The Republican journal., 1884-02-07
English Shipbullding.

THE GREATEST YEARS WORK ON RECORD.
a MILLION AND QUARTER TONS IN 1883.
In rough figures it is estimated that
the vessels launched during the year rep
resent cap ital of at least $4,000, 900.
In their actual construction some $4,000
men must have been employed, besides
the vaster multitude engaged in mining,
smelling and manufacturing the iron,
raising the coal, making the chains, sails
and rigging and in finishing and engin-
eering vessels.
In regard to the actual amount of ton
mage turned out, 1888 surpasses any pre-
vious year. In the % ports in which
ships are built in the United Kingdom
there have during the past II months
been launched by I24 firms SSS vessels,
with a total tonnage of 1856, 500 tons.
This is an advance of $4,000 tons upon
1889, which was similarly ahead of all
previous years. The prospects for the
future, however, are not so bright as
they were at the close of 1882. 1t is es-
timated that in the last three years over
3,00O,O00 tons of shipping, mainly steam,
alone. For some months past the effect
OF this vast production has been felt up
on trade, with tie result that treights
have become so depressed as to be now
barely remunerative. This has natural
~ had its effect upon work in the ship
yards. From all quarters reports tell
that orders are scarcer, and that the
vessels in course of construction are few
er in number than they were year ago !;
that the number of Workmen employed
are being lessened and their wages re-
duced.
The Clyde still stands eminently
at the head of the tonnage producing
rivers During the past year there have
been launched from its banks 326 yes
ses-trom the small pleasure yacht to
the Atlantic liner-representing total
tonnage Of Az, $50. This is an increase
of % vessels and 22,7 tons upon last
year. OF the vessels. 240 are steam and
IS sailing. In regard to the tonnage,
about 2SS 900 tons have been construct
ed OF iron, and the remaining 100000
tons of steel.
Next to the Clyde comes the Tyne,
taking the place Of the Wear, which last
year held the second place as a ship
building stream in the United Kingdom.
The Tyne has turned out IL vessels,
with a tonnage of PIG, 573 tons, or an in
crease Of SlS7 tons upon last year. In
this return the Palmer Shipbuiding and
Iron Company appears, not only at the
head of the Tyne builders but of the
whole Kingdom, with the total of 81, lib
~ IL,
remarkable development. Commencing
in 1851, with a launching return of 800
tons, in looO it had reached the large
figure Of 3, H. in 1881 it outstripped all
other firms III the country with total of
80. 1872. last year the figures were 60. $50,
and this year is beaten by the record of
l-c2
The Wear, during the year, has
launched 1876 vessels, representing 2l2,-
BIB tons, or little over 100 below the
record of 1852 This decrease is proba-
bly, chiefly owing TO the strike of engin-
GERS, which has considerably intertered
with the work in the Wear ship-yards.
The Tees has launched "A vessels,
representing ol.795 tons; West Hartle-
pool, 40 vessels, or ~ 900 tons the Mer-
sey, 44.2l2 tons; Southampton, 81 ,33l
tons Hull, 1852 tons; Dundee, n $50
tons Leith, 1921 tons; Belfast, IL, i'll
tons Whithy, 1862 tons and Barrow
inFurness, l6,937 tons Among other
places at which shipbnilding is carried
on are Blyth, Chepstow, Whitehaven,
Workington, Rye, Penarth, Newport,
Aberdeen, Grangemouth, and kirkcaldy.
One fact emphasized by the returns
for the year under review is that wood
has practically, if not absolutely, gone
out Of existence as a shipbuilding mate
rial. Iron is now the general material of
which vessels are constructed, though
steel is year 10y year coming to the front,
This is particularly shown in the returns
from the Clyde Very few years have
elapsed since the first steel ship was
launched on the Clyde. Four years ago
the output Of steel vessels was $4,000
tons Ia lSS2 the quantity had been in
creased to fully 100000, and in 1888 it
rose to l20.00O tons, or nearly one third
of the whole tonnage launched. Lon
don Times.