The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02
AMERICAN SAILING SHIPS.
A Dear.h of Deep Water Vessels for
Commerce..


NEW YORK, Sept. shipping Com
missioner Dickey is giving a great deal of
attention nowadays to the dearth of
! American deep water sailing vessels,
which has been apparent in this port since
early spring. The commissioner was fist
| apprised of this fact by the records of
his office, which showed that only a very
small number of seamen have been ship
| ped for the American oversee trade in
| the past four or five months. Upon in
vestigation he found that the reason for
this was that there have been no Ameri-
| can ships for sailors to ship on. He found
many of the deep-water sailing vessels
have been withdrawn to the Pacific Coast,
that others have been put into the coast
wise trade. while others. which have been
lost at sea, have not been replaced by
the owners. Several of the largest trad
ing companies have begun to replace their
sailing fleets with steamships and in a
short time we should begin to push hard
the British tramps which have played
havoc with American shipping in past
years.
There Is now one regular American line
running from this port to Australia. and 1t
is expected that the line will soon begin
to build or purchase American steamships
instead Of ehartering British tonnage. as
at present. The first steamship of Flint,
Eddy & Co. S new Pacific fleet leaves for
Honolulu ii October and William 4. Grace
G Co. are contemplating change from sail
to steam power. Other companies will
follow suit and in year or so 1t is expect
ed that the American flag will begin once
more to be an accustomed sight in every
part of the seven seas. There are but few
shipping men in this city who do not be-
lieye that the next two or three years will
prove exceptionally bright ones in the
maritime interests OF this country.
American shipping received severe
blow when the British steamships came
over to take advantage of our Australian
trade. They were first attracted by the
huge steel contracts which were received
here from Australia, and in an effort to
get contracts for its transportation not
only single steamships but several steam
ship lines were transferred from England
to this country. Trade was dying out in
England and moving to the Western Re-
public. The British steamships moved
with it. They got a good portion, if not
all, OF the contracts for carrying the steel
to Australia. and they had things all their
own way until American companies began
to enter the field. lip to two years ago
tho american trade with Australia was
mainly carried on with sailing vessels but
the wind TANNERS are mostly out OF the
trade now.5
AT the present time there is only one
American deep water sailing vessel load.
ing in this port. She is the Sam SkoIfield
bound for sydney with a general cargo. As
matter of fact. there is only one other
American ship in port-the J. Mcdonald,
which Is unloading at enc OF the East
River piers. The California Line runs
ships to San Francisco about every eighty
days, but otherwise there is little or moth
Ing doing in the sailing trade to this port
In fact. sailing vessels have cut such a
small figure in the oversee trade of late
that shipping men declare that it is only
question of but a shorz time now when
the old ships and barks and the like will
be rarities- There is also an absence of
British sailing vessels, and the British
Consul reports that comparatively few
men are shipping through that office. Not
more than thirty deep water American ves-
sells have left this port in the past FIVE
months. and were it not for the immense
coasting trade the shipping commissioners
office would have been dull place, indeed
this summer
The general impression among ship
ping men is that although the square,
rugged and partially square-riggsd yes
sells are doomed to disappear, that
sail power as a medium of carrying
freight the OCEAN VIII EOl 90 Tor
some time to come 1t is said that
sehooners are going TO take the place OF
ships. They are cheaper to build ard it
takes less men to handle them. They
make very good time. too, and the recent
performances of q four-masted schooner |
from New York to San Francisco compare |
favorably with the time of the clippers
The famous fore and-aft Baltimore clip |
pers were great carriers back in the /
'4Os. and shipping men say that a revival /
of vessels OF this class is probable. Swan |
&c Co. have taken their feet of sailing YES
sells from the oversee trade and have put /
them in the coasting trade. The shipping |
commissioner dwells at length on the sub !
iect of the absence OF big sailing vesse's |
at this port, in his annual report viii h |
he has forwarded 10 the Commissioner OF I
Navigation. The commissioner also re- /
ports that the shipment OF coastwisa
sailors has been unusually brisk. Tie |
Morgan Line ships sailors through /
his office and the Mallory Line will soon
begin doing 50. Besides these the Red d |
Line. the Porto Rico Line and the Column
bia Line receive their sailors through the
commission.