The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-16

nF all the works of man there is n H nothing of his handlcraft so nearly " human as the modern ship, especially the leviathans of steel which are essen tialy floating hotels and contain all the features of the skyseraper ashore.
 The chief engineer, who Is q pigmy alongside of the giant engine with it's 1s,000 horsepower, gazes upon the whirl- ing mass of polished machinery with pride. He sees life in its every move ment and affectionately strokes the huge pistons with oily waste. The majority of engineers become so attached to and proud of their charges that they nc- tually talk to them as though they were endowed with intelligence.
 The captain on the bridge, 40 feet above the water line, also has a corre- spending regard for the ship. but with him it Is the whole fabric that receives his consideration and the component parts are not thought of unless there Is a breakdown, and even then he Is inclined to scold, not the engines, the boilers or whatnot, but the ship herself as though she were responsible for anything that might happen to her apart.
  CT in the smaller craft and the master of the two-sticker that skips from port to port lodging the storms of the open and creeping along under the lea of the land, loves his vessel with an affection that Is not always shared by anyone else, not even his wife, and there are many mar iners whose endearment toward their boats Is beyond the comprehensions of only those who love the sea and it's ships, and they alone can appreciate the num- berless things that are convincive that every craft, be she large or small, pos sesses individuality, If not intelligence.
 The building and repairing of ships Is an industry of considerable prominence In this country, and, according to the last census report, there are 1929 plants of all sizes representing capital of S131, ,736, ,s43, employing an average of 54,477 men, who earn a yearly wage of $31, ,003,178 anu turning out annually, including repairing, a product valued at Ss5, ,642, ,540.
 Of these plants, 1,O72 are devoted to wooden ships, and they represent a capi- tai of SIT, ,523, ,146 employing an average of 15,S75 men, who earn $s, GOT 1852 a year.
 Though there are but A yards where steel and iron ships are built and re- paired, they are large and they repre- sent combined capita of S59, ,839, ,555, em- ploying 30, ,906 men, whose annual wage Is S16,231 ,311.
 The United States government also has great plants of its own where It not only builds Its own warships, but where most of the repairs are made when the great vessels get into trouble, and, incidentally. 1t might be said that in repair work the government yards are kept busy. There are nine of these plants, and the lavish ness of their equipment is expressed in their valuation, which Is set down as S54, ,291 ,011, almost equal to the total valu- ation of the A private concerns. employ ing an average of but 7,890 men, and yet having an annual payroll of Sc, 222. .263.
 There are 104 plants where are built small vessels, such as launches, rowboats, canoes, etc., but which are also counted fin the industry, though not one them has an annual product of over $500 in value. These plants employ on an aver age of six men throughout the year and their capital Is estimataed at $83, 131, with yearly payroll of $1,750.
 Of the shipyards of this country the one of the Newport News Shipbullding and Drydock Company, located at the mouth of the James River, is the largest, with 100 acres of land and half mile water frontage.
 Equipped with modern machinery driven by electricity and compressed air, two large drydocks an outitting basin 9O0x500 feet. six piers, shear-legs of 100 tons capacity, an electrically operated 150-ton revolving derrick-crane, station ary and floating derricks. the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company makes a speciality of repairing craft of