New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-12
MERCHANT FLEETS.
THE LEYLAND RANKS SEVENTH IN
TONNAGE AMONG THE WORLDS
STEAMSHIP LINES

u
Great Britains greatest shipping institutions
came as a surprise to many people. The name
unfamiliar The Leyland Line is
only of several great fleets which have
been modified to meet the demands of
merce.
The fleet of the Leyland Line, according to
Whitaker, ranks seventh in point of tonnage.
that of the Hamburg American Line being first.
The Hamburg American Line fleet includes BOZ
vessels, with total tonnage of 5i10S3 tons.
OF these, however. large number river
steamers tugs and lighters. The steamships
number ninety-five, with capacity of more
than half a million tons. The second fleet in
point of capacity also flies the German flag. 1t
is the North German Lloyd Line, with ninety
one ocean steamers having tonnage of about
half a million Three British companies rank
next-the British India Steam Navigation Com
pany. which has more than one hundred YES
sells and a capacity of nearly 100000 tons; the
Peninsular and Oriental. with fleet of more
than sixty vessels and capacity of over 300.
900 tons, and the fleet of Elder Dempster &
Co. ranking fifth not only in tonnage, but also
in number Of vessels
4 French line the Messageries Martimes.
cupies the sixth place, although in point of ton
mage it does not greatly exceed the Leyland
fleet, their respective capacities being given
2I1.::sS and 2tI000 tons. A line flying the
Italian flag. the Navigazone Generate Ital;aAa,
is placed next, with a tonnage of 233,0Oo and i
fleet of more than a hundred steamers. The
Union Castle with ten thousand less tonnage, has
forty-one steamers. The next place in the list
is accorded To a flag that would not expect
to find among the number, the japanese The
Japan Mail Steamship Company. with its head
office at Toxic. has sxty-eight steamers in ! .
lines the former with twenty-four steamers ans
the latter with eighty-seven vessels. and Wi
respective tonnases of 21o.ooo and 10000 ia
round figures.
of the twelve fleets in this list seven fly thi
English flag. 1t is said that Of the four hundred
odd steamships of more than five thousand tons
burden in existence more than three hundred
are under the British flag. OF these eighteen
are in the Leyland fleet. which Mr.. Morgan is TO
control Should he also get possession of the
Atlantic Transport Company's fleet the number
would be increased by several first class ships.
two of which-the Minnehaha and the Minneap-
os-are listed among the half-dozen biggest
ships in the world. The gross tonnage of the
seventeen ships owned by the Atlantic Transport
Company is % al. Six ships including two Of
~. 40l tons each. now building, will add $4,000
tons to the total capacity of this fleet.
one is surprised to find that only three of the
big transatlantic passenger carrying lines are in
the list OF big fleets. 1t will he observed that
the White Star Lines fleet in proportion TO its
tonnage is small in numbers. Eleven of its
twenty-four steamers have capacities of above
ten thousand tons. 1t owns the Oceanic the big
gest steamship in the world, and is building the
Celtic launched few days ago. which will have
a gross tonnage more than three thousand tons
greater than that of the Oceanic. Steamship
say that big steamship is much more
profitable than a small one to operate. it
be handled by much smaller in proper
tion TO it's size.
OF the steamship companies Using American
capital and having their head offices this side
of the Atlantic the one having the largest fleet
is line trading in the West Indies and Mexico
the Munson Line. 1t employs sixty-three steam
ers, with total capacity Of between 10000
and 10000 tons. 1t owns only eight of these,
the others being chartered vessels. 1t is said
to be waiting for the passage of the Subsidy
BILL when ii will replace many of these vessels
with American built ships. The International
Navigation Company which the Ameri-
can and Red Star lines, has a tonnage of l;;1-
1896 divided among twenty-one steamers. and
is building four more, whose aggregate tonnage
will be 44.O0O The New-York and Cuba Mail
Steamship Company seventeen vessels
with "a tonnage of GO,Oi1.