The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-19
Passed Five Million Mark First Time
Since War.
Great Part of Increase
on Great Lakes.
Ocean Carrying Trade Is Insig.
nlficant.

Washington, November lo.-lhe feporb
OF Commissioner of Navigation Cham
beriain, made public today says the past
fiscal year has been the most prosperous
period known to American shipping Tor
some years. Returns for the current rs
cal year promise an even more satisfao
tory record. For the first time since the
Civil war, the documented tonnage OF
che United States exceeds b,Ooo,O0o gross
tons. On June 30,l90o, American doou-
mented tonnage comprised s3,Ss3 vessels
or 8, 1874, S39 gross tons, an increase oil
LOCO tons over the previous fiscal
year. Our maximum tonnage was o,
SIS, Sl3 tons, in 1861. Our shipping, the
report adds, in 1861, was larger than
Great Britain's and nearly equaiied the
British empires. British shipping now
amounts to II, e6I, OO9 gross TONS
American vessels are almost wholly
confined to the coasting trade, which EN-
ployed last year 4,SSs, las tons or moro
tnan the total tonnage OF Germany ana
France. Our tonnage in the foreign trade
was only &c. tons, and carried last
year only per cent of our exports and
imports.
The report says that for serious COM
petition with foreign nations In the
ocean Carrying trade we are practically
restricted to 81 registered steamships
over LEGO tons, aggregating $50, s25 tons.
Single foreign steamship corporations
own greater tonnage. Japan has 50 ocean
steamships OF over 1900 tons, sggregat-
ing 2SB, 600 tons. Besides these steam
ships, we have 1876 registered square
rugged sail vessels, over loo tons each
for the deep sea trade. More than half
of these are over 20 years old and as such
vessels disappear their places are not
supplied by new construction. Our tom
mage is distributed between the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts, 2,7s7,s92 gross tons;
Great Lakes, 1866, 587; Pacific coast, In
GLIDING Hawaii, 6la, 9O4 tons; Mississippi
and tributary rivers, 2bS, 456 tons Our
steam vessels amount to 2,657,797 tons;
documented canal boats and barges to
622, COO tons; and the remainder 1854, sis
tons are sell vessels and schooner barges
Yhe increase In our shipping during
the decade was 80, 342 tons, of which
5O2, 523 tons stand to the credit Of the
on the Pacific has been lS4, 512 tons, due
mainly to Alaskan and Hawaiian trade,
and on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
only SO, 2s7 tons, while the tonnage on the
Mississippi and tributaries has decreased
Sc, COO tons. Since 1890, the world g
steamships have increased from IL, $685.
OOO gross tons to s2.S69. 900 gross tons.
sail vess .lsshave decreased from 8, COO
tons to 6,674, 900 tons and the effective
carrying power Of the worlds merchant
fleets has increased GO per cent.
The most notable change in the world S
shipping has been in the size of steam
ships. In 1890 there were 21S ocean
steamships of AGO tons or over, while
now $50 such steamships aggregating s.
SOC, 900 constitute one-fourth of the worlds
steam tonnage. Increased speed, though
great, has been less noteworthy. or the
ocean steam tonnage OF 1890, Is per cent,
42S screw steamships, 1861, 600 tons, were
oris knots or over. OF ocean tonnage In
19lD, "a per cent, l, 100 screw steamships
of $3.50 OO0 tons are Of IL knots or over.
The hulls of 80 per cent of the worlds
shipping are now made of steel, compared
with only 20 per cent in 1890.
Concentration of the worlds ship own
ing has been notable during the decade.
The 30 principal steamship companies of
the world own 1900 steamships of .. &c.
90 gross tonnage, (including some vessels
now building), or one-fourth in tonnage
and more than one-quarter In carrying
power OF the worla's ocean steamships.
Os6hess only nine OF 81, QUO tons, owned
by the International Navigation compa-
NY are American,
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