The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-14

quite as successful and profitable a.
their predecessors.
These new vessels are considerably
larger than the clipper ships with
which American shipbuilders startled
the shipping world about the middle OF
the century. In fact, most of the steel
sailing vessels now being turned out
at Bath. Me.-Iong famous as the home
Of the clipper ship-sre In exeess OF $50
feet in length. whereas the Great Re
public" the largest OF the old clipper
ships. was but 325 feet long and carried
but 1000 tons as against 5000 tons.
which Is the average capacity of the
new vessels. The sailing vessels Of re-
cent construction, both wood and steel.
have made some wonderful speed rec
ords and have easily discounted the
performance of that one-time pride Of
the shipbuilders. the Red Jacket"
which sailed from New York TO Mel
bourne. IL. 720 miles, in s9i4 days. or the
Sovereign OF the Seas" which cover
ed 1891 miles In % days.
FIRST AMERICAN IRON SHIP.
II must not be supposed that the
sailing vessel OF steel construction, or
|
lutte innovation. Early in 1883 there was
launched at the shipyard of John
Roach. at Chester, Pa. the "Tillie f..
/ Starbuck," a fun rugged iron ship. the
FIRST metal sailing ship built in the
United States and one of the first turn
ed out anywhere In the world. The
/ "Starbuck" was also the first sailing
vessel in the world TO carry metal
nasts. She was 273 feet in length. AZ
feet beam. and rs feet of hold. She
was OF somewhat over 1000 tons burden
and cost $4,000. The seaworthiness Of
the iron sailing ship was early proved
by the behavior of the "Starbuck" in
a terrific gale around the Falkland ISL
ands. when her iron masts neither
broke nor stranded. and the general eff
ficiency of this class of craft is attested
by the fact that the vessel in question
is to-day trading around the world.
As to whether the lately renewed
activity In the construction OF sailing
vessels is TO be permanent or tempo
rary there Is wide divergence of opin-
ion, even among men in the shipping
world. and consequently II Is equally
uncertain whether the steady decrease
in the sail tonnage owned in the United
states can be stemmed.
SHIP BUILDING IN MAINE.
The full meaning of the discovery o.
. new usefulness for sailing vessels Is In
, no wise better attested than by I
! glance at the condition OF the ship
. building Industry on the coast of Main'
. long the center Of this branch OF tn
industry. Shipyards which had beei
closed for years have been re-opene'
during the past twenty-four months
and other plants have been improved
In eauipmen. and materially enlarged
In 1890 there were completed In Main
: yards vessels aggregating almost 20,
600 tons burden, but the Industry grad
uaIly declined until in 1897 the tota
: OUTPUT was but 5000 tons. In 1898, how
ever. the revival set in and the Yea
|, closed with a showing of almost 5000
? tons. The total passed the $4,000 to-
mark for the calendar year 1899, an
during that year the port Of Bath alon
). turned out almost 10000 tons.
Indeed. the port OF Bath has. sine
the renewal OF activity. regained tn
first rank among the shipbuilding cen
ters on this side OF the Atlantic. Dur
2 ing the fiscal year which ended Jun
/. 10. 1899. Bath built more merchant tor
n mage than any other customs distrfc
! In the United States. and moreover sh
built more tonnage Of this characte
than was turned out in any entir