The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-08
PROGRESS OF SHIPBUlLDING.


EoGlclal Reports Show That the
GrOwth OF the shipbnilding Indus
try the United States FOR the Els.
cal Ycarls Unprecedented : Rival
orGreat Britain.
In review Of the development Of
the navy and merchant marine for the
Ilpast year thA "Blue Book Of American
IshippIng'' for 1898 gives some interest
ing information. The statement Is
made that no single year ''in the third
Of century that has been consumed in
the development of iron and steel ship
building in the United States has Wit
messed progression as rapid or the in
PRODUCTION OF innovations as numerous
For radical as that; which has elapsed
since the last issue Of the Blue Book Of
American shipping" American tri-
umphs In the foreign trade held are
gradually convincing the people Of the
whole country that the development of
our shipplug interests is not a matter
that concerns only the ship builder or
shfpowner." The review continues:
4The development Of the American
mercantile marine and the American
shlpbundins Industry have gone for
ward hand in hand, both stimulated by
the greater industrial activity following
the SpanIsh-American war. The ship
bui1dlbg Industry benefited especially
by the severe drain made by govern
ment purchases OF available tonnage
for the auxiliary naval fleet. The re-
mort OF the commissioner OF navigation
for the treasury department for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1ss9,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 shipyards for
the United States and foreign countries
more than fifty naval vessels, valued at
upward of S4O,OOO.OOO exclusive Of ar
NOR and armament, and more than two
hundred merchant vessels Ono small
craft Of any kind includeD, the agsre-
gate value of which exceeds 100000.
.gThere has been turned out in this
single year an Atlantic coast fleet OF
respectable size, In which the Crom'
well, Morgan. Ward, Merchants g. Mi
ners', Old Dominion, Plant, Old Bay
and almost all other principal coast
lines have been represented. For the
Pacific lines have been represented. For
the 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 of the river feet being gradu-
ally rebuilt along steel lines. The ship
yards Of the entire country have, in
fact, orders suhicient on hand to keep
them in operation for periods ranging
from one to three years.
'The largest merchant vessels and
vessels Of war ever constructed on this
side of the Atlantic arc now on the
stocks in American yards. The princl-
nal 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 developing and expanding
Al Newport News, W., alone tho Inn
movements under way will entail an
expenditure Of 100000. A :,OoO,OoO
IhIpyurd is In process Of establishment
ON the Delaware river. and another
with a capital OF 100000 Is projected
The Maryland Steel Company reopened
It's marine plant in obedience to rush
Of work that enabled 1t SIX months la
Ter to have seven steel steamers under
construction. Southern energy em6od-
led in the william r. Trigg Company
converted Richmond, Va, into ship
building port.
ION the Great Lakes NIL the leading
sh,pbuildIng and dry dock plants have
been merged into the American Ship
building Company. This company al
ready has IN hand several orders for
freight carriers of 5000 net tons capac-
ity on eighteen feet draught that ara
not to cost approximately $4,000 each.
A total value Of about 100000 is rep
resented by all new tonnage now under
way in shIpyards of the Great Lakes,
and there is every reason to expect
that this aggregate Will be kept up for
a couple OF yenrs to come.
1.-THE Cramps. OF Philadelphia, and
the Union Iron Works, OF San Francis
co. have completed the first war vessels
for, foreign powers turned out from
American shipyards in many years
The American tramp steamer has
made its appearance. New England
districts are again witnessing quite a
little activity in the construction Of
wooden vessels, even to the placing OF
an order for a six-masted ship that il
to carry $500 tons dead weight. In this
line Of diversity may be mentioned al
so the llght-drnft stern-wheel type OF
steamer. which has been constructed In
quite. large numbers on both coasts for
service In shallow Alaskan waters, and
on the Great Lakes the steamer Of
about three thousand tons capacity on
fourteen feet drauGht, which is suited
10 special trade on the lakes. or may
be transferred through the WellHnd
and st. Lawrence canals to the Allan
tie.