Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-14
SHIPPING Is
ON INCREASE
GREAT LAKE WATER CRAFT is
VALUABLE
STARTLING JUMP RECORDED IN
NATIONS VESSELS
Steamships Show Big Gains and a
Vastly Greater Amount of
Freight Is Handled
Each Year

WASHINGTON. April 13.-Startling
increase in tonnage and value of wa
ter craft of the United States is
brought forward in the completion Of
the compilation of the last census Of
this industry, taken for 1906. The value
of active craft had increased since 1889,
when they were valued u 5000 900,
to $500 200 when the census was
taken. Ferryboats in and around New
York harbor carried 63 per cent of the
5000 900 passengers transported by
this class of vessel Coal is the most
important item Of water freight trans
portation. The busiest canal in the
world is St Mary's, connecting Lake
superior and Lake Huron. All Amerf-
can vessels or craft of five tons net
register operated on the coasts and in
land waters of the United States, Puer-
to Rico and the Hawaiian islands are
included in the statement, except
those engaged in fishing and station
ary wharfbOats and houseboats used
largely for residential purposes.
The statistics cover 1891 active
craft, with an aggregate gross tonnage
of 1888, ,429, and 1852 idle craft, with
an aggregate gross tonnage of 1926.
In 1889 there were reported 30,4S5 ac-
tive craft, with an aggregate gross ton
ildSG VI o,oOJi1oO' dilu 14JV Aulo Cl
with an aggregate gross tonnage of
233, $780, OF the active craft the value
increased from more than 5000, 600
in 1889 to more than $500, 900 900 in 1896.
In the same period the gross income
increased from about $162,O00000 to
about $295, 100000, or 81 per cent; the
number of employees from about 114,000
to about 141 ,000 or 1913 per cent, and
the wages paid from about $41,000,0OO
to about $72,000,000, or 1871 per cent.
Where Commerce Is Busiest
By far the largest part of the Amer
lean shipping, 20,032 vessels, with an
aggregate tonnage of more, than A.
100000 tons, operates on the Atlantic
coast and gulf of Mexico. The next
greatest number, 1922 vessels, with a
tonnage of more than 100000, is shown
for the Mississippi river and it's tribu-
taries. But SO many of these vessels
reported from the Mississippi river are
coal barges and scoWs that in spite of
the large number and great tonnage
the value is only about $23,000,000 and
the income only about $17,000,000. The
smaller number of vessels on the
great lakes, 1890, represented a value
of more than $130,000,000 and derived an
income Of more than $65,00O,000 Ship
ping on the Pacific coast showed a
great proportionate increase and did
business valued at about $49,000,000.
Between 1889 and 1906 the number of
steam vessels increased from 5603 to
1927, or 77.2 per cent; their tonnage
from 1,710,073 to 4,059,521, or 1874 per
cent. and their value from $131 .567 ,427
to 1886, 772, 727, Or 1874 per cent. This in
crease, moreover, was general on all
waters except the Mississippi river and
it's tributaries, where the tonnage ac-
tually decreased. The greatest abso-
I,,+1 in fOnnaOa
is shown for the steam vessels operat-
ing on the Atlantic coast and gulf OF
Mexico. In gross tonnage the largest
increase-one Of 1,319,973 tons-was re-
ported from the great lakes, and re-
suited from the recent construction OF
large vessels to carry ore ana grain.
During the year 1906, according to
the census, ferry boats carried 330,7S7,-
639 passengers, more than 63 per cent
of whom were carried by the ferries
in and around New York harbor. or
the total number, 309 792,5s4 passengers
rode on regular ferry boats and 10
945055 on municipal ferry boats. While
the income of ferry boats is derived
largely from carrying these passengers,
i'm some cases, particularly on the Mis-
sissippi river and its tributaries, the
ferrying of wagons. teams and cattle
and the carriage of freight are in ex-
cess of the passenger business.
Big Jumps in Freight
In 1889 nearly 13O,OOO,OOO net tons of
freight were carried by vessels of the
United States; in 1906 more than $685.
O00, 900 net tons were so carried, an IN
crease of over 100 per cent. The pro-
portionate increases for freight car
ried on the Atlantic coast and gulf OF
Mexico and on the great lakes were
considerably larger.
-e,f. - fnI1T1 400
is the most important item of freight
in the water commerce of the United
States The movement, amounting to
more than 49,000 900 tons, is composed
chiefly of shipments of hard coal from
railway terminals on the New Jersey
coast for consumption in Greater New
York. and of soft coal from Atlantic
ports farther south. Next to coal, the
greatest tonnage Is for iron ore.
The first census at which the con-
struction of iron and steel and of
wooden vessels was given separately
was that of 1880. In that year 26.5
per cent only of the total value of new
construction was of iron ana steel; III
1890 the proportion was Az per cent:
in 1900, 71.2 per cent, and in 1908, 8l.1
per cent. Or to state this increase In
terms of tonnage instead of value, in
1906 the gross tonnage reported for Ves-
sells constructed Of iron and steel eX-
ceeded the gross tonnage reported in
1889 by 2,751, sos tons. an Increase OF
more than $40 per cent. More than
half of this increase occurred on the
great lakes, where the tonnage of
wooden vessels actually decreased.
The busiest canal in the world is the
St. Mary's Falls canal, connecting
Lake Superior with Lake Huron. In
1906 the net tonnage of vessels passing
through this canal was three times as
great as that through the. Suez canal
and more than seven times as great as
that through the Kaiser Wilhelm, or
Kiel. canal. This is the more note
worthy as the st. Mary's Falls canal,
on account of the severity of the cold.
is open to traffic only about eight
months in the year, while the others
are open twelve. The increased use of
the St. Mary's Falls canal has been
tremendous. In 1880 only 1,244,279 tons
went through; in 1889, 7,516,022 tons, and
in 1906, 41,276,S62 tons, an amount
9217.8 per cent greater than in 1880
and 449.2 per cent greater than In 1883.
0-s-e--------
Ship Arrives, Waterlogae5
BY Associated Press.