The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-27
TONNAGE OF THIS PORT
STATEMENT BEING PREPARED By
DEPUTY COLLECTOR DIBBLE.

More Shipping Registered ut Custom
House During the Year Than Ever Be-
fore Shipping of Thirty Years Ago
Discussed by Ex-Lieut. Gov. james ID.
Doyven.
Deputy Collector Dibble of the port
of New Haven is engaged at present
of the port for the past year. When
completed it will undoubtedly show Il
large increase over that of last year.
More shipping was registered in the
custom house this year than ever be-
fore
Probably no port of like size in the
country has had it's shipping change
SO completely in the last thirty years
as New Haven. The vessels from this
port are now engaged mainly in what is
called the coastWise trade, whereas in
the early days, just before and after
the war, the West Indian trade of the
port was recognized all along the coast.
The New Haven fleet of to-day con-
sists of 374 vessels, which are mostly
schooners. They charter for coal, lum
Der. railroad ties, etc, and many times
carry an assorted or general cargo. The
vessels charter whenever they can to
advantage and run all along the shore
from Norfolk to Bangor, Me. Barges
also figure in the traffic and by these
large cargoes of coal are brought to this
city.
The contrast between the shipping of
to-day and the early West Indian trade
was interestingly discussed by ex-Lieu-
tenant Governor James D. Dewell of
this city yesterday. Mr.. Dewells fleet
of vessels form large part Of the ports
tonnage and he has now been In this
business for many years He said:
THE shipping business of this port
was carried on formerly by means of
small craft, known as brigatines They
ran between New Haven and the West
Indies and their cargo on the down trip
generally consisted of provisions, salt,
lard, etc. On their return trip they
brought back sugar, molasses, rum and
coarse salt The trade Of the port in
these articles of merchandise was very
large. but 1t has now gone from every
port. The reason is that In those times
the sugar was brought to port in a raw,
unrefined condition To-day 1t Is
brought into the large cities like New
York and Baltimore by large steam
vessels and is taken at once to the re-
finery. There is no refinery in New Ha-
ven, so the business could not stay |
here.
The rum which formerly formed a !
large part of the cargo has been dis |
placed by whiskey, which is cheaper |
than rum 1t is also protected by the |
tariff to a certain degree Not a gall
Ion of rum is ever seen nowadays on
Long wharf. In those times the wharf
used to be filled with puncheons of
Santa Cruz rum.
Again molasses is not used as much
here now as then. In the old times mo-
lasses was cheap, sugar dear. Now the
is true. Foreigners who came
to New Haven as a rule knew nothing
of the use of molasses, and this fact
had considerable to do with the decay
of the trade
LAS last reason may be given the
larger use of steam vessels. There used
to be a line of packets running from
Albany and Boston to New Haven.
Now the steamboats, carry the freight
much quicker and cheaper.
"These are the reasons for the falling
away of the West Indian trade. There
Is a little trade yet with the islands,
but it is mostly in salt"