The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-09
TOTAL AMERICAN TONNAGE.
FOREIGN AND CoASTwIsE VESSELS
REGISTER 5000. 900 ToNs.
OF This Amount 4IT.o34 Were Added
During the Fiscal Year just End
ed. and but one-Sixth of the


WASHINGTON. July S-The bureau of
navigation states that during the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1910. the total tonnage
officially numbered amounted 10 4iToS4
gross tons. Full returns from Honolulu
VIII not be received for a fortnight, hut
about 2Soco tons Of Hawaiian vessels
were entitled TO American documents I'M
der the act OF congress creating the terri
tory OF Hawaii. Puerto Rican vessels
were also by act Of congress entitled 10
American documents. but they aggregate
less than l.No tons. Complete figures
Will probably show that the actual addi-
tions to the American merchant fleet dur
ing the year have surpassed the ~ Sis
gross tons documented during the fiscal
year 1874. when the law required all canal
boats In domestic trade 20 be documented
In that event the additions to our mer-
chant feet during the fiscal year Will
have been greater than during any year
since 1856
The figures win be slightly reduced by
the fact that the issue Of official num-
hers and Of marine documents are not
Simultaneous
The vessels built in the United States
and officially numbered during the year
aggregate SSl $50 gross toas This record
was surpassed in 1874. when 4297e5 gross
tons were built In the United States and
documented. or the new vessels built
during the year. ass. Of 2is.O52 gross TONS
are steam vessels: rs 0s g. SIS gross tors
are sail vessels. including barges with san
power, and 1916 tons are barges and
few canal boats for Canadian trade with
out power of self-propuisi0n. The large
proportion Of steam vessels 80 Per cent
of the total makes this years addition
to the fleet In value and in carrying
power superior to the additions In 1874
or Of any other year in our history.
Increase on the GREAT Lakes.
The most important additions Of the
haaaa
built for the trade OF the Great lakes
They include the James J. Hill OF s02s
gross tons. the largest merchant vessel
built in the United States during 1870:
nine other lake steamers and two steel
schooner barges each Of over 5ooo gross
tons. and five lake steamships OF over
1850 gross tons. On the seaboard the
largest vessel built is the steamship CALI
fornia. 5.SIg gross tons, launched at San
Francisco, which will be the pioneer vessel
in opening regular steamship communica-
tion between Hawaii and the ports of
the United States. No other vessel OF
5000 gross tons or over on the seahoard
has been numbered during the year but
six steamships OF over 1000 tons each
for the Atlantic coasting trade have been
built.
The only vessels built during the wear
exclusively for the foreign trade has been
the steamship Maracaibo. OF In gross
tons for the Red ID line In the Venesue-
Ian mail trade.
The sister steamships San Juan and
Ponce each Of 3503 gross tons. and tbs
Puerto Rico. l 25T gross tons giving the
island the best means OF communication
with the United States II ever had are
the first maritime results of the Rnnexa-
tion of Puerto Rico.
Hawaii and Alaska.
The steel ship Edward Sewaii. a.cos gross
tons and the steel bark Kaiuiani 1870
the only square-rigged vessels built, but
eleven schooners, each Of over 600 gross
tons. were constructed for the Atlantic
coast trade
Additions from sources other than CON
structlon during the year have been re-
paired wrecks. ssi3 tons: Hawaiian yes
GELS numbered al San Francisco since June
u. sen tons: vessels sold TO citizens by
the government. i.3G tons: admitted by
special acts of congress. 5.7sS tons: Ameri-
can vessels returned from foreign flags.
3Go7 tons.
Fun returns will probably show that the
total d0cumented tonnage OF the United
States on June 10. 1907 for the frat time
since lsf5 has again reached 5,0o.ea gross
tons. The tonnage registered for foreign
trade. however. VIII probably he slightly
below Sls 90 gross tons. the fieurcs for
June 90 1893. The increase Of the Alas
kan trade, carried on mainly by regis
tered vessels has checked somewhat dur
Ing the year the steady decline in Arneri-
can tonnage REGISTERED for fortgn trade.
or the less steam and sail vessels Of
S15 81 gross tons built and numbered dur
ing the year, IS OF a5s tons. were steel:
es1. % SIS tons, were wood and three !
OF SIS tons. iron. The proportion Of steel |
construction ia thus much tho greatest /
IN our history. This result is attributable |
also 90 the Great lakes construction,
whore, Of total OF e4.776 gross tons, |
g0l5 tons. y vessels. were steel steam |
vessels The numbered construction on |
the Atlantic 4eabosrd comprised as veR- |
sela. Of is0.57s tons. 81 Witch 7s,sA tons /
were wood Numbered construction on /
the Pacific compvtsed p sss gross tons md 1
en- the Mississippi Onto and Western /
rivers III vessels ~ = sse tons
For purposes ~ comparison. vessels un- /
der construction In Gneat Britain on (
March a. he latest figures available. we're /
5a Of i.2GA az gross tons. 0f watch TO (
were ocean steel STEAMSHIPS ~ 500 grass I
tons or over n being q l0a0a gross t0ns 7
During the three months ended Mar h Z
a. Great Britain launched re Etsamshlpa /
~ "a - gross tons On that date Brit. !
ish vessels under construction were f2s Sos I
tons 'ess than for the corresponding date (