Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-26
THE sHIPBuILplne INDUSTRY.
New York Tribune.l

lANSN
Now that practically complete re-
turns for shipbuilding in 1907 are at
hand. it appears that the total tonnage
for the world was almost identical with
that OF the year before. Apparently II
fell off 1000 or 5000 O in an aggre-
gate of 2.723.0O0 Gin round numbers)'
but revised figures may show a balance
in the other direction. Still. Tor all m
tents and purposes, the business was at
a stand. There were local differences,
of course, but these Offset each otner
In British yards, for instance, the pro-
duction fell off about 10000 tons. rela-
lively a small amour The United
Kingdom ranks first in the output OF
shipping by an overwhelming majority.
Her new construction last year
reached 1,64o,493 tons, which is 60 per
cent of the worlds production. The
United States, her nearest rival, built
only 317,775 tons last year., and Ger
many only 272,719. Together these two
countries make only one-third as good
o showing. Actual gains of 100000 tons
in France, nearly 40, 900 in Holland, 81
900 in Italy and $4,000 In Jaran are re-
corded, the first of them doubtless being
explained by the new French bounty
law, and the others being toe insiSn!i-
cant for serious consideration. What
ever fluctuations of fortune have been
experienced In other industries, there
fore, this one on the whole has remain
ed %singularly stable.
One of the most marked tendencies Of
the last year is the increase in the pro-
portion of sailing vessels built. In
British yards only 90 per cent OF the
new image of 1900 was of this type,
while in 1901 the proportion was S.9
per cent and in 1902 Sc per cent. Since
the average size OF sailing craft is much
less than that of all steamships, these
figures are much more significant than
they seem at first. To put the CASE n
en- extreme fashion, 1t would take 200
small fishing smacks and coasters to
teuual in displacement the 10000 ton
liner Kaiser Wilhelm III about to be
added to the North German Lloyd fleet.
1t is probable that h chief gain in
sailing vessels, tho. Is in freight carriers
of considerable proportions. Nearly a
dozen four masted, square rugged ships,
each OF more than 1000 tons, were
built in Great Britain last year. While
two French yards together constructed
twenty-eight, averaging $500 ions. The
record for bigness in Europe was made
by Germany, which turned out a nve
master Of $3.50 tons. However, the
american seven masted schooner
Thomas w. Lawson, launched last year,
displaces 5,21S tons. Besides on account
of her rig, she can be handled by a
smaller crew than a ship OF he same
lcapacity. For a double reason, then,
the United States Is entitled to the palm
for sailing vessels.
Few advances have been effected In
the design and equipment of steam yes
sells. 'Superheated steam p~ressures
ceeding 200 pounds and quadruple ex-
| pansion engines do not gain percepti-
bly, in popularity. The greater strength
that, comes from putting the metal of a
shaft into tubular form is being slowly
recognized, but h fashion can hardly
be said to be established. Steam tur-
bines, which created so profound a SEN
sation when first tried on torpedo poat
d~estroyers, have been introduced on a
few river boats and private yachts, and
will soon be used to propel small steam
ers plying between Dover and Caiias.
Yet when any one proposes to run an
ocean liner with that type of motor he
can not get a hearing. Navigator OF
big steamships want to be able TO go
iastern as easily as they can go ahead,
and Mi. Parson's provision for backing
lis not liked. His main engine can not
reverse, and hence he must supplement
1T with another small motor for such
service. Obviously his machinery Is
less compact than it ought to be. He
thus sacrifices part of h most import
ant advantage that his engine posses
SEES. Until this fault is remedied, either
by the English inventor or some of his
rivals, h application of the steam tur-
bine to ocean liners is likely to be de-
ferred.