Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-20
RATIO OF INCREASE OF STEAMERS.
Some Interesting Statistics.

Decrease in sailing vessels under 200 tons
173; between 200 and 400 T., l2O; aggregate de-
crease 293. Increase in vessels above 400 IT,
LOO. Ultimate decrease 173.
Total sailing vessels, in 1859, of 800 and up
to 400 T., 162 tonnage, 54166; 400 T. and up
ward, 23S; tonnage, l6l, ,23s; aggregate, 40c;
tonnage, 2l5 404 T. OF these 400 2Oare over l. ,OQO
T.; aggregating %, ,4S7 T., average about ZIP T.
By topping their booms the largest of these
can pass a lock 300 feet clear length. One
schooner, 1,444 gross tons, is 2314x4O3 feet;
one built in 1881, of l,676 T., is 263.7 feet by
3S.4 feet; one built in 1883, of 1,s47 tons, is
27s.s feet by 3ss feet.
These vessels can make more money at
lake and canal rates than they can at lake
rates. This is clearly shown in report, ap-
pendix "F." Exclusive of the vessels of
over 1000 T. we have 1s9,967 tons of sailing
craft exactly suited to canal work. This
fleet has carrying capacity of 247, 241 gross
tons of ore, and in IL round trips would
carry down the canal 3, 600, 600 tons of ore and
bring back 2 100000 tons of coal. That is the
sailing fleet only. Of steamers between 500
and ZOO gross tons, in 1859, there were
15l. Increase since 1872, 81. Ratio,
l45l OF steamers between 400 and
1,600 gross tons there We're, in
steamers between 1900 and i, 400 tons there
were q in 1889: increase of % since 1872 In
crease in number of steamers (including all
classes, 1872 to December 81, 1889, 765. Increase
in vessels below 200 TONS 4S2: between 200 and
400 TONS IS. Total increase in classes below
400 TONS 547. Decrease between 400 and 500
tons, 13; between 600 and 700 tons, Z. Increase
between 400 and l,6C0 tons. Ill In 1872 the
biggest steamer measured l,575 tons. In 1889
there were III above l,6OO tons, of which 8
were paddles.
Canal steamers of 500 to 600 and from
700 to 200 tons are not disappearing" The
ratio OF increase in these classes Is much
greater than that of increase of steamers al
together. In 1899 there were on the lakes of
screw steamers between 400 and l,200 tons,
17S: between 400 and l 300 tons, 1913; between
400 and 1 400 tons, 221 between 400 and 1900
tons, ". In addition to our fleet of $50
"canal" schooners we have fleet of at least
200 steamers suited to canal work.
The Advantage of the Canal
to the iron producers of the Ohio and Penn
sylvania districts hereinbefore named, is in
dicated by the aforementioned difference
in through rates on ore: Without the canal
50 OIL; with the canal, 81 20 per ton. Were
the completion of the canal within q given
time an assured event, vessels would be
built, in anticipation of the opening of the
waterway, to carry fully 900 gross tons on
Il foot draft Even now (June, 1917 we
have the new steamer E. c. Pope bringing
2, al gross tons of ore, from Lake Superior.
on IA feet inch draft. To be sure, the Pope
is 337X42 feet, and would not pass locks of the
size recommended for the ship canal but a
steamer 300x4 feet would pass such locks
and would cary 5000 gross tons on IA feet of
water, exclusive of canal fuel. But the cur
rent practice in building of lake freight car
riers will supply all the "canal' craft neces-
sary to a full utilization of the canal
OF the one hundred and eleven, (1lD screw
steamers built in 1889, seventy-one (7D per
cent were below, 800 tons gross. Of the 80
above 800 tons measurement So per cent are
distinctly suited to canal service, and ~ per |
cent are entirely available for such service. |
OF schooners built in 1899 there were IL be- |
tween 800 and ], ,200 tons gross. In 1888 there |
were built on the lakes p steamers (eXclu- |
sive of paddles) of from 400 to l5O0 gross |
tons, and three between 299 and 400 tons, and |
SeYen SchoonerS Of over 500 tons. Thus in !
the lakes 80 "canal" vessels, viz SO screw
and 81 sailing vessels
The Repiep, continuing its practice of |
posting" people, legislators and commits |
sioners, and the like, as poorly informed
and as "blundererS may perhaps advise |
that they are Every unwise'' We do not |
feel called upon to defend the course of |
these people. We believe that they know
what they are about.
We take this opportunity, however, for
offering for the consideration of those inter-
ested in the lake marine the proposition that
The establishment of the canal having
capacity as proposed, will induce extensive |
building of vessels appropriate to naviga-
Jon of such waterways, that will be much
better suited to lake navigation than is any
vessel proportioned so that she needs more
han 16 feet of water to enable her to load to
ler full carrying capacity.
]. NJ GOODWIN.
sHARPsvILLE, Mercer Co., June II.