Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-02
NOTES OF SHIPPING.
items of Interest to Mariners Gathered
from Everywhere.

from Everywhere.
"A cry has gone up from all over the
country on account OF the famine OF
material for ship construction. AS in
nearly all other branches of the steel
and iron industry. it is not matter of
price, but a question in nearly every
case of getting the material at any cost.
Prices spoken of in some cases range
from $50 TO $50 a ton for ship plate at
the MILL as against little more than $40
ton before the boom" came on
There are not, of course. any big orders
being placed at these figures, and in
fact there are really no transactions of
any account at any price. The manu-
facturer who has small lots of material
to offer for early delivery can get al
most any figure he may ask for it.
Orders placed in advance of these eX-
IRENE conditions have of late been de-
layed more than ever. In number Of
cases keelS have not been laid simply
because material to proceed has been
lacking and there can be no doubt that
work on new merchant ships every
where throughout the country. as well
as naval contracts of all kinds, will be
seriously delayed by existing conditions.
Looking to the future, there seems to
be no more hope for the ship builder
ago, when $40 was looked upon as the
price that would certainly bring relief
in the form of Increased productive
capacity. Increased capacity is expect
ed shortly in a few mills, notably at the
Homestead plant of the Carnegie COM
pany, but all of this seems to have been
anticipated in orders booked some time
ago. Probably when the change comes
it will be found that the trouble has
been due more to a general demand for
nlateria! than to ship building industry
having radically outgrown the produc-
tive capacity of mills that engage in
this line. but It must be admitted that
the ship builders, for the time being, at
least, are absolutely prevented from
planning on future business They are
left to the struggle of trying to get
material ordered long ago for work
which they have in hand An amusing
feature of the situation is noted occa-
sionally. Some time ago one of the
largest steel concerns of the country
ordered several cranes from a we'll
known manufacturer of special machin-
cry Of this kind. The order for the ma
chinery was given. OF course. to the
steel company that was to use them.
The steel company Is now almost daily
urging the delivery Of the cranes. al
though they are not themselves able
TO furnish the material that is to go
into them.
The builder Of wooden vessels appears
10 be little better off at the present
time, as regards supplies OF material,
than his brethren whose energies are
devoted 10 steel constructions Renorts
from the yards in Maine and along the
Pacific coast indicate very high prices
in several lines. with the usual difficulty
In securing delivery. Manila rope. vel
low pine and iron for strapping and
other purposes have all made great adj
vances during the past six months. In
some cases the increase amounts to 100
per cent. and on an average it probably
approximates about quarter of that
II is sufficient anyhow, to contribute "a
the uneasness of the builders of wood
en- vessels. as well as those engaged in
steel lines.