The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-08
GREAT YEAR FOR
OUR SHIlPBUIILDERS,
More Vessels Constructed III 1899
Than in Any Year III a Quar-
ter of Century.
TOTAL OUTPUT WAS 1851 SHIPS
Steam Vessels for First yimc Tx.
coed All Others-steel Has BE
come Principal Material
OF Construction.

Washington, July 5.--The fiscal
year just endea was exceptional for
the American merchant marine in sew
eral respects. Full reports will not be
received by the bureau of navigation
for several weeks. but returns already
received 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 :69, aO2
gross tons We're built and documentedi
i'll the United States. During the last
fiscal year the construction of mer-
chant vessels, officially returned, has
consisted of 1,429 vessels of 3aO,s7G
gross tons. Besides these twenty-five
vessels of foreign construction, aggre-
eating 3O,1S1 gorss tons, have been
admitted to American registry.
1t is also reported from Manila that
since last August 14l vessels have
been transferred from the hands of
the Spanish, German and British sub
jects to Americans, Indicating the con
idence of the business men of Manila
in American government. The ton
Aagc of these vessels has not vet 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
Hawaiianvessels the total additions to
our merchant feet during the year
would have reached nearly 400, 900
tons. Our largest annual production
was in 1855, when 2,027 vessels of
5s3,45O tons were built and docu-
mented.
- rn,.: /, ~ I QnS r,ao{ prskni,- 1,,s1t 1 40
vessels of 1,139,114 tons. The differ
roughly disclosed by the average size,
our construction averaging only about
225 tons, while the British averages
900 tons. Nearly all of Il new tom
mage is built to navigate i'll the coast
ing trade reserved to American yes
sells. The only steamships built di-
rectly for the foreign trade were the
Havana and Mexico of the New York
and Cuba mail and the four admiral
steamships for Cuba and Jamaica, ag-
gregating 1880 tons, which were
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 SIS, 100000.
For the first time in our history on
June 80 the total tonnage of II steam
vessels, when tabulated. will exceed
the total of all other kinds of docu-
mented vessels. During the year, how
ever, AGO sail vessels of 96,45S tons
have been built, compared with i26 of
A2,502 for the previous year, while the
steam vessels built number ATS of
167, s51 tons. compared with GAS OF no.
1873 for the previous year. In certain
trades our large saiiing vessels en-
deavor to compete with foreign cargo
steamships and doubtless will con
tinue to do so at all events on the con
%struction of the Nicaragua canal.
The most notable vessel is the John
Smeaton, a steel schooner of 5,049
gross tons. but the West Superior is
probably the largest fore and aft yes
sci ever built. The largest sca-going
vessel built in Europe in 1895
was the Ernest Siegfried, of Hnvre.
3,214 tons.
For the first time in II history
steel has become the principal ma
terial in our annual construction OF
| rugged vessels, the steel tonnage FOL
| the year being l33,o91 tons; wood.
1aO,3 800 tons. Iron has ceased to be a
shipbuilding material, only one vessel
| Of nine tons having been built of iron.
During 1898 in Great Britain 90 per
cent or practically the whole contsruc-
ton except small fishing vessels, was
| of steel.