The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-05
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
The Additions During the Year May
Exceed 4a7, SAG Tons.


year ended June 80, 1900, the total ton
mage of shipping officially numbered
amounted to 417,0S4 gross tons. Full
returns from Honolulu will not be re-
ceiVed for a fortnight, but about SO, 600
tons of Hawaiian vessels were entitled to
American documents under the act of
Congress creating the Territory OF
Hawaii. Porto Rican vessels were also
by act of Congress entitled to American
documents, but they aggregate less than
1000 tons. Complete figures win proba-
bly, show that the actual additions to
the American merchant fleet during the
year have surpassed the 487, ,846 gross
tons documented during the fiscal year
1874, when the law required all canal
boats in domestic trade to be docu-
mented. In that event the additions to
our merchant fleet during the fiscal year
will have been greater than during any
year since 1856. The figures viii be
slightly reduced by the fact that the issue
of official numbers and of marine docu-
ments are not simultaneous.
The vessels built in the United States
and officially mum bered during the year
aggregate 3s1, ,863 gross tons. This record
was surpassed in 1874, when 432, 725 gross
tons were built in the United States and
documented. OF the new vessels built
during the year 4S3, of 213, ,052 gross
tons, are steam vessels; 575, of 81, ,625
gross tons, are sail vessels, including
barges with sail power; and 76, 1856 tons
are barges and a few canal boats for Ca
madam trade without power of self pro
pulsion. The large proportion of steam
vessels, So per cent of the total, makes
this years addition to tho fleet in value
and in carrying power superior to the
additions in 1874 or Of any other year in
our history.
The most important additions of the
year have been the large steel vessels
built for the trade Of the Great Lakes.
They include the James J. Hill, of
6,025 gross tons, the largest merchant
vessel built III the United States during
1900, nine other lake steamships and
two steel schooner barges, each of 8, 900
gross tons, and five lake steamships of
over 4, 900 gross tons. On the seaboard
the largest vessel built sis the steamship
California, 5,S79 gross tons, launched at
San Francisco which viii be the pio-
neer vessel in opening regular steam com
INJUNCTION between Hawaii and the At
lantic ports of the United States. No
other vessel Of 5000 gross tons or over
seaboard has ever been numbered during
the year, but six steamships Of over 4, 900
tons for the Atlantic coasting trade have
been built.
The only vessel built during the year
exclusively for foreign trade has been
the steamship Maracaibo of 1,771 gross
tons, for the Red D line in the Venezue-
Ian mail trade. The sister steamships
San Juan and Ponce, of g. SOB gross tons,
and the Porto Rico, /, 1,257 gross tons, Civ
ing the island the best means of steam
communication with the United States
it ever had, are the first maritime results
of the annexation of Porto Rico. The
steel ship Edward Sewall. 6. 306 gross
tons, and the steel bark Kaiulani, 1870
gross tons for the Hawaii trade, are the
square rugged vessels built, but eleven
schooners, each Of 1000 gross tons We're
constructed for the Atlantic coast trade.
Additions from other sources other
than construction during the year have
been repaired wrecks, 9,S43 tons, Ha-
waiian vessels numbered at San Francis
co since June "A, 1861 tons. vessels sold
to citizens by thu government, z, 1876 tons,
admitted by special acts of Congress,
,764 tons, American vessels returned
from foreign flags, 1907 tons.
Full returns will probably show that
the total documented tonnage of the
United States on June So 1900, for the
first time since 1866 has again reached
s. 1000, 600 gross tons. 1he tonnage regis
tered for foreign trade, however, will
probably be slightly below s4S, 900 gross
tons, the figures for June 80, 1899. The
increase of the Alaskan trade, carried on
mainly by registered vessels has checked
somewhat during the year the steady
decline in American tonnage registered
for foreign trade.
OF the 1868 steam and sailing vessels
of 305, ,677 gross tons built and numbered
during the year, SO of 1856, 434 tons were
steel, 957 Of 119, 1856 tons were wood, and
three Of 8S8 tons iron. The proportion Of
steel construction is thus much the
greatest In our history. This result is
attributal also to the Great Lakes con-
structiOn, where of a total OF so, ,776 gross |
tons, 95,0l5 tons, % vessels were steel
steam vessels. The numbered construc-
tion on the Atlantic seaboard com prised
715 vessels of 100 SIS tons, of W hich he, ,344
tons were wood. Numbered construction
on the Pacific coast comprised 81, 1856 gross |
tons, and on the Mississippi, Ohio and
Western rivers 131 vessels Of Z, ,939 tons.
For purposes Of comparison vessels
under construction in Crest Britain on
March 81, the latest figures available, !
were 554 Of / 1260, 432 gross tons, of waich
ll5 were ocean steel steamships of 4, 900
900 tons gross. During the three months
ended March 81, Great Britain launched
1879 steamships Of 1854, ,208 gross tons. On
that date British vessels under construc.
tion were J25, 900 tons less than for the
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