The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-27
Who Own Our ships.

Captain George E. Harding of Bath, who is
thoroughly posted in regard to the shipping
interest of the country, contributes to the New
York Sun an article on the ownership of the
American merchant marine, which is of inter.
est as correcting the prevalent notion that the
largest part of our shipping is owned in our
large seaport cities-a notion which originates
in the fact that these cities are usually adopted
as the hailing ports-and as showing that Maine
stands almost at the head in the list of States
interested in shipping.
The aggregate tonnage of the whole country
for the year ending June 80, 1877, as given by
the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, ex GLIDING
vessels belonging to the lakes and Western
rivers and the Pacific coast, was 3,OSS, 1000. To
this total 1,073,0OO was contributed by the
commercial metropolis, and about 10000 by
Sag Harbor, these two ports engrossing all the
ocean tonnage of New York. But the amount
Of tonnage ascribed to the State of Maine,
whose trade, beth foreign and coasting, is rela-
lively inconsiderable, and whose ship building
interest has been Frustrated for many years, is
certainly surprising. Not less than $4,000
tons are owned in the Pine Tree State, which
not only stands second in the list of shipown.
ers, but far ahead of her nearest rivals, Massa-
chusetts and Pennsylvania. The latter are re-
spectivey credited with $4,000 and 1865, 900, the
latter amount being charged to the customs
district of Philadelphia, which accordingly
ranks second among shipowning cities. The
| fifth place on the list belongs to Maryland, Of
whose 1877, 600 tons about six-sevenths should be
| assigned to Baltimore. From this point the
| official report presents succession OF sur
pIises New jersey, for instance, notwith
| standing all the tonnage belonging to jersey
City is credited to the customs district OF New
York, still commands the sixth place in the ia
BILE. Her tonnage aggregates, indeed, 10000
| or more than three times the amount owned by
the State of Louisiana, including the latter
| great seaport of New Orleans. Indeed, the lit
tie State Of Rhode Island owns more shipping
than Louisiana, while, if we throw out tb
Crescent City, all the Southern States com
bined, from Virginia to Texas, have smalle
tonnage than the State of Connecticut WheI
we consider that the latter is only credited will
$4,000 tons, we can form some idea of the mari
time decay in Mobile, Galveston, Charleston
Savannah, Wilmington and Norfolk. Ant
| hers we may mention that the total tonnage Q
| the Pacific coast is only $4,000, to which Sal
Francisco contributes $4,000, or less than
| single inconsderabe town IN Maine.
1t is singularly interesting, indeed to decom
pose the totals assigned to particular states, an
note the quotas furnished by small and obscur
seaports. For example, the city of Bath, Me
With population of some 5000 has been ident
fed with the history of American shipbuild
| ing; but few persons are aware that the figur,
| of the tonnage owned there reaches 100000, o
amount much larger than that possessed by th
citizens of Baltimore or of San Francisco. Eve
the Insignificant town of Waldoboro, Me-, e1
hibits more tonnage than Baltimore, beln
credited with 121 600. So, too, the shippin
| owned in Belfast, 10 the same state, town Q
/ 5000 inhabitants. aUUrpOataS 24 000 4
more than the Joint Merchant navy Of ali III
, S5uthern seaboard states, with the exception {
!, | Louisiana. Passing to New Jersey we find tt
tonnage owned in Perth Amboy exceeding ths
of New Orleans, and that Of Great and Lift
| Egg Harbor than the united quota of Georg
l and the Carolinas. Indeed Little Egg Harb
alone, of which it is probable few natives
> Alabama have ever heard, is shown by the of
7 | cial report to own more tonnage than the
whole state, including the city Of Mobile.