The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-19
is GERMANY CAPTURING THE OCEAN,
+++++++++ ++++++.

1 The Gsrraans are not 6nly making money
out Of Commerce. but out OF shipbuilding
ss we'll They have now some Of the lars-
est of the ~shloyards.
They maize the biggest and the best
ships. snp they are manufacturing them.
not only Tor themselves. but also for for
| eign countries.
The Krupps have big shipyards at KIei.
not tsr from Hamburg. .
] There are other yards at Flensburg and
Bremen. and the largest Of all at stetttn
on the Oder. not far from the Baltic All
of these establishments have increased
their capital within the past year or 20 to
the amount OF more than 10000. and
they are all making money.
In 100 the Fensburg yard paid Is per
cent on its capital stock. and the Vulcan
Company. which builds the greyhounds for
the North German Lloyd and Hamburg
American companies. paid Il per cent
The Kaiser Is doing all he can 70 en-
courage shipbuilding.
He thinks Germany ought to depend upon
its own ships and IN case Of a protracted
war should Be able to make its own gun
boats.
He frequently visits the shipyards: and Is
very proud OF the fsct that the Germans
make the fastest ships and the best
/ went from Berlin TO Stettin 10 sec how
the build their best vessels. The
town f. on the River Oder. eighty-four miles
by rail from Berlin. and sixty-nine miles
from the Baltic.
n way is through a thirsty. sandy ecun-
try. where women spade the heids under
men Sc overseers. ard where all toll In the
sana for q bare living.
The soil is so poor thst Il will grow lit
tie more than Christmas trees Some parts
Of II are planted with pines and the for
ests are as carefully kept as We keep our
gardens.
u. - $780, ON ~ waaaIa and Ire ohin-
building works and other factories are max
inE 1t grow.
IL has. like Hamburg. a free port. 60 that
steamers from New York can COME night
to the city and unload the food stuns which
are shipped there for the North German
trade.
Its shipyards are on the edge Of the citS.
they are known as the Vulcan works. ana
are celebrated the world over IS having
turned out the Deutschland. the Kronprinz
Wilhelm and other famous vessels
The new. steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der
Zweite was still IN the yards at the time
OF my visit: II Is prophesed that II will
nIrpass anything now on the ocean IN
speed.
SHIPS FOR THE CAR
AND THE MIKADo.
saw ships building there for the Car
and MIkad and also In course Of con
struction VESSELS for the German Navy.
and merchant ships for all parts OF the
world.
These yards now employ about soc men
and are increasing their force right siong.
They have a steaey Job on ;he German
Navy, and DO an outside business. running
high into the millions. Ships like the
Deutschland and Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
cost something I.ks 10000 apiece, and
many a man-of-war costs more.
Tie Vulcan wotks have been in operation
for more than nifty years. making both ships
and locomotives. They have made more
than 100 locomotives and q very large mum
Der Of vessels OF various sizes.
They began with a capital Of <eoee,
which they have Increased to S,5oo.eD. and
this based upon the snlareemeht OF theit
works.
The yards now cover about leo acre.. 1
took a haphtha launch and rode by them,
going a long distance by a skeleton frame
work of steel. 100 feet high. built for con-
structlng their enormous vessels.
There was an elevated railroad on top OF
this framework. with cars upon II. shifting.
the plates of armor and steel Which fern
the shells OF such Sessls. and dropping them
Into place under the direction Of the over
seers.
Several vessels wsre IN the framework at
the time. and the din or many hammers
could be heard far up and down the Oder.
During my stay IN Germany I have mt
Some Of these s~hipbrilders. They appar-
entity have little fear Of holding their own.
They use the best OF materials. Importing
much OF tHeir iron from Sweden. and they
have excellent mechanical engineers
Their labor is Ear lower thar ours, and
they can furnish better work for the money
than we can
FRANK c. CARPENTER.
Copyright, 1s3, By F. G. Carpenter.