The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-06
veloped, her importance in this respect
will be largely increased.

veloped, her importance in this respect
VIII be largely increased.
SHIP BUILDING.
Thirteen years before the Pilgrims
landed on the rock-bound coast of Mas
sachusetts, ship building was commenced
upon the shores of Maine.
From the time when the "Virginia of
Sagadahoc'' was built at the mouth of
the Kennebec river, by the Popham Col
ony, in 1907, until the present day, the
fame of Maine ships and of Maine ship
yards has been worldwide. The Stars
and Stripes of our grand nationality have
been borne into every port of the habit
able world by Maine-built ships, many
OF them owned by Maine men, command
ed by Maine captains and manned by
Maine crews. For many years Maine
ship-yards annually built larger amount
of tonnage than those of any other State
in the Union.
| In the years before the war when the
carrying trade of the world was done in
wooden bottoms, the ship-yards of Maine
| were much more numerous and manv
towns upon her rivers and bays, where a
launching is now rare occurrence, were
in these days made prosperous and thriv-
ing by this great industry.
Since the events of the war swept our
commerce from the seas, and since the
era of iron ships, many of the smaller
| ship-yards Of Maine have gone to de-
cay.
| In 1880, the amount of tonnage built
in Maine (using round numbers) was
nearly $4,000 tons. In 1881, it was $1,000
tons; in 1882, $4,000 tons; and in 1888,
nearly the same amount. By the figures
given in the first annual report of the
Commissioner of Navigation, for the year
ending June 80, 1884, Maine exceeded
every other State on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts in the amount of tonnage of
vessels built in that year. The total
amount of tonnage of vessels built in the
same year, from Maine to Texas, was
147. 029; and of this there were built in
the ship-yards of Maine 61,526 tons, or
only about 1000 tons less than one-half
of the entire amount built upon the At
lantic and Gulf coasts.
The city of Bath is the centre of the
ship-building interests of Maine and here
arc located foundries and machine shops
capable of producing everything needed
in the building and equipment of YES
sells. Bath is situated on the west side
side of the Kennebec river, twelve miles
from its mouth.
Its population is about 1900 and it's
valuation is nearly 100000 In the
early days the whole region near the
mouth of the Kennebec river was called
Georgetown, Bath having been set off
fol tod
From that time to the present day ship
building has been its principal industry
and some of the finest wooden vessels in
the world have been built in its yards.
From the time of it's incorporation, in
1881, to the present day, Bath has built
upwards of $500 vessels, with total
tonnage of 100000 tons. The city is
admirably situated for carrying on this
great industry, being far enough from
the ocean to escape its storms and dan
gers. 1t extends along the banks of the
river for more than two miles and the
water along its front is deep and wide
and is continually freshened by the cur
rent of the great stream. La 1888, an ex-
tensive plant was established here for the
construction of marine engines, boilers,
etc. Two years later the works passed
into the hands of the New England Ship
them, transferred to the present owners,
the Bath Iron Works, with Gen. Thomas
w. Hyde, president.
The original plant has developed into
a great iron ship-building plant and iron
cruisers for the United States navy are
now built at these works. In 1882, the
ship-yards of Bath turned off total of
AZ, 1873 tons.
In the year 1890, there were built in
all New England, 207 vessels with total
tonnage of 99,S42 tons.
Of these, Maine built 1875 vessels of IA. :
465 tons. In that year were built in
Maine some of the finest ships that ever
left the stocks; in Bath, the Shenan-
doah, of 3,25S tons, and at that time the
largest wooden ship afoat; the Kappa
hammock, 3,053 tons; the Parthia, 1871
tons and the St. Mary's, 1,943 tons.
In 1891, the Susbuehanna, 1927 tons
was built at Bath and in 1892, the Roam
oke, 3,400 tons, the largest wooden ship
that ever sailed the ocean.
Since these years the building OF
wooden ships has materially fallen off
and the days of the great clippers have
gone by. If, however, iron is in the
future to be substituted for wood in the
construction of large ships, Maine will
be found ready to assert her right to oc-
cupy front rank in this great industry,
as she ever has in the past. Already she
has, at Bath, one of the best iron ship
building plants in the world and if, by
generous and timely action on the part
of the National Government, our com
lmerce with other nations shall come to
be carried on in American bottoms, and
large fleet of fast American steamships
shall be placed upon the ocean, other
works will be established in Maine and the
great ship-building State will see to it
that no other section wrests from her
the laurels that in the past her magnif-
cent ships, sailing in every sea, have won
for her in the eyes of the maritime
world.
THE LUMBER BUSINESS.
laundering has from the earliest
Gays OF the settlement of Maine been
one of her most valuable Industries and
this business has indeed been most
important factor in the settlement and
INN