, 1860-09-12
On Preserving The Character Of Lake
Shipping.

III preserving 1he Character OF Lake
Shipping.
M4s7o~oa. Via, Sept. .th, 1es,.
Edaou F1eu 1nd Tribune:
It ia remarked that our Lake shipping is fast
losing character since shipbuilding WAS sus'
pended BY tho recent hard times. Ihave exam.
ined the facts in the case, and herewith submit
3 few figures and deductions that may not be
without luterest to your readers.
The eeason Of 1860 opened with An 4 pro.
pel1er shipping Of II vessels, in aggregate
measurement 6,ses tons, (including Canadian
Of 3s5 tons.) These will remsin "a now during
next season; but in 1862, eight Of them will 1apse
from grade, and in '64 few or none will remain
in class A. Tho A 2 propeller shipping NUN.
bered 50 vessels, measuring ee,9o4 tons, lin.
cluding Canadians Of 7os tons.) Of these, IS
vessels, aggregating 1929 tozs, will fall from
ciaes a for the ne1t sea.on aad In IS there
will be only American propellers 4 9. Should
theT b lost, however, the season of ~ would
see the end Of Ill propelle1s now in tho first
class.
The a l sal shipping consisted ct IS vessels,
in aggregate measurement 81 ,sssa tons, Quclud-
ing7 Canadians Of 1850 tona) or these, 81
vessels. tonniug II ,oss tons, will remain in their
present class and grade for 81 !; but only ves-
sells, Of 21s4 tons total, will remain for the
season Of '62, aud fo- the season Of '64 none will
be left-au having lapaed into grade 2. The
sail shipping standing 4 amounted to III
vessels, measuring 5s.ce2 tons, (ircluding 12
Canadians Of $40: toes aggregate.) One half,
o: IS of these vessels. measuring *, ,ee3 tone,
60 into B elass for the next season; while 4s
more. tonnage 16. 6.al7 tons. follow them for 'ee; ;
and 81, measuring L. 10 tons, do the tams for
'es, leaving only 81 vesEe!s. tonnage % 3o4, out
ofe4o. tonnage 81 ,ol4 tons, nor Il both grades
OF class A, for tho season Of '64, after which, BY
reason Of lotses, none may remain.
Thus it appears that four years hence there
will scarcely be N 4 ! or 4 sail vessel or pro-
peller on the Likee, except what shall be built
in that time-es9 vessels, measuring on tho av.
erage ss3 tons, and in the aggregate 11o,sec
tons, will have lapsed from class L. Ills obyi.
ous that II the present footing Of character of
Lake vesssls {ahoye 200 tons) is to be main.
tained, an equal amount Of tonnage will have
to bs built in the ne1! four yeare,
II may % granted, our htst clsss res4els Of
good szs are few enough Just nor. The pro-
psllers number Al, measuring 2s,s72 tons, and
average 6lo ,ons. The sail vessels, u Nc have
said, number a4o, Chose gone to th. ocean .1e
not reekoned.) measurIug s1,o14 tons, and ~
erage Sa8 tons. Under the present system of
classification, lilo demand for 4 l new ressels
would seem to b propellers aud 50 sail res
se's annually, for preserving the character of
shipping aloao. Batifhalfof the new first Glars
shipping to be built shali grade 4 2, as it did in
1857, it would require mora propellers and 9
more sail vsssels-footing up II instead Of 36
vessels-necessafy to b. built annually. The
reason Of this il, that vesssls Of Rrado remain
in elaes a for 8 yeazs, while those of grals
lapse from it in ysarz.
Tee importapeo to shipoEners Of building no
more vessels than arn needed is plain; and it il
also clear that too many Ee1sels may be built
In the future, uuless there ehall bs 4 general
determination of owners "a hare constructed
none but the best.
In risw Of the foregoing facts aad Hgurts, and
other considerations, 1t may not b unreasona-
ahls to conclude that from 50 to 60 sail might
well be built the coming winter at various ports
on the Lakes, and g revive In important trade
and call homa our mechanics from the ends Of
the earth. Wi111Ax ". BATES,
6hipbuilder, Msnitowoc, Wiz.