The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-14
Our Shipping News.

Our readers may find some interest, as
matter of journalism, in one feature of
this journal which is simply daily his
tory of the sea-our shipping news. few
days ago we published a statistical table
showing that over $4,000 American and for
eign vessels enter our Atlantic ports annually,
while about the same number have clearances.
Two-thirds of these vessels are foreign bot
toms, showing that foreigners carry freight
much cheaper than ourselves, and prov
ing that we, who were but a few
years ago the best shipbuilders and
most enterprising merchants in the
world, have deteriorated go that American
commercial prestige is slowly but surely
passing away But the business must be
done. and if not in American, then in
foreign bottoms. Of all the commerce
carried on along the Atlantic seaboard, of
a domestic or foreign character, at least
one-third centres here. Our statistics show
that, during the year 1873, $40 vessels, domes-
tic and foreign, arrived at this port from for
eign ports via Sandy Hook; while 4,277 Ameri-
can vessels (the coasting trade) passed the
same point bound in. There passed He'll Gate
inward bound, during the same period, 10, 900
vessels, while 1857 are reported as having
sailed for Eastern ports, principally laden
with coal. It will thus be seen that between
$50 and 300 vessels day do business with
this port, sailing on the average with an ag-
gregate of 5000 people engaged in the bust
ness of the sea-to say nothing of the passen-
gers.
This the most perilous Of oil lives, requires
q faithful daily bulletin, giving the movements
of ''each little world" each ships daily life,
its successes, miHortunes and adventures.
Thus, for instance, single issue Of the HERALD
recently contained five columns Of shipping
news in agate, giving the minutest particulars
of the departures of ocean steamships; of the
tides in the harbor, the clearances, the arrivals
at this port of the vessels that passed
through He'll Gate, bound South and East; q
summary Of marine correspondence and
marine disasters; vessels spoken at sea;
our exclusive cable shipping news, tele-
graphed every day from our London Office; q
column of American vessels arriving at and
sailing from foreign ports; telegraphic reports
from the principal American ports on the
Atlantic seaboard presenting an accurate
daily record of our shipping A brief analysis
of this matter and statement OF the means by
which it is obtained and edited would prove
the surprising value Of marine intelligence.
The greatest care and accuracy must be OBJ
served in making up the dates of departures
of ocean steamers, with their ports of destina-
ton. The clearances, arrival and departures
are reported by the HERALD steam yachts and
HERALD Whitestone Telegraph line, and re-
corded as faithfully as the tollgate keeper
records the travellers on his highway. Our
marine correspondence is abundant from all
quarters of the seaboard; and we here take
occasion to say that, should any merchants or
shippers have marine information of interest,
they have only to forward it to this office and
it will be inserted. Our record Of marine dis
asters, gathered from all sources is perfect
record of the perils of the sea. These disasters
average eighteen daily the year round, and
form perpetual panorama of the life and ad-
ventures OF the daring and unselfish men who
go down to the sea in ships.
1t is scarcely necessary to refer to our special
cable shipping news, which we print exclu-
sively ut vast expense. This department
speaks for itself in n silent, modest, but
effective way, commencing the HERALD to the
merchant and shipper as an invaluable record
and guide.