New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-03
BUILDING MORE SHIPS.
-p,cAN MERCHANT MARINE SHOWS
GREAT INCREASE.
,>,,A MERCHANTS SHOW CONFIDENCE
RY TRANSFERRING VESSELS
TO AMERICANS.

,,osbngton July 1.-The fiscal year which ended
rr,aav was exceptional for the American mer-
" marine in several respects Full reports Will
0" =. received by the Bureau OF Navigation for
"o Jul weeks but returns already received war
ant these statements
Is - ,o.al output Of American shipyards has been
-, largest OF any year for the last quarter OF
,ury except in 1891, when 1884 vessels OF S6SSO2
80 tons were built and documented In the United
S.o,as In the last fiscal year the construction Of
orchant vessels officially returned. has consisted
- 400 vessels Of S2OS SIC gross tons Besides these
..nrtv-two vessels of foreign construction. aggre-
,,v 9O1N gross tons, have been admitted to
.nerIcan registry. 1t is also reported from Manila
.hat since last August l4 vessels have been trans
s.-red from the hands Of the Spanish, German and
british subjects TO Americans, indicating the conf
dence OF the business men Of Manila in American
government. The tonnage Of these vessels has
not vet been reported. and the transfer does not
carry with It all the rights of American registry.
Had the Senate passed the House bill for the
-eeistry OF Hawaiian vessels. the total additions TO
the merchant feet during the year would have
reached nearly four hundred thousand tons. The
largest annual production was in 1885, when 2027
vessels Of 5S3. $50 tons were built and documented
In 1925 Great Britain built l549 vessels Of 139116
ions The difference in the kind Of vessels built
a roughly disclosed by the average size. the Amer
,can construction averaging only about 225 tons,
while the British averages 900 tons. Nearly all of
the United States new tonnage Is built TO navi-
gate In the coasting trade reserved to American
vessels. The only steamships built directly for
The foreign trade were the Havana and the Mexico.
of the New-York and Cuba Mail, and the four
admiral steamships for Cuba and Jamaica, ag-
gregaung 1879 tons. which were built under the
Postal Subsidy act. In anticipation of legislation
nj the coming session, however, construction has
begun been contracted for on about 100000 tons
OF steel steamships for foreign trade and trade
with Hawaii and Porto Rico, involving an ex-
Denditure or about $lJ,0pDOOl
For the first time in this countrys history, on
June 80 the total tonnage OF steam vessels. when
tabuated will exceed the total Of all other kinds
Of documented vessels In the year, however. AGO
sail vessels OF 96,45S tons have been built, com
pared with 426 OF 1852, for the previous year.
while the steam vessels built number AS OF 1851
tons compared with AS Of l0l2S tons for the pre-
. y.ous year. In certain trades the large sailing
vessels endeavor TO compete with foreign cargo
steamships. and doubtless will continue 10 do So at
all events until the construction of the Nicaragua
Canal The most notable vessel is the John
Smeaton, steel schooner OF 5O49 gross tons built
al West Superior, Mich, probably the largest
fore and-aft vessel ever built. The largest sea-
the Ernest Siegfricd, Of Havre, 3,2l4 tons.
For the first time American history steel has
become the principal material in the annual con
struction OF rigged vessels the steel tonnage for
the year being 433 99l tons. and wood, 13O3O9 tons
Iron has ceased to be a shipbuding material. only
one vessel Of nine tons having been built OF this
material In 1898 in Great Britain SO per cent or
practically the whole construction, except small
fishing vessels, Of steel.