Evening journal., 1903-08-03
SHIP'BUILDING II
BON DECREASE
Not a Vessel Tor Foreign
Trade Built Here in Two
Years
COAST TRADE SHIPS INCREASING


ship building or the Amer
lean merchant marine in the foreign
trade Of the United states Is TO be
noted In this years Blue Book Of Amer
lean Shipping, which Is just from the
press. Rather, indeed, is foreign ship
ping stili dwindling. since no new ves-
sells have been ordered for this service.
The Blue Eook issued annually by the
Marine Review of Cleveland, Is a sta
tistical publication and also a directory
well known in shipping ana ship build
ing circles throughout the country. II
contains as an introduction a careful
review Of conditions prevailing ia these
lines, from which the following Is
taken:
Not a single contract has been let
FOR vessel for the foreign trade OF the
United States during the past two
years. Here is a country whose ex-
ports are unrivalled among the nations
Of the earth without a single ship Or
dercd for two years TO carry away its
freight Could any one thing demon
strate more clearly than this the need
OF government aid for shipping? Why
is this feature Of our trade neglected?
D' HUAlNAN ~ IilNiiti iilillk0 W - lbli 10
aided by a tariff Why not the carrier
itself? Space in a ship is a commodity.
II is something made TO sell. The sta
tistics of our export trade would be
vastly enriched II there could be added
TO them the freight earned in transport
ing the goods.
Except on the great lakes, where the
Industry is peculiarly a special one
protected by the coasting regulations.
there is little encouraging to report
regarding ship building in the United
States. Orders have become like the
proverbial visits of the angels-few ana
far between. During the fiscal year
ended June 30 last. 1886 vessels of 456,
076 gross tons were built In the United
States, compared with 1867 vessels OF
473.9Sl gross tons for the previous fiscal
year. Vessels now under construction
indicate a further lessened output for
the coming fiscal year. The principal
decrease for the past year has been I'm
steel steamers built ON the great lakes,
which number forty-one Of 131 $50 tons
compared with nfty-two Of 161.7 .797 tons
for the preceding year. The previous
wear was the one of greatest output In
the lake district On the seaboard eigh-
teen ocean steel steamers Of 101, All
gross tons were buili-the largest out
put Of this type i'm our history. Think
OF n Eighteen ocean steel steamers
In this continent lowering n country
with 70.O00.0OO Of souls. Nor were
these all for oversee trade. Far from
Il. Only five OF them can properly be
credited to that servioe-the Finland
for the Red Star Line, the Massachu-
setts. Mississippi and Maine for the
Atlantic Transport Line and the Sibe-
ria for the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany The Red Star and Atlantic
Transport Lines are now controlled by
the International Mercantile Marine
Company. All these ships were ordered
over two years ago. and there have been
no new orders TO M the plans left va
cant on the stocks.
a few contracts have been received
by the coast shin yards for some splen-
/ did vessels for the coastwise service
These include a side wheel passenger
steamer and freight steamer for the
/ Fall River Line. the former 10 cost
/ 81 ,000. 600 and the latter 100000, and
both to be built by the Fore River Shir
and Engine Company, Quincy, Mass.
] II NNW~AOOl ANNcNfIkNI anu ANtAkAl
steamer for the Mallory Line of New
York. and "a similar vessel for the
Ocean steamship Company OF Savan-
nah. both to be built at the Roach ShiI
Yard. Chester, Pa: a 300-foot steamer
for the Clyde Line, TO be built by the
Cramps of Philadelohia; steamer foi
the Eastern Steamship Company. to b'
about $50 feet long. two steamers foi
the Ericsson Line, each 203 feet long
an to be built hy the Harlan & Hol.
llingsworth Company Wilmington, Del.
and four dredees for government ser.
vice to he built by the Maryland Stee
Company. Sparrow's Point. Nd. These
embrace all that are OF any Importance
II might be pertinent 60 state. since
so many laymen appear TO be ignoran
OF a. that the coastwise trade of the
United States and the foreign TRADE
are two different things The coastwis,
trade meaning trade between United
States ports. Is "a protected trade. Yes
sells cf other nags may not engage a.
IL. The past four years have marke,
3 la distinct revival in ship building fo
The coastwise trade, but the crest an
pears TO have been reached. for new
oricrs are not forthcoming. The nov
city of the coasting trade during tn
past year has been the construction O
the ssven-mcsted schooner Thomas w
Lawson.
Since the Spanish American war ma
val contracts have been we'll distributes
among the coast shia builders Dur
ing ;he year contracts for four battle
} shps. two arinored cruisers and twl
b grboats have been given to them
Contracts for two more battleshias ar
, ahout 10 be given. and I'm addition tn
New y ork navy yard is building ON
tattlcship Forty-one warships are a
i, lrrcsent under construction. represent
ing a displacement of S3S.9fS tons.
! total oIse power OF fi5.5O0. and cost
/, ing Tor hulls and machinery S9.3i45t,
r Ircing the year the United State
ship Euilding Company was formed {
take over the plants OF the Union Iro
Works. san Francisco: the Bath Iro
!. Works and Hyde Windlass Compan,
, Eath. Me-. the Eastern ship Buidin
Company New London Conn: tn
Harlan g. Hollingsworth Compan,
E Wilmington Del. the Crescent Shi
a Yard, Elizabethpori, n. j.; the Canad
+ Manufacturing Company. Carteret. y
J. j.. and Samuel L. Moore & Sons, Tliz
[ abethport. n. j. Later the plant of IN
Bethlehem Steel Company was added
Mr.. Charles NJ. Schwab transferring
10 the ship building company thong