The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-02
GREAT LAKE SHIpBUILDING.
CHANGES IN METHODS AND
IDEAS or THE LAST YEAR.
Of Size Reached-Oplnion Now
Against HIS o Barges - Direct
shipments From the Lakes 10
Europe Pronounced Improbable.

DULUTH. Jan. 25.-The Great Lakes are
building a larger tonnage Of merchant
ships than ever before In their history.
though the aggregate cost is less than that
Of the vessels under way a year ago. Some
notable changes are apparent,
For one thing. among tho ships now undo
construction and contract there Is none
Of the 5O0-foot class, that seemed two years
ago to be the coming type. For ten or
a dozen years lake builders steadily increased
the size and capacity of their vessels. They
raised the limit from the 3,000-ton ship OF
1890 to the s,5oO-ton vessel OF last year.
Now the ship builder seems 20 have
abandoned the largest type and contents
himself with q ship Of from 400 TO Aso feet
long, ~ TO 60 feet beam and rs feet depth.
carrying from 5000 20 5000 tons. This
boat seems to loo considered the future sue
cessful business ship OF the lakes. There
are ~ steel cargo ships under way In h 10
wards of the American Shipbuilding Com
pany and every one OF them is Of this type.
For some years the BsseIner and Mmne-
sofa steamship companies were the largest
owners Of tonnage on tho lakes, The first
was owned 10y John ID, Rockefeller and got
freight from his mines; the second belonged
to TIE Minnesota Iron Company and carried
its ore.
Their aim was 70 have for every steamship
two or three barges that the steamer would
pull through the lakes, making a tow OF
three or -four vessels, all depo ndent on one
engine and practically on one Grew. These
four ships might carry a load Of "a 900 tons
Of freight.
Some vessel mon, notably Commodorv
u uo1,ln pAuy at tho head Of 4 he 6oD0I
Corporations feet never believed in this
plan and consist entity refused TO put barges
behind their ships. To-day Llere are only
two steel harges under way on the lakes.
and both these are for a Canadian interest,"
In other words the day Of the lake low paIge
OF great ca opacity is over. The experiments
has been made and has failed.
This is an interesting item OF Information
for the Atlantic shipowners who are CON
sidering the use Of these barges. Lake
ship operators now consider y hnsaie 70
have any vessels upon which there 10 noe
soine means OF self~-propulslon III case sne
low line pats. Their experience the pssS
summer, when there were some WRECKS
and narrow escapes from many more mas
confirmed this opinion.
Two years ago Lake sh'pyards began 10
build vessels for the Atlantic trade. some
for combined Lake and ocean service, some
for exclusive ocean traffic. Last winter
six ships were built TO run from ths Lahos
to European ports.
This experiment IL now ~ndo
There will be no more Of these ships I'LL the
passage 10 sea Is very much easier than
to-day.
The difficulty is not on account on pro-
hibi,ory insurance down the 81. lawrence.
as has been said, but by reason oil the isos
that a ship carrying "A cargo OIL say, I,oVS
tons. which H. about the limit for the CahAs
diar canals, and running from the heso on
Lake Superior to Europe, cannot oomptsS
with the combination Of the 5,OoO-ton amp
on the Lakes, the cheap canal or rail- ircieny
from the foot Of Lake Erie TO the seapoaro
and the new big ship on the ocean Even
with two transshipments en- route thsy
can beat the through ship Of smaller size.
There are now two steel ships Tor OCEAN
service i'm Lake yards, but they are 80 large
that they must be cut In two 70 pass down
m. 81. Lawrence and will not be oroughC
hack Even this class Of Lake building.
which was expected TO furnish conslderaDie
business In slack times on the Lakes VII
probsblv not be repeated
: There are but two wood ships now UNDER
way on the axes, and the day Of the wood
vessel il de tinitely over There u no"
but one yard building such boats