The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03
SHIPBUILDING STATISTICS.
AMOUNT or AMERICAN TONNAGE BUILT
IN THE YEAR fS7s,
Cheapest ships in the World Large Purchases
by Foreigners -shipbuiidcrs Despondent-
Disastrous laundering Idle Steamships

by Foreigners -shipbuiidcrs Despondent-
Disastrous Numbering Idle steamships
Ttop, N, BaHsi6l
Full reports have been received from East.
ern shpyards. through correspondents of the
Bureau Vcritas and Shpmastcrs AssOciationof
this city. showing the amount of tonnage built
IN the yearls71; The aggregate + better than be-
Ing been built ana ali found ready sale. some
Tor present owners and SOM few un foreign ar.
count but as rewarked by correspondent in
the country, 1t il not expected that half the ton
mage will be bull in Maine in 1873 that there
says this writer whore shipbuildng has al
most ceased. and it will not revive unit there ia
ment is added that very few contr,cts have been
made for frames to pc cut outth WINTER.
record q tonnage built in Main, and New
hampshire in 1877 shows Il total OF 16.3Oo. in
Guiding those ships now on the stocks near.
y iiSnished This aTgrcgq,c c2mEriscs
OF the entire country. 80 far as concerns salt
wa,sr nayigati9n inniait!on, th.re wore built
fifteen ships. averaging 100 tons. and five
burks-a altogether lj.UOutons. Then there were
f po or rn seySn r2n s"hi S 'M 1t Gnes}irr
say 10000 tons. u which might be added n score
of small wooden craft built in Delaware and
chant vessels to which official numbers were as-
signed by the general Government. ns gathered
by the Shipmastrrs' Association. gives Il total
tonnhge Tor thr lnst year ~ about l3OOOO tons.
but THIS Includes large numbers OF craft built
Tor lnluilt ndNlHullOn.
American sIlphuillcrs now claim that they
can build good ilrst-class ship for less money
than similar vessel can ,e produced in any
before SO low. Tho present average cost Of u
ship of this character y from sis 70 $50 per
ton. and new ships have been sold Ms low rs $40
per ton for example, the snip Phnros. built ia
kcnnebunk. and now IN port loading for Cali.
fOrna. Contracts cun hr made to-day, so says
Capt Harding OF the Bureau Ncritas. for the
very bes; ships ut s5O-ships with white onk
frame. pitch pine ceilings aud plansing. cop
Ar-ft fhrnuUlnnf
trcenals, New ships cquny good would cost
In New York 500 During the war prices went
gold reccded there was II gradual decline. re-
sulting from the lower price Of lnbor.
In Cailata and tile British Provinces. where
they build soft wool ships out OF spruce aud
pitch Pine. they are using American iron alto-
EnsTd Sna IS of s ,"n nu ,y e" T nuy
prices range from sl5 to sls per ton. which va.
res only tribe from sLlis bnit n the United
States out Of white oak. 50 tnat II is claimed
Yankee builders have the advantage where
| flrst-class craft are wanted.
An encouraging feature these days Is the
ayidity with which our old ships are bought up
| by Germans and Norwcgians. some thirty OF
| forty OF this class having been sold WITHIN the
| past year As soon AZ Il vessel is ten or tvelv.
| years old she Is bought on foreign account 10
carr, petroleum. or something else. Yes
| says our informant they are buying right
| along all the SHIPS they can eet classcd there
are orders here now for three or four but We
cannot get the SHIPS. and they pay about ~
| much for old as for new" This demand IL
| easily accounted for. rs the Same ship that We
|
| Ii Is also observed that they send ships here
from Germany 10 be repaired, Though We pay
| higher wages. American mechanics do 30 mucu
more work ia a day and wood here IL 80 much
cheaper. that repairs are made here rather than
| in German ports.
II is noticed that a gloomy feeling prevails in
Boston and other ports largely interested IN ship
properly. All growing out 81 the Ioor ireights
realized ON long voyages. All our best ships arc
| put into the California and East India trade
! where ireilhts have been very low. but the bet.
ter prospect OF large crops in California may en-
| courage DulltipfS 10 Try Gsaln. An influence
| adverse 10 enterprise IN this direction arises
from the fact tlut as soon is good frci,.hts for
cotton or other products can be had. Immediately
| whole fleets OF English steamers previously laid
up Tor want OF einploym,nt are sent over here
| nominal rates than permit machinery TO rust
in ideness. Good irrlghis. therefore. operate
rather 70 excite rivalry than 10 stimulate build
| Ing i'll American yards.
| . An old shipnlastcr. representing the Bureau
| Neritas ana recognized ~ among our best au-
| thoritles. when closely questioned us 10 the
| future Oi our merchant marine. reluctantly con-
| coded not only that the so-caiicd SUPREMACY
| Of the seas has been wrested from tine Amori.
| cun Hug. but thut no way seems possible in
| which TO recover our lost position. The substi-
| tuition Of iron screw steamers Tor wooden bot
| toms and the constant Improvement OF marine
engines. has all Injured 10 the berrilt Of our
| transatlantic competitors When T. X. Collins
was in his glory We exhausted ourselves ia ~
futile cndcayor. his Otherwise sup.rb steamers
being nlled with their own iuel aud macnin ,ry.
Seeing ths-and favored still ninrr by tie
American war-Brltlsh builders ssl1 II the ~.
Again ss Pacac Mail s Ia sIs G""pn s" pg
si5OUOOO into four wooden ships. rdrh costing
very near 81 200 UUU. when they should have
butt iron screw steamers and not suic- wheel.
| walking beam. Moreover. these II .Iinrrs were
! buit up from the wat unr Win Two thick
nrsscs OF wood, together meHSurIn.. TN inches
| winch hcld water betWren amt roIsd. wnergA
| they should have had single nlnr-iucli plans.
! lng. But ut lust We have pruili'i rs dear.
| bought experience und are tuluIn., out steam.
ers us fleet ana substantial ~ thosr huI,t in amy
, other part OF the world. and III as low a cost.
Onr captains It Is affirmed. want double
| pricvs compared with other officers IN foreign
| service. German captains. Tor example. get
| i.2uU per nnnunl-Cnly one. and he n veteran
! ot the OH Hamburg line, RECEIVING over 81 300
British shils pay nj tue way from 1900 to 400
| per Annun. the Cunurdcts gtVlng their captains
ffoo. the highest paid Srumcu on brh.sh
steamers receive 60 los. or Az per month
while Americans grt 40. NOrwe..lans ami
especially Italians. are paid stIl Iess. ANA con.
tent themselves with iOOd which Americans
would spurn.
Perin. nj to the sublec, here treated. We refer
- the circular of h. 4. Moss Goa dated Liver
pool January. ISIS. slvln.; list 81 not less tnan
~ steamers winch tAcy oilrr Tor sale. adding.
We nave also a large number oi other s.les.
both wood and iron -thr foregoing Tor tho
most part hll with ulu-stylr engines and rA-
| lensNr To run. steamers rmpluNrd last year
| III the Atlantic tratc are represented t. have
ldld profit on The round voyage equal 10 80
cents per anifuln on first cost The number u
iron steamers buiH ON the Clyde ia 1871 was
ABOUT Tue same is IN tho previous year, nearly
al OF III" highest grade. Prices ar decidedly
lowcr-thc best flO 10 El2 j d-wclsht capacity
OF Iio 10 tl' yer ton gross re-. .stcr.