone. Of these 15 are building at Glas-
gow, 4 at Whiteineh, 6 at Renfrew, 6 at Dumbarton, 2 at
Port Glasgow, and 9 at Greenock, and averaging their cost
at £14,000 each—and this is rather within the mark—we
have thus shipping to the value of £588,000, intended for
the purpose above mentioned, now in course of construc-
tion. And this extensive trade is only a part of that which
is going on, for there are frigates in process of building for
the Turkish Government by Messrs. Robert Napier and
Sons; the Cuba and Java, magnificent screws of Macgregor,
and Messrs. G. and J. Thomson, for the Cunard line; find a
host of other vessels, by other builders, for India, Australia.
and almost every part of the world. Towards the close of
1861 and throughout 1862, 30 vessels left the Clyde for the
purpose of running the blockade, and including the steamers
which have been taken up since (numbering 34), no fewer
than 64 steamers have thus left the Clyde for Nassau, the
value of which, it is estimated, would be fully £BOO,OOO,
making a total (including those now on the stocks) of
£1,388,000. Previous to 1863 11 deep-sea steamers started
—viz., the Giraffe, Havelock, Leopard, Adele, Herald,
Fingal, Tubal Cain, Antona, Thistle, Britannia, and the
Princess Royal, six river steamers—viz,, the lona, Kelpie,
Eagle, Pearl, Ruby, and Dolphin; and a number of new
steamers, including the Queen of the Wave, Wave Queen,
Georgians, Memphis, Cornubia, Mino, Amelia, Corinth,
Granite City, Ranger, &J. Few of the steamers which left.
the Clyde in 1862 and 1863 escaped the Federal men-of-war
or the dangers of the ocean, but those which were fortunate
enough to evade the blockading squadron have yielded, it is
understood, splendid returns to their owners. The follow-
ing steamers have sailed from the Clyde for blockade
running since the beginning of 1863 up till a fortnight age :
—Emma, Gertrude, Neptune, Mail, Jupiter, Juno, Lord
Clyde, Gem, Diamond, Scotia, Star, Will-o'-the-Wisp, and
Caledonia—all of which have been captured,burnt, or sunk.
The Georgia, or Japan, which also left the Clyde, is en-
gaged privateering ; and the following are believed to be
still running the blockade, viz, :—Tuskar, Spunkie, Mary
Ann, General Mackenzie, Rothesay Castle, Coquette, Elvira,
City of Petersburg, Presto, Dare, Wave Queen, Nolu, Flora,
Greyhound, Minnie, Julia, Fairy, Tristram Shanda. The
lona, which is included in the 34 alluded to, was wrecked
on her voyage to Nassau,