The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-03
THE MERCHANT MARINE.
Report of Tonnage ResIstered Dur
Ing the LaSt Fiscal Year.


The Bureau of Navigation states that
during the fiscal year ended June 30. 1900,
the total tonnage. officially numbered.
amounted to 41T.03i gross tons. Full re-
turns from Honolulu will not be received
for fortnight, but about 3S, 900 tons OF
Hawaiian vessels were entitled to Ameri-
can documents under the act OF Congress
creating the Territory OF Hawaii Porto
Rican vessels were also by act Of Con-
gress entitled to American documents.
but they aggregate less than 1000 tons.
Complete figures will probably show
that the actual additions to the American
merchant feet during the year have sur
passed. the 1885 gross tons documented
durint. the fiscal year 1874, when the law
required all canal boats in domestic trade
to be documented. In that event the ad-
ditions to our merchant fleet during the
past fiscal year will have been greater
than during any year since 1856.
The figures will be slightly reduced by
the fact that the issues of official num-
bers and of marine documents are not
simultaneous.
and officially numbered during the year
aggregate 3S1.sS3 tons. This record was
surpassed in 1874. when 1925 gross tons
were built in the United States and docu-
mented. OF the new vessels built during
the year, 4s3 OF 213,O52 gross tons were
steam vessels. SIS of 92,S25 gross tons are
sail vessels. including barges with Gail
power, and 1916 tons are barges and
a few canal boats for Canadian trade
without power Of self-propulsion.
The most important additions of the year
have been the large steel vessels built Sor
the trade of the Great Lakes. They in
clude the James J. Hill, of 6,G25 gross
tons, the largest merchant vessel built in
the United States during 1900; nine other
lake steamships, and two steel schooner
barges, each over 5000 gross tons. and live
lake steamships of over 1000 gross tons.
On the sea5oard the largest vessel built
Is the steamship California, 5,s79 gross
tons, launched at San Francisco, which
will be the pioneer vessel in opening reg
llar steam communication between Hawaii |
and the Atlantic ports of the United States |
No other vessel of 5000 gross tons or over |
On the seaboard has been numbered DUR |
ing the year, but six steamships OF over
|. 600 tons each for the Atlantic ccasting |
trade have been built.
The only vessel built during this year
exclusively for the foreign trade has been
the steamship Msracaibo, OF LII gross
tons. for the Red d Line. in the Vene
zuelan mail trade.
The sister steamships, San Juan and
Ponce, each of $500 gross tons, and the
Porto Rico, 1857 gross tons, giving the
sland the best means of steam corrmunl.
:ation with the United States 1t ever had. !
ire the first maritime results of the an
lexation of Porto Rico. The steel ship |
Edward Sewall 3,206 tons. and the steel |
Hawaiian trade. are the only square rugged |
;essels built, but eleven schooners. eacn
'ver 1000 gross tons. were constructed for
he Atlantic coast trade.
Addition from sources other than con-
truction during the year have been: Re
,aired wrecks, 9.S43 tons; Hawaiian YES
els numbered at San Francisco since June
4, 1851 tons; vessels sold to citizens by
he Government. 1895 tons; admitted by
pecial acts of Congress. 5.754 tons; Ameri.
an vessels returned from foreign flags.
,60T tons.
Full returns will probably show that the
.otal documeuted tonnage OF the United
States on June 30. 1860, for the first time
ince 1860. has again reached 100000 gross
ous. The tonnage registered for foreign
rade, however will probably be slightly
below 600 gross tons. the figures for
une 80. 1888. The increase OF the Alaskan
rade, carried on mainly by registered ves-
'els. has checked somewhat. during the
ear the steady decline in American ton
age registered for foreign trade.
OF the loss steam and sail vessels of
5.61T gross tons built and numbered dur
ng the year, 9S Of 1S5. 1874 tons We're steel.
81 of 1898 tons were wood, and OF SS}
ons iron. The proportion of steel con-
truction is thus much the greatest in our
history. This result is attributable to the
treat Lakes construction. where. of total
( 1916 tons. 95.615 tons. % vessels. were
teel. steam vessels. The numbered con-
truction on the Atlantic seaboard COM
rised lis vessels of 160,576 tons, of which
6.344 tons were wood. Numbered con-
truction on the Pacific comprised 1885
ross tons. and on the Mississippi, Ohio
nd Western rivers, 131 vessels OF 1889 !.
ons.
For purposes of comparison. vessels
nder construction in Great Britain on
Iarch 81, the latest figures available. were
"a OF 1,2G0,422 gross tons, of which lis
ere ocean steel steamships of 4. 900 gross
,ns or over, II being over 10000 gross
ms.
During the three months ended March 81.
reat Britain launched 129 steamships. OF
4.2oS gross tons On that date British l
essels under construction we're 125. 600 less |.
ian for the corresponding date in 1899. !