, 1880-08-06
Scotch Ships,

Sailing down the placid, but not over
sayory waters OF the ClN de, yesterday,
from Glasgow to Grcenock, my ears,
says correspondent of the Cleveland
Herald, were saluted by the din of in
numerable hammers, and my eyes by
the sight of large number of vessels on
the stocks in all stages of construction.
From Glasgow gentlemen l have
cleaned some particulars of the Clyde
ship building, which will doubtless be
of interest to your readers
The river, which for twenty miles be-
low this city is mainly artificial, is di-
vided into two districts as regards the
yards; the first district comprises Glas.
Cow, Govan, Bartick, Renfrew and
Dumharton; the second or lower dis
trict embraces the towns Of Greenock
and Port Glasgow. In ali, there are
thirty-six firms engaged in building, the
largest of which, and indeed the heaviest
private ship-building firm in the world,
| is that of John Elder & Co., Govan.
During the last year, which was COM
paratively light one, this firm alone
built a fleet of vessels capable of trans
porting 10000 tons of cargo at once.
This year their business has more than
twice exceeded that of 1879, and they
expect to aggregate 10000 tons. To
accomplish this they employ nearly
1000 men. Their principal work at
present is a remarkable yacht for the
Emperor Of Russia, vessel which re.
sembles cross between monitor and
light ship, modelled, perhaps, after a
garden turnip. but intended to be the
most complete vessel aAoat. 1t is Ger
tainly unique as far as it is done.
There are other firms which employ
between 5000 and 1000 men, Messrs.
J. and G. Thompson have built over
$4,000 tons Of shipping for the Cunard
line alone In all, the number Of men
who get their living by this industry is
estimated at between 10000 and b0 1000.
A comparison between this port and its
closest competitors may not be devoid of
interest. The FIVE leading English ship
building ports, namely, the rivers Tyne,
Wear, Tees, Hartlepools and Whitby,
sent out new work last year amounting
to 300,945 tons, while the Clyde build
ers alone sent out ITO vessels, with
gross tonnage of l73,49S.
Without seeing the huge bulk Of
these leviathans, it IS difficult to COM
prehend the significance of such figures
as these, but the reflection that it takes
a very large vessel to carry 1900 tons,
will assist the fancy in the attempt to
compass the facts. / have stated the
amounts in capacity rather than regis
tered tonnage, because, as is we'll known,
the latter is conventional and Is apt to
mislead.
One more fact deserves attention.
Steel is rapidly replacing iron as ship
building material Last year no less
than $4,000 tons of steel ships were
built on the Clyde, onv of which was a
4,000ton steamer for the Allan line.
At present Messrs. Robert Napier d.
Sons are building still larger one for
the same line, and more than four times
additional tonnage, it teing constructed
of the same metal. OF course its ad-
vantages in the way of combined light
ness ami speed are obvious, but the OBJ
lection has been raised that steel would
be more subject to corrosion in salt
water than iron. Time, which alone
can test the matter, has thus far brought
in verdict III favor of steel. A ship
built eleven years ago for the Clyde
traffic shows no sign Of corrosion, and a
ship built in 1889 for the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company was examined in
1877 4 and found to be in good state OF
preservation, Thus there is reason to
believe that steel ships may even out
last those built of iron. e.
No wooden ships are now built in
this country, and many Of the Old ones
are out of commission. In the harbor
at Plymouth lie many inglorious hulks
which bear proud names in English his
tory. One cannot but cast lingering
glance back to the days when "the
wooden walls Of England" were her
pride and her defense, when Jack Tar
and his blsck-eyed Susan were not, as
now, remanded to the stage, or to ira
dition, and when the "Inariners of Eng
land" had not given place to black
smith and a stoker.