Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-09-13

Though we do not feel disposed to join
100 brilliantly In the anthem our neigh.
bors up the river arc singing over the re-
vivnl of American shipbuilding, we are
glad to be able to say that there is a
and steady growth In the de-
mand for ships for the coastwise trade.
OF course Philadelphlans, 10 whom iron
shipbuilding on any considerable scale is
a novelty, find In the Naturalization OF
the hammers on the hulls, an exciting
sort Of music, which probably jus'iiles
them in becoming little wild, but here,
where many middle-aged r.en have no
recollection of a time when this ringing
chatter did not meet their ears, the sound
does not awaken excitement or comment.
Still, as we have said, there is some
ground for the statement that shipbuild-
ing Is revivlng, at least, so far as build
ing for the coastwise trade is concerned.
To Philadelphia, undoubtedly, does be-
long the honor of having tried an expert
meut which will test whether this revival
is to extend to ocean commerce. If she
succeeds, she will be readily forgiven the
enormous amount of Dragging she, or her
newspapers for her, have done over the
building Of four steamships and few
coliers, for we believe 1t to be the fact
that the whole foundation for the pre-
posterous claim that Philadelphia has all
ut once become the centre of Iron ship
building in America, is that two steam
ships have been built there, and that two
more and four or i've iron colliers are
building.
But we did not set out to laugh anew at
this amusing claim, but TO discuss the
present condition of work in the yards
here. They are both busy we are glad
to say, and with every prospect of remain
ing so. Al the Harlan Il Hollingsworth
Company's. The General Whitney, an
iron screw ship of 1000 tons, to run be-
tween New York and Boston is in the
water, and there are on the stocks an
iron screw ship of 1900 tons, to run be-
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propeller for the Baltimore Steam Packet
Company, and an iron ferry-boat for the
Camden Ferry Company OF Philadelphia.
At the yard of Pussy, Jones Il Co., the
Knickr6ockcr, an iron screw ship of 1000
tons to run between New York and New
Orleans Is in the water, the keel of a
somewhat larger similar ship forthe same
line is about being laid, and on the stocks
arc five river steamboats, for Southern
waters. This is not a remarkable, or even
unusual state of affairs, but il shows that
our yards are comfortably busy. At the
wooden ship yard of the Jackson Il Sharp
Company they are also quite busy, though
we do not know precisely what work is
on hand. 1t is also true, We believe, that
there has recently been a marked revival
of wooden ship building in the North.
At Chester again iron ship building is
brisk apparently, there being, If we mis-
take not no less than seven vessels on the
stocks. This is rather a large number
considering the time between launches,
but then ship building always was pccu-
llarly conducted there, and Mr.. Roach is
not the man to put an end to pecullaritics.
Still, the fact that ships are building there
shows that they must have been ordered,
and that they continue to be built, shows
that those ordering have the money to
pay for hpilding them as the work pro-
crosses, and this is another evidence OF
the increased demand.
Take it altogether, the outlook il
cheering rather than otherwise, whctAc.
ocean commerce ever comes back to
American bottoms or not, and that it
will rather than not, seems pretty certain
if the condition Of affairs in England con-
tnues which is tranierrng to our CONT
nent so large a part Of her present, or re-
cent trade in other linds Of mauuiac-
urtd iron goods.