The Washington times., 1901-09-15

being there was trade enough for every
ship in condition to make trip. Many
old boats that had not made voyage Tor
years were able to find business. or
course. il can be readily understood that
every warship In foreign waters and every
regiment on foreign soil means employ
ment for many vessels in Transporting
COAL fodder, and supplies OF every sort
Add this to the normal total of trade,
and it means good times for ship owners
When the freight rates were high, many
agents chartered boats on two or three
year contracts, and still have them on
their hands. Before very long, however.
a lot of these boats will be put out OF
business, the oldest first until there are
no more than can get cargoes.
What becomes of the tramp steamers
that have been compelled to leave the
main travelled routes. Is a pertinent queS-
ton. but it can hardly be answered IN
ship is sometimes eventful. For instance.
one vessel that was making trips up to
five years ago between New YORK ana
Liverpool is Just at present on tne way
the past few months discharged cargoes
at Hongkong. Malta, and Port Said
Another steamer got an order 70 carry
steel rails to Nladivostock, SIBERIA AFTER
taking all the rails that happened TO De
ready, she took on 800 tons OF ammuni-
tion Tor the army at Manila, ana then.
having space in her hold. though heavily
She expected to bring back hemp I0r
Manila, but hemp not being obtainable
she came home from Africa with man
ganeSe ore
There are plenty of ports visited only
by tramps in the Pacific and Indian
Oceans and on the South American coast
When the destination Of A parcel or ship
ment reads, via Singapore" or some SIM
liar designation. 1t often means that II is
to be transshipped to a tramp steamer
which happens to be plying between sing
apore or whatever the port may be, and
~ of Inn
too small to be supplied with a regular
line of its own. Drafts and the width
of dock gates are the governing factors
when the modern freighters of big ca
pacity and small coal consumption are
concerned. In the leading Mediterranean
ports. for instance, the LOO or Z;vp-ton
freight boats were displaced by the $500
or 1900 tonners. and these in the last Few
years by those of e.0oo to 7.oco tons. The
big boats monopolize the deep-draIt
ports such as Genoa. Marseilles, Algiers.
Said, Barcelona, and Gibraltar. but there
are still ports of lesser depth. as smyrna,
Piraeus. Salonica, Venice, Civita Vecchia,
Caen, and Bhboa. where the smaller ed
get the trade. because no others can get
in
II Is in great part by the tramp steam
er. crowded out of some profitable route,
that new trades ard new routes are origi-
mated and developed. Promoters will not
build boats OF their own for an untried
ana uncertain pul Will
tramps as old. probably, and as cheap
ones as they can get. For instance. when
the Klondike was opened up there was a
demand for boats to take prospectors
there. Almost anything with American
registry would do. Any sort OF 4 tub
could fairly coin money that first year.
but new ships, built since for the special
purpose, have now changed the situation
| completely. An example of new line of
trade recently developed by the tramp is
I the carrying of nickel ore from New Gale
/ donia. Half dozen tramp steamers are
in this business. carrying up to 5000 tons
! in cargo. The West Indian fruit trade
! is another: the nitrate trade is third.
! The large type of the British tramps
| find their best field in the Orient, while
the small sailing tramps have to them
selves the South Sea trade in the South
Sea Islands, where coal Is not to be had.
The coasting trade OF this country Is by
the Federal laws restricted to vessels of
| American register. The great growth of
| deep-sea towing is said to have injured
| il considerably. 1t was only few months
age thst the first string of coal barges
| was towed from Philadelphia to Cuba.
and for points north of Cape Hatteras
this method is almost universal.