Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-11-28
AMERICAN SHIPPING.
a Splendid Increase Shown In the Last
Fiscal Year.


The report of Commissioner of Naviga-
ton Cham berlain recently made public
says the past fiscal year has been the most
prosperous period known to American
shipping for some years. Returns for the
current fiscal year promise an even more
satisfactory record.
For the first time since the Civil war the
the documented tonnage OF the United
States exceeds 100000 gross tons. On
June 80, 1900, American documented tom
mage comprised % 1888 vessels of 16i ,S39
gross tons, an increase OF 800 900 tons
over the previous fiscal year. Our maxi
mum tonnage was $3.50 Sl3 tons in 1861.
Our shipping. the report adds, in 1851 was
larger than Great Britain's and nearly
equalled the British empires. British
shipping now amounts to IA PSI eco gross
tons.
American vessels are almost wholly con-
fined to the coasting trade, and which
employed last year, 1885, las tons, or more
than the total tonnage of Germany and
France. Our tonnage in the foreign trade
was only S16,79 tons, and carried last year
only per cent. of our exports and i'm
ports.
The report says that for serious com
petition with foreign nations in the ocean
carrying trade, we are practically restricted
to ninety seven registered steamships of
over 600 tons, aggregating 260, 1926 tons,
Single foreign steamship corporations
now own greater tonnage. Japan has
eighty six ocean steamships OF over 2 900
tons, aggregating 2S6, 900 tons. Besides
these steamships we have 1875 registered
square rugged sailing vessels, over 1000
tons each, for the deep sea trade More
than half Of these are over twenty years
old, and as such vessels disappear their
places are not supplied by new construc-
ton.
Our tonnage is distributed between the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 2, III, 1872 gross
tons; Great Lakes, 1 ,3655S7 tons; Pacific
coast, including Hawaii, 612 9O4 tons; Mis-
sissippi and tributary rivers, 25s, 456 tons.
Our steam vessels amount to 2 657, 1877 tons !;
documented canal boats and barges to
622 600 tons, and the remainder $50, SAP
tons, are sail vessels and schooner barges.
The increase in our shipping during the
decade was 740 342 tons, of which SOP 523
tons stand to the credit of the Great
Lakes. The increase in ten years on the
Pacific has been 1S4,512 tons, due mainly
to the Alaskan and Hawaiian trade, and
on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts only &c.
297 tons, while the tonnage on the Missis
sippi and tributaries has decreased 36 600
tons.
Since 1890 the worlds steamships have
increased from II 1856 600 gross tons to b.
1863. 900 gross tons; sail vessels have de-
ceased from 9,166, 900 tons to 6,674, 600 tons,
and the effective carrying power Of the
worlds merchant fleets has increased 60
per cent
The most nota BILE change in the worlds
shipping has been in the size of steam
ships. In 1890 there were 21S ocean steam
ships of 1000 tons or over, while now $50
such misunderstanding $500, 900 tons,
constitute one-fourth of the worlds
steam tonnage. Increased speed, though
great, has been less noteworthy. OF the
ocean steam tonnage Of 1890, Is per cent
423 screw steamships, 1,650,OO0 tons-were
OF twelve knots or over. OF ocean steam