Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-04-05
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
wMATTMEK GET Ro@ TMEIm M0ARY.
AMKnToAN TEON sRrps.


The readers Of the Ledger are OF course aware
that the American steamships in course OF con-
strnction at Cramp Sons ship yard, for the
rhnaoeapnia lao between this port and Great
Britain, are built Of American iron, made in our
own State. Il is Of American iron also that the
other iron atoamahips on the Delaware, from
from Kaighns Point to Chester and Wilmington,
are constructed. This industry, commenced un-
der circumstances of great disbursement, has
growa 70 be one Of Commanding Importance, as
We have recently pointed out In these columns.-
| u xcQugad high degree OF courage TO under
take to build the Liverpool line here, considering
that at the time whsn those ships were placed up
on the stocks, It cost from twenty to thirty per
cent. more to build steamers here Of American
iron than IL coat for iron ships Of equal carrying
4 capacity built in Great Britain, and il was with
thase cheaper ships that our Liverpool line wonld
/ have 10 compete Bat our PHILADELPHIA business
men aud ship builders had the courage. Since
then the differences in the cost Of producing iron
/ steamers has been reduced In our favor by the
rise IN wages, coal and material in Great Britain.
Fhe difference now il not more than ten to fifteen
observations to show that the American iron ship,
through the superiority Of our Pennsylvania shsr
metal 10 worth lar more than the difference oi
cost. akAa
4 few weeks ago The steamer Wilmington, o.
Clyde's line, built at Wilmington, Del, Of Amerb
can iron, ran with great force upon reef of th.
} Florida coast, while on her way from New Yorl
to Havana with full cargo. Seventy Geet OF tn
length of the ahip was on the reef, where !
'spoundean for twelve hours every time the Sci
lifted tbs hull and let it fall. After some Of th'
cargo was thrown overheard, the ship thus light
enedwAs backed Of, and she vent on her way 4
Havana, where her condition was examined.
was found that while the heavy pounding" sh
: had gone through when aground on the reef ha'
+ dented aud bnlged some Of her iron plates, 40
: one Of them aoas broken, and only one Of them il
! | any degree cracked. A small patch was all ths
!, was immediately required, when she took in
u heavy cargo, carried II to New York, and the
came around to Cramps shipyard to have th
J. dents taken out Of her iron plates. This is a
that happened to the American built ship, who's
; plates, or at least that portion Of them subject
z the strain, are OF Pennsylvania made iron III
plates were simply bent out Of shape, and 30 Sigh
4 " damaged that they were rerolled cold and pV
back again. The great tenaeity OF the iron T
sisted that tremendous "pounding" on the reef Il
more than half day without breaking. Ieis th
a invaluable quality which the owner Of = Dal
! ware river built ship gets for his additional
= teen per cent. Of cost.
Nov, let US look at the other side OF tho que
y y ton. Some time In January, the British bu
os iron steamship Potomac run into field Of ice,
= the "Horse Shoe" below the city, and the ice c
.t FIqh through the iron plates OF her bow, q
y wedged itself fast in the open fracture. This 81
flciently tells the story Of the difference betWe
the cheap iron of the British built vessels and o
!. hone manufacturs. But there is more to tall,
~ the Delaware river built iron steamer Gulf Strea
. smaller vessel than the Potomac, plung
~ through the same iee-fold that had cut the bow
" y. the Potomac, end hauldsd the Potomac Out.
section OF one Of these fractured British plates,
" u ken from the Potomac while undergoing reps
- shows that it Is quite sshoEt" and bnttie tho o.
- y ture having sOmething Of the appearance Of c
~ iron. Plates Of that quality are not worth 90 mt
y Tby $40 ton as the iron in our Delaware II
~ built ships. Bot they are dear ak -aay price.
- such inferior, brittle and cheap iron were used
a. the ships built on the Delaware, our ahips wo
- cost n0 more than the ships built on The RI
~ IOlydss The four noble vessels Of the Penaayl
y mia line, now at Cramp & Sons yard, are Of
~ ~ same strong tenacious, flexible, and almost
= hreakabe Pennsylvania iron. at which the pla
Iiof the Wilmington WeTs made, which resisted
fifteen hours pounding on the Florida reef wi
N. Ous . OAe@0'