Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-11
WHITE WINGS GROW SCARCE.
Decline of the American Sailing Vesse
as IA Carrier of Trade.

as Carrier of Trade.
The commerce of Boston is constantly
expanding but our trade by sailing craft
is falling off each year, and this condi-
ton is common to every other port. The
sail tonnage is occupied mainly in coast
wise traffic, but steamers enter into
much of this, absorbing now all the
regular packet service between the sea-
board cities. Sailing vessel people real
ize they are surely being pushed 10 the
wall, and the best indication is the ,ack
of building in the wooden vessel line.
New England shipyards and those Of the
British provinces are doing practically
no building while the ShlpyardS abroad
are turning out very little sail tonnage.
Thus we see wooden vessels worn out
or wrecked without being replaced as III
former times. For some time large four
masted schooners have been constructed
for the coal-carrying trade and have
proven very successful No wooden
craft can be employed in this trade with
equal economy. Yet the barges made
from the bulls of old wooden vessels and
towed by a tug are now competing SO
severely with large schOOners, that very
few have been built of late.
Ice carrying, which once gave much
business to sail craft, has been diminish
ing very materially of late years with
the general adoption of ice-maklng ma
chinery in the warm zones. The steam
er has even worked into these trades,
though not to any considerable extent.
Five wears ago when considerable ice
was shipped South, rates as high as
81 80 per ton were secured. Today one
third of that figure is the general rate.
The lumber trade is today the great
hold of the sailer. By its very. nature
this business is appropriately designed
for sailing vessels though in 1894 sew
eral large steamers sailed from Montreal
to the River Plate, each carrying 1,O0O,-
600 to 100000 feet. These cargoes
were secured by virtue of chartering
about 80 cents per 1000 under the regu-
lar vessel price. The process of loading
and unloading, however, IS toe, SLOW 70
attract steamers to this branch OF the
trade.
Large sailing craft are engaged in this
business. particularly to the Spanish
Main and the West Indies. The great
diminution in the foreign trade IN the
past decade has brought about a marked
reduction in vessel rates to South Ameri-
can ports Not more than ten years ago
rates from Boston to Buenos Ayres were
$24 per 1000. Now they are Sc to 81.
There is still a considerable business,
however, by small vessels with the prov
inces, but the steamers push it hard.
Cargoes hence are mainly provisions,
-four and oil. Rates are much the same
whether bysteamy or sail Flour, for eX-
The sailing craft have this advantage
they touch more ports, going to the ex-
IRENE tip of Nova Scotia and Cape Bre-
ton. In the summer trips are made up
the st. Lawrence.
Most of the vessels employed in this
traffic register from 80 to 120 tons. Lum-
Der rates from the provinces average
about $3.50 per 1000; from points along
the st. Lawrence SD per 1000.
Our trade with the west coast of At
RIGA is maintained by sail of moderate
size. Mixed cargoes of domestic products
are sent out, and African products, palm
oil, peanuts, rubber. hides, ETC., brought
back.
A severe blow has been dealt to sail
ing vessels in the deep-sea trade by the
competition of steamers in the East India
trade. When a cargo of hemp can be
brought from Manila for So per ton and
delivered in half the time of a sailing
voyage it is evident that the sailing yes
sci has small show. The Suez canal
has brought this revolution. When the
Nicaragua canal is opened blow will
be struck to the last hold of the sailing
ship, the California and West coast trade
around the Horn. To the next genera
ton the sight of white wings on the sea,
of which poets have sung SO long, will be
a rarity.-Boston Commercial Bulletin.