The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-07-14
popuLAR1rY OF THE SCHOONER.

The schooner-rigged vessel is now
the distinctive type OF sail carrier in
the coasting trade. Schooners of great
burden, however, are comparatively a
recent product on the coast. Up to
the time of the civil war a schooner of
from 200 or 800 tons was considered
large on the coast, though the first
three-master on the great lakes was
built as early as 1850. 1t was thirty
wears later tina. the first four master
was built on the coast and vessels of
schooner rig began to run up to ], 200
and 1900 tons in size. The first five
master afloat that kept the seas of her
own power was the schooner Governor
Ames, built in 1889 at WaldOboro, Me-,
and up to three years ago she was the
only schooner of her class. In cOmpar-
ison with the full-rigged sailing ship
there is no question as to the superiori-
ty of the multi-masted schooner. The
cost of construction is less in the case
of the schooner; she carries less than
half the crew required by the ship; she
carries an enormous spread of canvas
and can outpoint and outfoot any
square-rigger afloat; and, finally she can
carry great cargo. As to the stand
ing of these schooners when compared
with the ordinary type of steam cargo
tramp, there is a necessity of more
careful investigation. The average
cost of construction per ton carrying
capacity of four schooners- four and
Reconsideration which data have
been compiled. has been S25. The cost
of two steel freight steamships built i'll
American shipyards in 1900 with a cap
acity for $500 tons" of cargo was $50
per ton carrying capacity. The cost of
running the schooners, as derived from
statements rendered by the agents over
series of voyages covering a years
time, was 81 per ton carrying capacity.
The cost of operating the steamers was
greater than this owing to the larger
crew carried, higher wages necessarily
paid, cost of coal for consumption in
their engines and greater charge for de-
probation, insurance and interest. 1t
amounted to $1,000 per ton carrying Ca
pacity.
The advantage a cargo steamer has
over the multi-masted schooner of the
same capacity is in the increased num-
Der of trips it can make in a given
time. The actual figures show that the
tramp steamer can make about three
times as many trips in a year as a five
masted schooner engaged in steady
business. About one-half the time the
schooner will equal the steamers rec
ord in spite of the latter's quicker dis
patch, while the other half of the year
its voyages will be twice as long. On
the years business about twice as much
business is handled by the steamer as
by the schooner. The ordinary coast
ing cargo tramp steamer will make
thirty-six trips in a certain trade in a
year. She can carry $500 tons OF coal
per trip at say IS cents a ton, giving
her gross receipts of S57, 200 in the year.
She is at1oat on an average 200 days in
the year, burning 20 tons of coal a day
at a cost of $3.50 a ton, $4,000 for the
year. She carries d crew of twenty -four
whose wages amount to 81, POO month
or for Sl4, 400 the year. 1t costs S12
day to feed this crew,or S., 400 for
the year. There are Incidental ex-
penses of 5000 a month for paint,
repairs on deck and in engine
room, total Of $1,000 for the year.
The stevedoring will amount to $4,000
more. Port charges, insurance, com-
missions, and agent will cost $4,000 a
year additional. This adds up to SAG, 300
and there will easily be $4,000 more in
miscellaneous expense, making a round
total of $4,000 operating expenses,
thus leaving profit of $500 to pay in
surance, interest, depreciation and divl-
dends.
A five masted schooner of 2,25S gross
tons will make thirteen trips where the
steamer is making thirty-siX. She will
carry 5000 tons of coal at 60 cents,
earning SIS, 0S0 Her crew will consist
of twelve men, whose wages will
amount to $4,000 year. 1t will cost
only $1,000 to feed them Incidental
expenses summed up may amount to
$4,000, this including commissions,
agents, insurance, repairs, port charges,
etc. The stevedoring will amount to
$1,000. This amounts in total to &c.
800, which amount may be increased by
miscellaneous expenditures to SIS, 900,
leaving profit of 81, 40 to pay interest,
insurance, depreciation and dividends.
Actual figures of voyages show gross
earnings for a fve-masted schooner
carrying 5000 tons of coal SILL per
ton, while the actual expenses were &c.
66 per ton, leaving profit Of $4.45 per
ton on the years business.
A steamship of equal cargo capacity
| would earn on thirty six voyages at 60
cents S21. go a ton, while the expenses
would be about SIG ton, leaving a
profit of $3.50 per ton OH the years bus
mess. The difference in favor of the
steamship would be offset by the fact
her original cost is S55 per ton against
S27 per ton for the schooner, the advan-
tage of the latter thus being S26. 40 per
ton carving capacity,-Marine Review.