The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-03
RUN OVER BY CAR. Big YEAR FOR MARINE.
Shipbuilding Takes Big
Forward Strides on Ac-
count of the War.

Washington, July 2.-The fiscal year
which ended on Friday was exceptional
for the American merchant marine in
several respects.
The total output of American ship
yards has been the largest of any year
for the last quarter of century ex-
cept 1891, when 1884 vessels of 1863, 1902
gross tons were built and documented
in the United States. During the past
fiscal year the construction of merchant
vessels, officially returned has consist
ed of 1929 vessels of 320,S76 gross tons.
Besides these, twenty-five vessels of
foreign construction, aggregating 3O,1S1
gross tons, have been admitted to AM
erican registry.
1t is also reported from Manila that
since last August, 141 vessels have been
transferred from the hands of the Span
ish, German and British subjects to
Americans, indicating the confidence OF
the business men of Manila in the Am
erican government The tonnage OF
these vessels have not yet been reported
and the transfer does not carry with it
all the American registry. Had the SEN
ate passed the House bill for the regis
try of Haw allan vessels, the total add
ltions to our merchant fleet during the
year would have reached nearly 100000
tons. Our large annual production was
in 1855, when 1927 vessels of 5S3, $50 tons
were built and documented.
During 1898 Great Britain built 1549
vessels of 1,390116 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.
ri Of tim is h11il
to navigate in the coasting trade re-
served to American vessels. The only
steamships built directly for the foreign
trade were the Havana" and Mex
ico," of the New York and Cuba mail,
and the four Admiral steamships for
Cuba and Jamaica, aggregating 1880
tons, which were built under the postal
subsidy act. In anticipation of legisla-
ton at the coming session, however,
construction has begun or been con-
tracted for on about 100000 tons of steel
steamships for foreign trade and trade
with Hawaiian and Porto Rico, involv
ing an expenditure of about 5000, 900.
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, 4e0
sail vessels of SO, 458 tons have been built
compared VIII 4zo Oh 4Z,oeS lOHS lot the
previous year, while the steam vessels
built number ATS OF 1881 tons, com
pared with 44S of HOPS tons for the
previous year.
In certain trades our sailing vessels
endeavor to compete with foreign cargo
steamships and doubtless will continue
to do so. The most notable vessel is the
John Smeaton," a steel schooner of
5049 gross tons, built at West Superior,
Mich, probably the largest fore and aft
vessel ever built The largest sea going
sailing vessel built in Europe in 1895
was the Ernest Siegfried" of Havre.
3214 tons.
For the first time in our history, steel
has become the principal material in
our annual construction of "igged YES
sells, the steel tonnage for the year
being 1889 tons, wood $780, 09 tons. Iron
has ceased to be a ship building ma
terial.