New-York tribune., 1901-08-04
SHIPBUILDERS CROWDED
CONTRACTS FOR STEEL VESSELS
BOOKED FAR AHEAD.

sEABoARD YARDS BUSY WITH SHIPS OF
wAR-GREAr LAKES DEMAND MORE
MERCHANT CRAFT.
Unlike many a preface, the introduction 70 the
1901 edition of the Blue Book of American snip
ping the marine and naval directory is full Of in
teresting facts. 1t contains review OF the naval
and merchant shipbuiIdng industry of the last year
in America. showing the progress of the industry
throughout the country. Among other tnihss' II
says:
again y 5 ,bifss IN mas 5Rs
be said that. without probably single eXGeptloh,
work ahead to thsir u faII capacity for at least
TeFe 3 81 aT6 e s9mf 5s Gf f Of ali shpard
OF the sea hoard as well as those OF the & ,tTa' q;
Of course in the construction of shiPs OF war olt
the demand for vessels for coastng service
the feature Of mast prominence IN tbAa American sa
continues and the dsuIs aid 'o foT
foreign trade shipping the comins year will see the
that win be among the finest In the world These
latter include two Pacific Mail liners nearing com.
freighters for the Atlantic Transport Line at Cam
Steamers esg a at qGe Conn for service on the
Pacific in connection with the Great Northern Rail
the white Star liner celtic the largest ship ahoat
A MAGNIFICENT ORDER.
fact that the most magnificent order for new vessels
of ever awarded by the government Vas given
fourteen warships-hve battleships. six armored
cruisers and three protected asgregaSns
sis STA 500 There is no single instance which equals
this splendid total Altogether sixty-one warshlps
building for the United states Navy, repre-
horsepower and costing for hulIs and machinery
only; sSos54u6 In addition the last naval act su1
two armored cruisers The plans for these will pc
laval board Of constructIen.
CONSTRUCTION II is further eliminate the line of
demarcation between the battleshp and armored
cruiser hattIeship was originally A vessel with
tremendous powers. offence and defence, and linn
tied seagOiug qualities, 2 cruiser was originally
Of great t speed and stsamins radius The tendency
with sacrifice in the weight Of aTmor or force OF
armament; and on the other hand 70 give 10 the
with reduction in ste aiming radius. Thus the line
between the two types is gradually vanishing This
very popular in the United States and Great Brit
ain, as will be noted from review OF their pro
stroyer which the Chateau Renault of the French
highest types are not popular ir the United states
or Great Britain The American ravys contrieu-
ton to this type consists OF the Columbia and the
Minneapolis, but no more are building. As they
chief security lies in their great speed. Speed
must ever be regarded as an unknown quantity
that the vessel attain its aximum. The least
arrangement of the machinery would materially
csiy@6le mat armoTsa cruiser Of nineteen lsnS5s
issue. Of course. could not then be In doubt
THE SUPERVISED TURRET
The question Of the supervised turEet is sim un-
equipped with this form turret and several trials
Tb ava beard of co1stTUction after heated
arguments decided 20 equip three OF the 1--WE bat
them but it is clear that the board is not sure OF
the eventual utility OF these turrets for II has de
pans plans are nov eeInr NE, rTSr Ti1 success of t
turret but its vulnerabilty in actual conflict. II
change shot would put the turIet out OF action II
though the guns in the Uninjured.
As previously noted healthfu growth is still
ent generation of shipbuiders has never enjoyed a
season OF such activity TO eluai II; H. one must go
began to supplant wood in the construction OF Ves-
thr pIenitude OF constructive material were great
hives ot industry. When iron was found TO be
NUS scarce m The advsnce of the tinted States in
has through force OF circumstances revived ship
building The coast shpyards crowded with
passenger and freight steamers building for the
coastwise trade. A considerable business is also
being done in steel sailing vessels. Hitherto wood
has had a practical monopoly OF thlS class OF con-
IS u snhose fe 10 be is only Within the last yesr
two that steam TONNAGE has exceeded sailing
however. is safely In favor of steam. owing TO the
fact that the sailing vessel has almost entirely
sailing ship construction has been the building of
two six masted schOoneVs the first vessels of this
kind To be built anywhere IN the world The mum
ber OF vessels built during the year ended June 80
1901 was lib. of 4Ol 80 gross tons. compared with
O5S of sos 677 gross tons for the previous fiscal
year. The distribution was as follows: Atlantic
and Gulf coasts ISS vessels. of l90s4s tons Great
Lakes 100 of 1853 LIS gross tons; Pacific coast ISL OF
gross and Western rivers, lS2. of H. 094
gross tons.
FOR THE FOREIGN TRADE.
Although there Is little encouraging TO report re-
sardius vessel construction for the foreign trade 1t
orders from sources. The Atlantic Transport
Line is In the front rank in this regard Ii
has given the New-YOrk Shipbuiding Company, OF
Camden. n. j., contracts Tor four steamers for
transatlantic service cost 81 250, 30 each and the
Maryland Steel Company SparrOw's Point. Md,
contracts for two others to cost a similar sum.
tion, also exhibits a like bravery. and has two
vessels under construction for the foreign trade
These vessels built In the distinct hope that
congress may grant some assistance to foreign
trade shipping. The Shipping bill defeated In
the last Congress by h.ibIstering in the United
states Senate There were votes sufficient in both
vote Rut II was talked to death new bill
Will be introduced when Congress convenes in De
cemher. and is likely TO pass Government sup
port. judciously applied would restore the Amer
lean merchant marine to the high seas mueh
sooner than it Will come of its own accord
A venture of far reaching influence attempted on
the Great Lakes is worthy OF record. IL Is the
opening of the i water route from the Great
Lakes to Europe Via the Canadian canals along the
record il may be noted that although a few small
craft made the passage from the lakes To Et-
ropean ports years ago the first vessel 10 utilize
these enlarged Canadian canals as a commercial
highway between the Great Lakes and Europe was
the British steamer Monkshaven, when in October
last IL carried cargo of steel from Conneaut on
had been employed by the Clergue water power
Interests at Sault Ste Marie. and was returning 20