Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-19


respondence Of The Bee.)-The
- Germans are preparing to COM
Ik&62Hl pete with England and the United
NAAD States for the m of the
world. They are building ships faster than
any other nation. They are deepening their
harbors. improving their rivers and digging
canals. They already have the fastest and
best vessels OF tho world, and their harbors
are as good as any on earth.
This is especially so of Hamburg. The
city has already spent $25, 000, 900 improv-
ing its quays and docks, and it's means OF
handling freight are equal to those OF Lon
don and Liverpool. New York city, IL is
estimated, pays something like $50, 000, 900 a
year for drayage. Hamburg pays little.
The ships are unloaded directly into cars
or into the great storage warehouses Of the
free port, and thence shipped by train and
canal boat to every part Of northern and
central Europe. The railroads come right
down to the wharves, and half Of the ware-
houses are such that they can drop their
goods into the cars or boats.
Indeed, II is hard to imagine a better
trade situation than this. Hamburg Is sit
uated on the Elbe about forty-four miles
from the sea at a point where the river is
deep enough and wide enough to float the
shipping of all the world. The Elbe here
is, for five miles, a vast series of docks,
ah1hDA = NNA0 A0A RNa~Nt
are ships from every continent and every
sea. From the Baltic, Russia and Scan
dlnavia on the north, from South America.
from Australia and from South Africa, from
the Mediterranean, China and the islands OF
the Pacific and vessels come by the hum
dreds to this great trading center.
Hamburg has more commerce than any
other city on the European continent, and
1t is tramping on the heels Of London, Liv-
erpool and New York. 1t had last year H.
900 ships from European ports, and from
across the Atlantic came a fleet OF 1,612
with a tonnage OF more than three and one-
half millions, mostly goods from the United
States. Hamburg. in fact, Is the CHIEF
northern gateway OF the American INVASION
and through IL passes not only the enorm-
Gus amount Of goods we send Germany, but
a large part Of those for Austria, Switzer-
land and Russia. The goods are landed
here In the free port. aud thence trans
shipped to all parts OF northern European.
Most Of our large exporters, including
those selling meat and fruits, end espe-
cially American machinery, have houses
here. At the same time a large business
Is done In retailing American goods. 1
stop in a big hotel on the Binnen Alster,
a beautiful lake, in the busiest part OF
the city. There is a new American shoe
store next door, and our goods are sold
all around me. l see neckties in the
clothing shops sold under the name OF
Prince Heinrich neckties. They have the
American flag on them and are loud enough
to suit the gaudiest German. American
hats are the fashion here and they cost
more than at home. American canned
fruits, meats and vegetables are to be seen
in all the groceries, and the American
typewriter and roll-top desk are in use In
most OF the Offices.
The Hamburg of today is a new city. II
grows faster than any port In Europe. II
was founded more than 1000 years ago, but
the greater part of 1t looks as though II
were put up yesterday, and 1t is only in
places that you can realize that It was
one OF the great cities of the Middle ages
Still 1t was begun by Charlemagne, 500
A. D., and 1t vas for years one of the chic
towns Of the Hanseatic league. II has
now about 1000, 900 Inhabitants and is rief
beyond computation. II is putting up many
new buildings. The new Rathaus is
magnificent structure, the new Stock ex'
change is one Of the best Of all Europe
and some OF the hotels on the Alster arr
better than any In Berlin.
Hamburg is a beautiful city. Lying OF
the wide and deep Elbe, 1t is cut up b.
canals. and In its older parts IL is as pic
turesque as Venice. The canals are vale,
with warehouses Of Eve and six stories
and caravans OF boats are continually load
ing and unloading within them. Eacl
building has iron cranes reaching out owe
the water and the goods are raised an