Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-19
OUR SHIPPING.
A Splendid Increase in the
Last Fiscal Year.
70, 1893 American Vessels With
5,l64,83s. Gross Tonnage.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION
SHOWING STEADY DECREASE.

| washington, NOV. 1S.-Thc report OF
| Commissioner of Navigation Cham
berlain made public today, 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 tine since the Civil War
| the documented tonnage Of the United
States exceeds 100000 gross tons. On
June 30, 1900, American documented
| tonnage comprised 1888 vessels of B.
| l6i,S33 gross tons, an increase of 300
900 tons over the previous fiscal year.
! our maximum tonnage was $3.50 S13
tons in 1861. Our shipping, the report
| adds, in 1851 was larger than Great
| Britain's and nearly cnualed the
Z, British Empires. British shipping now
/ amounts 10 1f.26l 900 gross tons.
| American vessels are almost wholly
! confined 70 the coasting trade. which
| employed last year i.33Sli5 tons. or
| more than the total tonnage of Ger
| many and France. Our tonnage in the
| foreign trade was only SIC, 795 tons. and
carried last year only per cent. OF our
| exports and imports.
I lC ltIbbi ~sif Aitstb iO4 SCI ItitS tbItl-
| petition with foreign nations in the
ocean carrying trade we are practical
| ly restricted to 81 registered steam
| ships over 1000 tons. agsrcsatins 2Gn.
- tons. Single foreign steamship cor
! porations now own greater tonnage.
| Japan has 83 ocean steamships Of over
| 1000 tons. aggrcgating 2S6, 900 tons. BE-
| sides these steamships We have 20
| Clustered Squire rugged sailing YES
sells. over 1900 tons each. for the deep
| sen trade. Nor. Than half Of these are
| OYER ~ years old. and as such vcss"ls
disappear their places are not supplied
| By new construction.
Our tonnage is distributed between
the Atlantic and Calf COASTS, 800. So
| gross tons. Great Lakes, .a';J.5S1 tons:
Pacific coast, including Hawaii. Gi2 904
tons; Mississippi and tributary rivers
25s, 1876 tons. our steam vessels amount
| 10 2.t5I, ~. tons: docuInentra canal
boats ANA bargcs 10 81. 0pJ tons. ana
the remainder I,Ss6,s+2 IONS, are sail
vessels ana schooner barg"s.
The increase ia oar shipping during
the decade was 40. 3.2 tons. Of which
502. j23 tons stand to the credit Of the
Great Lakes. The incCease in 10 years
on the Pacific has been 1s4.5l2 cons.
due mainly 10 the Alaskan and Ha-
waiian trade. and on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts only Ss..91 tons while the
tonnage on the Mississippi and tribu-
tarieS has decreased 3G.Gy1 tons.
Since 1890 the worlds steamships
have Increased from 12.9s5.00p gross
tors 10 2. 1855. 800 gross tons. sail ves-
sells have decreased from 9.IfS. 90 tons
10 6.67;.G40 tons. and the effective car
rying power OF the worlds merchant
fleets has increased 50 per cent.
The most notable change in the
worlds shipping has been in the size Of
steamships. In 1880 there were 2ls
ocean steamships OF 5000 tons or over,
while now go such steamships aggre-
eating 5,GpD.nD1 tons constitute one
forth Of the worlds steam tonnage. IN
creased speed. though great, has been
less noteworthy. OF the ocean steam
tonnage OF 1850, 10 per cent. i23 screw
steamships, $4,000 tons. were OF y
knots or over. OF ocean steam tonnage
in ls--l, = per cent. 1909 screw steam
ships Of go 80 tons are Of Il knots
or over.
The huns Of 81 per cent 81 the
worlds shipping are now made Of steel
compared with only ~ per cent. III
lsa1.
Concentration of the worlds ship
owning has been notable during the
decade. The % principal steamship
companies Of the world own 1850
steamships OF 5.61s.ys9 gross tons Tin
Guiding some vessels now builting). or
fourth IN tnrraD. ana rr1rs thar
one-quarter in carrying power Of the
worlds ocean steamships. OF these
only nine. of Il .fso tons. owned by the
Interna ,ional Navigation 90. are
American