The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-22
CHEAP OCEAN FREIGHT.
Ocean Going Tug-boats, Each Tow.
ing Barges, Are Considered.
From the Seattle Post-lntelligencer

From the Seattle Post-lntelligencer.
A writer in the New York Mail and
Express believes that the problem OF
cheap ocean freight rates for bulky
cargoes across the Atlantic will be
solved by the substitution of ocean,
going tugboats, each towing a number
of barges, for the tramp steamships
which at present carry a large share
of such freight. The towboat and barge
have already cut considerably into the
Coastwise business, which was becom-
ing monopolized by the big many
masted schooners a few years ago, and
have more recently essayed lengthy
voyages. The LuCkenbachs, the Bos-
ton Towboat company, the Merrtts and
a number of other American concerns
have repeatedly towed dsa bled ships
1000 miles 10 6 port of refuge.
The NJ. r. LuCkenbach is fine speci-
men of the eangoing tug of the mod
ern type. She has 100 horsepower
and steams 1879 knots when going light.
With three barges loaded with $500
tons of coal she has frequently made
the trip from Norfolk. Va, to the upper
bay in New York in forty-eight hours.
She can run twenty-four hours on a
coal consumption of fifteen tons; and
as her full bunker capacity is $50 tons,
IL can be seen that she could readily
cross the Atlantic, as she steams 10
knots an hour with her ordinary tow.
The Tamaqua with 1,050 horse power,
has frequently made the round trip
from Philadelphia to Boston with a tow
in seven and a half days, and has
record of towing 33930 tons of coal over
the outside route between those ports
in thirty days. The towboats and
barges have also invaded the Southern
lumber trade. The barge Forest Belle
has been towed from Fernandina, Fla,
to Boston with 100000 feet of lumber
In view of these facts, it is not sur.
prisinS to learn that a scheme is on
foot to put a barge and towboat line in
the fruit-carrying business from the
West Indies The barges will be fitted
up with refrigerdtins apparatus, anc
will he towed by powerful tugs at
speed greater than that of the Nor
wegian, British and American freight
steamers which are now engaged IT.
that business. IT is also claimed that,
with refrigerating plants on such
barges. IL viii he possible to ship To
Great Britain the major portion of the
American dressed beef, which is now
| being carried in steamers, and at a
very much lower freight cost Marine
| engineers say that it is possible to build
and operate an lS-knot tug to cross the
| Atlantic az great profit,
| The use of tugboats and barges ha
not become general on the Pacific
| coast: and there are here no ocean tugs
| of the size which have lately come in
| use on the Atlantic, but there have
been some experiments in that direc-
| tion, not without interest. During the
FIRST of the Klondike rush, when there
was an insufficient supply of shipping
| on the Pacific coast to meet the sud
den and urgent demand for transpor-
tation 10 the Northern ports several
| barges and dismantled hulks were
| towed to Alaska, laden with heavy car
goes and last year one noticeably large
barge was towed to Nome.
Whether 1t would be practicable to
| tow a feet of barges across the Pacific
| is an open question. II tug and barge
| lines can be operated as a commercial
| proposition across the Atlantic, there
| is nothing in reason why they should
| not be likewise successful on the Pa
| citic, particularly If the northern route
be chosen, With coalng stations along
| the Aleutiln islands, at Dutch harbor
| for example. a tGghoat would have no
! greater distances to travel between
coaling points than on the Atlantic;
neither is there any more likelihood of
| encountering disastrous storms on the
| Pacific route than On the Atlantic.
Cheap ocean freight rates to the ports
| of Asia will give the United States a
| large advantage over its European
competitors in the coming struggle for
the trade of Asia