New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-07
AMERICAN SHIPPING INTERESTS.

TIE RELATIVE COST AND ADVANTAGES OF IRON
AND WOODEN VESSELS.
Sir Walter Raleigh said: " WhOsOCver COM
nauds the sea- commands the trade Of the world who
socyer commands the trade Of the wOrG commands tho
riches OF the world, and consequently the world ITSELF
IL is probably with this saying in view thar the British
sphuidcr have made their recent combined movement
u elect repeal Of navigation iavstO enable them
10 command the sea There is htle, il any, doubt that
tie time has come when wooden vessels Of all classes
must be superseded by those constructed Of Our
ships especially, must be constructed to compete with
those built Great Britain The question Of cost
one OF the drawbacks, but facts be adJuccd
which will demonstrate that Notwithstanding the present
greater Of AnericaHbnit shp Of iron, the mcr
chant cannot afford To build OF wood This refers to the
present time but when shall have returned 10 specie
payments ts objection will be removed Let us loUk at
the cost Of sailing ship Of 1890 tuus oh
nj the present price Of iron in ls country,
and Of labor, outfit DC.
Az iron .slhne hp Of leo turs burden Vouh cost
40 Esg sbo Of ne s,i1. dimensions voaI cost 'n
A, ir.5icai wooden si,6 hest ei.... tC sTU9
With these figures for basis it apparently sdvau-
tageuus FOR the American merchant willing SAIL his
scI under The English flag TO patrouzc Clyde builders.
But the following Illustration viii show thai at the
large apparent difference cost OF wood and iron the
American merchant cannot afford to build OF home Of
wood
loo ius iror p riOr at Prueh Lloyd. At Sl2S PER
TIE eopried at 30 PEI ac"O
App,rcu, ds,ncr against $500
ia At 3 - gaue 9'25o
$3.50
Al ~ amount Of ei Investment rs per cent fr Dsres, AID
Now let III look NJ the Offsets to this annual loss the
cot per o. rccoppcrns WIKI he illustrated by the
averages Of two ships, the Charger l72 tuus, and the
CutWater o3 for ten and seven years respectively
which Was 81 per unshOwnc that the annual cost for
this item alone is $4,000. These wOodcn vessels
Now let take tue cost for scrapLg and painting the
hull Of an iron vessel-the Iron steamer COncorda en-
poyed in the Ncw-Oreans trade and occasionally
ing the Atlantic. she Is vessel OF LOO nus, within
AZ TINS Of being as large as the two vOOdcH ships re-
SIS: for painting. $500 days doCkag, LOO tuns, at
IS pr $l2 total $780, or less Than 60 cents er
pense on OOuu ship could rot be ~ per greater
say CO cents per tun. or $500 Therefore, IN halanc
deficit Of S4OO annually the iron shiF.
East India freights VIII serdy eomen 70 for this dc
hcits FOR example. Calcutta the preference for iron
ships by their receiving better ghts. As
high 81 pcI gold has recently been paid 10 an
ship for freight wooden ship Ina port.
TO ship ~ 1000 tuus register or 800 tuus dead weight
capacity there clear gain Of u so gold, which would
pay for the surplus investment ~ the iron hull, aud
leave balance. In the wheat trade between California
and Europe, for some timo past iron ships have
manded two shngs and sINpGnce sterling In gold per
tun more than Al wooden slpa-a niatgr which VIII
ercce for iron vessels is extending oil over the world.
aud wooden vessels except FOR coastng ud river pur
poses, will ere long exist, except In
cases. The prejudice formerly existing against iron
vessels sent out 30 engage in the tea trade
mas ssp3tcd At first composite sHipg used.
Tho Ariel, Spondihrlf, on LaubcO aud Tapping. which
sailed from China wager tO land their ChrgOes first
~ LudOn. iH 1868, were composite slf-tlat u.s. wood
piaukInR iron frames. To-Day iron ships receive
foil rcghts Of en Among the annual tens VI expense
Tor the wooden vessel those Of caukng and repairing
the hull above the copper These ens are in OF
the painting the portion OF IN iron ship. auuid
average $50 per aHDLi which should nc added
The sum reduce tho annual expenses Of the iron ship.
Tie life OF a wooden ship L. short compared with that OF
AZ iron one The wOo0cb Flip which cost $1,000 will
cave deprecated IN ten year,, say Onsi9lI-A30oo-a
3sve Lost her rate. She might obtain, aNer considerable
expense for stripping of plaks aud boring ibnbeTs, hve
years pi0re rating TIC iron ship would OF the same
ane De In perfect condition, with but half the terra OF
fri rRIg rKprrd. ara good for 20 years more l.
tOr how many years beyond her 80 years cue Weu con-
uunc rannOf BOw be stated. because u has not yet
Been discovered When iron ships do wear o CObil1tiIe
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