Evening star., 1900-07-03
INCREASE IN SHIPPING.
Total Document Tonnage In the
NeighbOrhOOd of 5000. 900 Tons.


NeiRhborhOOd of 5,OOO,OOO Tons.
The bureau Of navigation states that dur
ing the fiscal year ended Saturday the total
tonnage of1cially numbered amounted to
All. .034 gross tons. Full returns from Hon
olulu will not be received for a fortnight.
but about 3S 900 tons of Hawaiian vessels
were entitled to American documents under
the act Of Congress creating the territory of
Hawaii. Porto Rican vessels were also by
act Of Congress entitled to American doc
uments. but they aggregate less than 1000
tons. Complete figures will probably show
that the actual additions to the American
merchant fleet during the year have SUR
passed the 4S7. SAG gross tons documented
during the fiscal year 1874 when the law
required all canal boats in domestic trade to
be documented. In that event the addi-
tions to our merchant fleet during the past
fiscal year will have been greater than dur
ing any year since 1855.
Full returns will probably show that the
total documented tonnage Of the United
States June 80 for the first time since 1865
has again reached 5000 900 gross tons The
tonnage registered for foreign trade how
ever, will probably be slightly below s4s, 600
gross tons, the figures for June 90 1899. The
increase Of the Alaskan trade carried on
mainly by registered vessels, has checked
y
cline in American tonnage registered for
foreign trade.
The figures will be slightly reduced by the
fact that the issue of official numbers and
of marine documents are not Simultaneous
The vessels built in the United States and
officially numbered during the year asgre-
gate 2s1 st3 gross tons. This record was
surpassed IN 1874. when 432. .725 gross tons
were built in the United States and doc
umented- OF the new vessels built during
the year. 4S3 Of 213O O52 gross tons are steam
vessels, SIS of 92. .625 gross tons are sail
vessels. including barges with sail power.
end 1916 tons are barges and a few canal
boats for Canadian trade without power OF
self propulsion. 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.
have beer the large steel vessels built for
the trade Of the Great Lakes. They include
the James j. Hill, of CO.'S gross tons the
largest merchant vessel built in the United
States during 1900 nine other lake steam
ships and two steel schooner barges each
or over 5000 gross tons. and five lake
steamships Of over 1000 gross tons On the
Seaboard the largest vessel built Is the
steamship California, 5.s79 gross tons
launched at San Francisco which will be
the piorleer vessel in opening regular steam
communication between Hawaii and the At
lantic ports Of the United States No other
vessel Of 5000 gross tons or over on the
seabcard has been numbered during the
year. but six steamships OF over 1900 tons
each for the Atlantic coasting trade have
been built.
The only vessel built during the year ex-
clusively for the foreign trade has been the
steamship MaracaibO. Of In gross tons,
FOR the Red D Line in the Venezuelan mail
trade.
The sister steamships. San Juan and
Ponce, each of 9.5O3 gross tons. and the
Porto Rico. 1,25T gross tons giving the
nf 9 faor ,,rIo
ton with the United States 1t ever had. are
the first maritime results of the annexation
of Porto Rico The steel ship Edward Sew
all. 1926 gross tons, and the steel bark
Kaiulani. 1870 gross tons. for the Hawaiian
trade, are the square rigged vessels built
but eleven schooners, each of over 1000
gross tons, were constructed for the Allan
Ito coast trade.
Additions from sources other than con-
5tructior during the year have been repaired
wrecks. 9.s43 tons: Hawaiian vessels num-
bered at San Francisco since June H. s 631
tons; vessels sod to citizens by the govern
ment. 1916 tons: admitted by special acts
OF Congress, 5.,G tons; American vessels
returned from foreign flags. 1907 tons.
OF the loss steam and sail vessels OF 3O5-
GI7 gross tons built and numbered during
the year. as Of 434 tons were steel 957
OF l1S.3I-I tons We're wood and 3 Of SIS tons
iron. The proportion Of steel construction
Is thus much the greatest in our history.
This result IS attributable also TO the Great
Lakes construction. where Of a total Of
y9II6 gross tons. 95.O1J tons. 25 vessels
were steel steam vessels. The numbered
construction on the Atlantic seaboard COM
prised Il5 vessels Of 160. $40 tons of which
1884 tons were wood Numbered construc-
ton on the Pacific comprised 1885, gross
tons. and on the Mississippi. Ohio and west. d.
ern rivers l31 vessels Of 1890 tons
For purposes Of comparison. vessels under
construction IN Great Britain on March 81
the latest figures available, were 554. of
1.26oi22 gross tons. OF which 1l5 were
ocean steel steamships Of 4 900 gross tons
or over. IL being over 10000 gross tons
During the three months ended March 81
Great Britain launched 129 steamships of
264 POS gross tons. On that date Britls n
vessels under construction were 125. 900 tons
less than for the corresponding date IN
1899.