Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-07-06
|GREkT YEAR FOR
OUR SHIPBU|LDERS
More Vessels Constructed in 1899
Than in Any Year in a Quar-
ter Of a Century.
TOTAL OUTPUT WAS l45l SHIPS
Steam Vessels for First Time Ex.
coed All Othcrs--Stecl Has Be-
come Principal Material
of Construction.

Washington, July 5.-The fiscal
rear just endca was exceptional for
The American merchant marine in sew
sral respects. Full reports will not be
received by the bureau of navigation
or several weeks, but returns already
received warrant these statements:
The total output of American ship
cards has been the largest of any Year
tor the last quarter OF n century, eN-
.ept 1891, when 1,3S4 vessels OF 369,303
gross tons were built and documented
in the United States. During the last
fiscal year the construction of mcr-
chant vessels, officially returned, has
consisted of 1929 vessels of 800, $40
gross tons. Besides these twenty-five
vessels of foreign construction, aggre~
eating 30,ls1 gorss tons, have been
admitted to American registry.
II is also reported from Manila that
since last August l41 vessels have
been transferred from the hands of
the Spanish, German and British sub
jects to Americans, indicating the con-
in American government The tom
mage of these vessels has not yet been
reported and the transfer does not
carry with it all the rights of Amer
lean registry. Had the senate passed
the house bill for the registry of
Hawaiian vessels the total additions to
our merchant fleet during the year
would have reached nearly 100000
tons. Our largest annual production
was in 1855, when 2.O27 vessels of
5S3,45O tons were built and docu-
mented.
During 1898 Great Britain built 1919
vessels of 1,139,114 tons. The differ
ence in the kind of vessels built is
roughly disclosed by the average size,
our construction averaging only about
225 tons, while the British averages
900 tons. Nearly all of our new tom
mage is built to navigate i'm the coast
ing trade reserved TO American YES
sells. The only steamships built di-
rectly for the foreign trade We're the
Havana and Mexico of the New York
and Cuba mail and the four admiral
steamships for Cuba and Jamaica, ag-
gregating 1850 tons, which We're
built under the postal subsidy act. In
anticipation of legislation at the COM
ing session, however. construction has
begun or been contracted for on
about 100000 tons of steel steamships
for foreign trade and trade with
Hawaii and Puerto Rico, involving
an expenditure of about S15,o0o,00o.
For the first time i'm our history OH
June 80 the total tonnage of our steam
vessels, when tabnlated, will eXcee
the total of all other kinds of docu
mentcd vessels During the year, how
ever, 400 sail vessels of 96,45s tons
have been built, compared with 426 of
42.5O2 for the previous year, while the
steam vessels built number 47s of
167, 1851 tons, compared with GAS of no.
12s for the previous year. In certain
trades our large sailing vessels en-
deavor to compete with foreign cargo
steamships and doubtless will con-
tinue 10 do so at all events on the con-
structon of the Nicaragua canal
The most notable vessel is the John
Smeaton, steel schooner of 5,049
gross tons, but the West Superior is
probably the largest fore and aft yes
sci ever built The largest seagoing
vessel built i'm Europe in 1898
was the Ernest Siegfried, of lIavre,
3,214 tons.
For the first time In our history
steel has become the principal ma
terial i'm our annual construction OF
rugged vessels, the steel tonnage for
the year being 1.i3,991 tons: wood,
1870 200 tons. Iron has ceased to be Il
shipbuilding material, only one vessel
of nine tons having been built of iron.
During 1898 i'm Great Britain 80 per
cent or practically the whole contsruc-
ton except small fishing vessels, was
of steel.