The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-18

the COuntFy-America the Future
Building and Ship Owning Nation
Learning Lessons From Foreign
Ship Builders.
No single year in the third of a GEN.
fury that has been consumed in the de-
Velopment of iron and steel ship building
in the United States has witnessed pro-
gression as rapid, or the introduction of
innovations as numerous or radical as
that which has elapsed since the last IS
sue of the Blue Book of American Ship
ping" American triumphs in the for
eign trade field are gradually convincing
the people of the whole country that the
development of our shipping interests Is
not a matter that concerns only the
ship builder or ship owner, says the
Marine Review.
In the naval field recognition must be
accorded to many Of the more important
events of the Spanish-American war,
with their lessons on the Importance of
fire-proof wood, the necessity for ade-
quately equipped repair ships as adjuncts
TO all sea squadrons and the provision or
regularly constituted military transports.
The experiences of the war have also
brought to the attention of the naval
architect and the marine engineer time
ly problems, the solution of which, ,cy
discussion, may prove quite as invaluable
as the demonstration of other truths by
actual warfare. Thus we have thu last
meeting of the american Society of Ma
val Architects and Marine Engineers
concerning itself chiefly with the field of
usefulness of the torpedo boat, the de-
stroyer and the monitor, just as the
Bourgogne and Mohegan disasters will
make the subject of launching and man.
ming life boats at sea the topic of para
mount interest at the next gathering of
this representative American organizes;
ton. Rear Admiral Melville has carried
his idea of triple screw propulsion into
the foreign field, where it is now rece,ved
with skepticiSm rather than Indifference,
and our engineer force has declare that
If the battle of Santiago taught nothing
else, it certainly made very clear the alb
solute necessity of wateT-tGbe boilers
for our modern war vessels. Finally the
United States navy department has gone
forward with the contamination of the
most extensive naval programmes it has
ever undertaken, and congress has au-
thorized the adoption of an even more
extensive one for fulfillment during the
next two three years.
The development Of the American mer-
camille marine and the american ship
building industry have gone forward
hand in hand, both stimulated by the
greater industrial activity following the
Spanish-American war, the ship building
industry benefited especially by the Sc
a NV oaraf
chases of available tonnage for The aux
tltary naval fleet. The report of the COM
missioner of navigation for the treas
uFy department fiscal year, ended June
80, 1899, will show a growth unprecedented
in the history of ship building in this
country, and the figures for the year just
opening will be even more interesting.
There are now building in our ship yards
for the United States and foreign coun-
tries more than fifty naval vessels, val
ued at upwards of SAC, 000, 900, exclusive of
armor and armament, and more than 200
merchant vessels (no small craft of any
kind included, the aggregate value of
which exceeds $50 000
There has been turned out in this single
year an Atlantic coast fleet of respectable
size, In which the Cromwell, Morgan
Ward, Merchants & Miners, Old Domin-
ion, Plant, Old Bay, and almost all other
principal coast lines, have been repre-
sented. For Pacific coast service there
are building more modern steel freight
and passenger steamers than have been
constructed In any three previous years
combined. On the Western rivers STEEL
hulls have made their appearance with
promise ofithe river fleet being gradually
rebuilt along steel lines The ship yards
of the entire country have, in fact orders
sufficient on hand to kAep them IN opera
ton for periods ranging from one to
ha lor oct
and vessels Of war ever constructed on
this side Of the Atlantic are now on the
stocks In American yards. The principal
steamship company of the country has
been compelled to place orders abroad
by reason of inability to secure from any
American builder promise of delivery
In anything like the time required. All
the yards, great and small. are develop
ing and expanding. At Newport News,
Va, alone, the improvements under way
VIII entail an expenditure of 81, 600 600 A
100000 ship yard is in process of es-
adjustment on the Delaware and another
with a capital of S1,000,000 is projected.
Inc maryland Steel Co. reopened its ma
rines plant in obedience to a rush of
work that enabled 1t to- six months later
have seven steel steamers under con-
struction. Southern energy embodied in
the William R. Trigg company converted
Richmond. Va, into a ship building port
me general extension of the use of
pneumatic tools in the construction Of
steel vessels is a feature of the years
progress, as is also the more extended
introduction of cantilever cranes and
other equipment calculated to reduce
costs by facilitating ship yard operations.
On the great lakes all the leading shin
building and dry-dock plants have been
merged into the American Ship Building
company, one of the strongest of the re-
Gently formed industrial organizations,
with conservative policy, we'll defined,
and with complete control still in the
hands of the men who built I'D this in
dustry in the lake region. This company
already has in hand several orders for
freight carriers of 5000 net tons capacity
on eighteen feet draught, that are not
TO be delivered until May, 1900. hut on
which work must begin. Immediately. as
they are to cost approximately $3.50, 600
each' and with quadruple expansion en-
-