Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-11
NOTES OF SHIPPING.
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO MARINERS
GATHERED FROM ALL SOURCES.
Ships Built In America. Annual Report of
the Commissioners of Navigation.
Turbine Possibilities

Mr.. e. It. Chamberlain, United States
commissioner Of navigation has given
out a short summary Of the statistical
part ofa his annual report, says The
Marine Review. 1t bears out what has
been said in these columns Of late re-
Earding the activity that prevails in
our shipyards in the building Of vessels
for home trade. The year just begin
ming Treasury department yeaD Will
show far greater activity than the year
that ended on Friday last Full reports
will not be received by the Bureau of
Navigation for several weeks, the COM
missioner says. but returns already
warrant these statements:
The total output Of American ship
yards has been the largest of any year
for the last quarter Of a century, ex-
cept 1891, when 1884 vessels of 1863, 3o2
gross tons were built and documcntc;l
IN the United States. During the past
fiscal year the construction Of merchant
vessels, officially returned, has consist
ed Of l,42a vessels Of 32o,S7G gross tons
Besides these twenty-five vessels Of
foreign construction, aggrcglting 3O.1Sl
tons, have been admitted to American
registry. Of which ten were prizes can
tured during the war with Spain, four
were steamships. aggrcgating 1876
tons, admitted by special acts of Con
SresS, and the remainder wrecked YES
sells. repaired in American shipyards.
1t is also reported from Manila that
since last August, 14l vessels have been
transferred from the hands of Spanish,
German and British subjects to Ameri-
cans. indicating the confidence of the
business men OF Manila in American
Government The tonnage. of these veg
sells has not yet been reported. and The
transfer does not carry with it all :hn
rights OF American registry. Had the.
Senate passed the House bill for the re-
slstry OF Hawaiian vessels the total
additions to our merchant fleet during.
the year would have reached nearly
100000 tons. Our largest annual pro-
iuuctlon was in 1856 when 2027 vessels
of 5S3.450 tons were built and docu-
mented.
During 1898 Grca, Britain built $40
vessels OF 1.390.116 tons. The difference
in the kind Of vessels built is roughly
disclosed by the average size our con
struction averaging only about 225 tons.
while the British averages 900 tons.
Nearly all of our new tonnage is built
70 navigate in the coastng trade re-
served to American vessels. The only
steamships built directly for the foreign
trade were the Havana and Mexico
or the New York and Cuba mail and the
four Admiral steamships for Cuba ana
Jamaica. aSgregdtinE 1880 tons which
We're built under the postal subsidy act
In anticipation Of legislation at tho
coming session. however, construction
mas begun or been contracted for on
about 100000 tons of steel steamships for
foreign trade and trade with Hawaii
and Porto Rico. involving an cXpcndi-
ture OF about $15.000.00O
The most notable vessel Is doubtlcs.
the John Smenton. a steel barge of a043
gross tons. built at West Superior Wis.
probably the largest fore and aft vessel
ever built The largest scagoing vessel
built III Europe in 1898 was the Ernest
Siegfried of Havre, 3,214 tons.
For the first time in our history steel
has become the principal material ir
our annaul construction Of rugged vcs-
sells, the steel tonnage for the year
being 1891 tons, wood 10000 tons
material. only one vessel OF nine tons
having been built of iron During 1895
IN Great Britain 80 per cent, o. practi-
cally the whole construction except
small fishing vessels. was Of steel
The additions to our seagoing fleet.
Including 301S1 tons foreign buflt. re-
ferred to, We're 16G vessels OF 155,937
tons. divided into fifty steam vessels
OF 1929 tons. sevcnty-four schooners
1896 tons, ten square rugged Vessels
Of 12,42s tons and thirty-two yachts
Of 1854 tons. including the new cup de-
fender. The square rugged vessels are
mainly for the foreign trade, and the
schooners for coasting purposes or the
trade with the British provinces and the
West Indies.
There were bullt 491 unrigged vessels.
barges and canal boats for Canadian
or interstate trade. aggregating 56,JS7
tons. Excluding these, the greatest in
crease mas been on the Atlantic coast,
the tonnage OF rugged vessels built ris-
ins from 5l,l36 tons In 1898 to 1882