Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-02-22
TOWNSEND, Feb. ID, ls7a.


tRrMoR THAT AN ATTEMPT IS To ne MADE |
TO REVIVE WOODEN sHIPBULpING on
AN EXTENSIVE SCALE, IN THE DELAWARE
RIVER OR BAY.
tFrom the Germantown Telegraph
If some Information that reaches Us he
well-founded, our iron shipbullders on the
Delaware will have to brstir themselves
aud find friends and capital to launch out
extensively, or else we shall all be afoat
again on new sea of wooden ships. We
are Informed that the celebrated Boston
shipbuilder, Donald Mckay, has been
looking out for a site on the Delaware
river Or bay with view to establishing a
great sxipyard foF the building of The far
famed wooden clipper ships, that for
time we.l-nigh ran the English out Of the
carrying trade. Mckay belongs to
school Of practical Americans who arc Not
at all satisfied that wood is not after all
the best and cheapest material for ship
building, aud Who'll believe that an Ameli-
can clipper ship Gun sail as fast as the
wants Of ocean commerce require. Some
of these splendid craft have been known
to make the run from New York to San
Francisco, around Cape Horn, in ninety
two days, and two of them started on a
race from Shanghai to New York, aud
kept in sight Of each other the whole way.
Steamers are Indeed preferable, but the
experience OF the last few years does not
warrant the expectation that they eau be
built fast enough to supply the wants of
| trade. Meantime tonnage has really be-
come scarce aud the supply in all Parts of
tho world grows steAdilylless. The English
have crushed the shipbuilding Interests Of
other nations without being at all equal
TO the task of supplying the d, flciency
/ themselves. As consequence all sorts OF
crazy old craft are being loaded with val
liable cargoes and sent upon perilous sea.
voyages without the commanders having
the least idea whether they cun get
through safely or not. We see the results
10 the numerous wrecks and loses at sea
Every vessel of iron built ia Brtish port.
obtains ready employment, though The
records show a sad list of total losses o.
these British iron craft, and II is now no.
torious that they are built Of refuse iron
and ore Of the himsiest description.
The Delaware peninsula affords abund
ant supplies Of excellent while oak timber
admirably adapted to shipbuildiug, nnC
were Mr.. Mckay 10 locate his new ship
yard on the Delaware he would have il
! addition to those, facilities for ohtaininl
Iron cheaper than elsewh here. For tbi
lines OF ocean traffic lu which the famou
! clipper ships were engaged, we arc build
J ing now in the Delaware no tonnage at all
= either iron or wood, and meantime there
7 great scarcity of tonnage in the lnlde o
California, China, the East-lndles an,
Soulh-America. II does not therefore
seem now to be at all matter Of choice
We want ships aud that very badly to-
! and whether they be wood or iron il doe
\ not seem to make much difference, sine
D We can employ more than are offering O
r likely to be available for several years I
{ come. We therefore hope that the repol
, referred to may prove true, and that if
should the capitalists Of PHILADELPHIA wi
cheerIully lend all the aid In their powe