The Washington times., 1901-08-02
PROSPERITY In SHIPPING.
The Unusual Record Attained by
Home Built American Ships.
Last Years Tonnage Exceeded But
Twice in Our History - Greater
Building Activity Than at Any
Time Since the wooden Vessel Era

The preliminary report of Eugene Tyler
Chamberlain. the Commissioner of Navi-
cation. for the fiscal year ended June 30
last, has been given out as follows:
Vessels built in the United States and
officially numbered by the Bureau of
Navigation during the fiscal year ended
June 90, 1901. number Lib of 40. .2S5 gross
tons, compared with Loss Of 3O5,6U gross
tons for the previous fiscal year. Tn
rugged barges, canal boats, etc, will add
SS,3Sl tons to this total. Such construc-
ton the previous year aggregated I6,1S6
tons. The whole tonnage built has been
exceeded only twice in our history-in
1854 and in IS55-when the maximum,
$50. $50 tons, was attained.
Excluding unrigged barges and canal
boats, rhree-fourths of the new tonnage
is comprised in Ill vessels, each of over
Loco gross tons. To these large vessels
the Great Lakes, where steel shipbuilding
in the past few years has been highly
developed. contributed 40 steel steamers
of ,S12 tons. This tonnage exceeds the
steel steam product of the entire United
States for any year before 1899. The in
dustry of building small steel vessels for
the seabcard has developed considerably
during the year, but as the length of the
locks is only go feet this construction
does not materially affect salt water navi-
CATION.
The ocean steel steamers built on the
seaboard We're fifteen of 1861 gross tons.
to which may be added nine OF 1855
tons, all small. built on the. Great Lakes
for saltwater traffic The principal
ocean steamers were three Spreckels mail
steamers of IS. .i95 tons for the San Fran
ole Ir,ft, Iio,7s ar,-in.
three New York and Cuba mail steamers
of 15.4OS tons, and one Venezuela Red d
steamer of LIB tons, all built under the
ocean mail act Of 1891 The remaining
ocean steel steamers are for the coastnS
trade. including three Hawaiian-American
steamers of 1878 tons. and four Chicago
steamers of S.62S tons, temporarily in
trade.
During the calendar year 1900. Great
Britain launched 664 steel steamers of
/, 432, 900 tons, and Germany completed
of 213,9S4 tons, nearly all of
which were for ocean trade.
Wooden schooners, the third important
item, numbered twenty-five of 1923 tons
The limit OF size for these vessels appears
to have been attained, and large steel
schooners will be built next year. Rugged
barges, some of steel and some for the ]
Cuban trade, numbered fifteen of 2i,3ls
tons. Nine steel ferryboats and steam
dredges of 1897 tons were built. and six
vessels of 1.257 tons.
Only four wooden steamers. aggregating
{, ,552 tons. exceed 1000 tons, though 460
wooden steamers of 81. .921 tons were built
Wooden sail and steam vessels number
,152 of 14l, ,oS2 tons.
Geographically. vessels We're built as
follows: Atlantic coast, 135 OF 190.94s tons:
Great Lakes, 100 of 153 13s tons; Pacific
coast, i51 of &C, los tons, and Western
rivers, lS2 Of 11,09i tons. Increase over
last year on Great Lakes, So, ,362 tons At
lantic coast, 30,372 tons.
The Official record for the month of July
was also issued yesterday by the Com
missioner of Navigation. In the monthly
return are reported l12 yes-
seis of 15. l20 gross tons built in the United
States and officially numbered during the
month. OF these there vera built on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts 60 vessels of SIS
tons; Pacific Coast. 10 vessels of 3, ,354 tons:
Great Lakes. II vessels of 1858 tons:
Western rivers, % vessels of ,125 tons.
One hundred and three were constructed
Df wood and nine were made of iron. The
largest steam vessels included in these
figures are the Arapahoe of 3.37s tons
built in Philadelphia and owned by the
Clyde Steamship Company. and Pere
Marquette No; Il. of 2,175 tons. built in
Cleveland. Ohio. and owned by the the
American Shipbuilding Company The |
above figures do not include craft without |
motive power of their own. From other
sources than construction one vessel OF
20 gross tons was added to the merchant |
marine feet, the schooner Saloor. of I70 |
sroSS tons