The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-03
NEW AMERICAN SHIPS
AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR FOR THE
GROWTH OF SHIPBUILDING
AND REGISTRY
ALL RECORDS ARE BROKEN
For the First Time in American His
tory the Total Tonnage of Steam
Vessels Will Exceed the Total
Figures Showing the Growth In
Building.

WASHINGTON, July 1.-The fiscal
year, which ended on Friday, was ex-
ceptional for the American merchant ma
rine, in several respects Full reports
will not be received by the bureau of
navigation for several weeks. but re-
turns already received warrant these
statements:
The total output of American shfpyards
has been the largest of any year for the
last quarter of a century except 1891
when 1884 vessels, Of 369, SOP gross tons,
were built and documented in the United
States. During the past fiscal year the
construction of merchant vessels Off
cially returned, has consisted of ,429 YES
sells of 1880 gross tons. Besides these
twenty-five vessels of foreign construc-
ton, aggregating 3O,1S1 gross tons, have
been admitted to American registry 1t
is also reported from Manila that since
last August IA vessels have been trans
ferred from the hands of Spanish, Ger
man and British subjects to Americans,
indicating the confidence of the business
men OF Manila in the American govern
ment. The tonnage of vessels and the
transfer does not carry with it all the
reports Of American registry Had the
senate passed the house bill for the reg
istry of Hawaiian vessels, the total addi-
tion to our merchant fleet during the
year would have reached nearly 400 900
| tons. Our largest annual production was
| in 1855, when 2,072 vessels, of $50, $50 tons.
were built and documented
During 1888 Great Britain built 1,549 YES
sells, of 1,390,114 tons. The difference in
the kind of vessels built is roughly dis
closed by the average size of our con-
st1uction, averaging only about 225 tons,
while the British averages 800 TONS Near
| ly all of our new tonnage is built to
navigate in the coasting trade reserved
| to American vessels. The only steam
ships built 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, aggre-
eating 1880 tons, which were built under
the postal subsidy act. In anticipation
| of legislation at the coming session, how
! ever, construction has begun or contract
ed for about 100000 tons of steel steam
ships for foreign trade, and trade with
Hawaii and Porto Rico, involving an ex-
GROWTH OF TONNAGE.
For the first time in our history on
June 30 the total tonnage of our steam
vessels, when tabulated will exceed the
! total of all other kinds of documented
vessels. During the year, however. 46O
sail vessels of Sc, 1853 tons have been built.
compared with 426 of 2,502 for the pre-
vious year, While the steam vessels built
number ITS, of 1881 tons, compared with
44S of HOPS for the previous year.
In certain trades our large sailing YES
sells endeaVor to compete with foreign
! cargo steamships and doubtless will CON
tinue to do so. at all events until the con-
struction of the Nicaraguan canal
The most notable vessel is the Holm
SmeatOn, a steel schooner of 5.O49 gross
tons, built at West Superior, Wis, prob
ably the largest fore and aft vessel ever
built. The largest seagoing sailing YES
sci built in Europe in 1898 was the Ernest
Siegfried of Havre, SPA tons
For the first time in our history steel
has become the principal material in our
annual construction of rugged vessels,
the steel tonnage for the year being 49,
991 tons, wood, 1899 tons Iron has
ceased TO be a ship-building material.
only one vessel. of nine tons, having been
built of iron. During $685. in Great Brit
ain, 80 per cent, or practically the whole
construction, except small fishing YES
sells, was of steel.