The Republican journal., 1908-05-14
THE AMERICAN SHIPPING.

Bulletin 81 of the Bureau OF the Cen
sus for the year ended December 81,
1906. includes the statistics OF all
American vessels of five tons net regis
ter or over operated on the inland wat
ers and coasts of the United States,
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands
or between the ports of these and othef
countries. All craft are included ex-
cept those owned by the Federal GOV,
eminent, those engaged i'll fishing ana
stationary wharf boats and house ooats
used largely for residential purposes.
The statistics cover 1891 active
craft, with all aggregate gross tonnage
of II, 1893, 429, and 1,762 idle craft, Win
1885 aggregate gross tonnage. In
1SS9-seventeen years earller-tnere
were reported 30, 4S5 active craft, ton
mage 1859, 1875 and l 400 idle craft ton
mage 233, $3.50, The value of the active
increased from $780, 100000 in 1889 to
over $500. 600, 600 in 1906. In the same
period the gross yearly income lncreaS-
ed from about $l62, OO0 900 to S295, 000,-
OOO,or 50 per cent; the number of EN-
ployees from about ia, 900 to 14l, 900, or
30 per cent, and the wages paid year
lv from about $41, 100000 to about S72,-
900, 900, or 72.7 per cent.
BY far the largest part OF the Ameu-
can shipping, 20,0 32 vessels, with an ag-
gregate tonnage of 4, 800, 900 tons, opel-
ate on the Atlantic coast and CUT OF
Mexico. The next greatest number, g.
622 vessels with a tonnage OF over L.,
4UO, OOO is shown for the Mississippi
River and its tributaries. But SO many
of these vessels reported from the Mis-
sssppi River are coal barges and scoWs
that is spite Of the large number and
great tonnage the value is only about
1923, 100000 and the income only about
$1,000, 900. The smaller number of
vessels on the Great Lakes, 1890, repre-
scented value of S130, 100000 and derly-
ed an income of over $65, 10000 Ship
ping on the Pacific coast showed great
proportionate increase and did bust
ness valued at about $4,000 900 i'll 1906.
The substantial increase in American
shipping as whole is due entirely to
the increase in steam vessels and In UNI
rugged craft, as the number of sailing
vessels decreased over 10 per cent,
while their tonnage increased but II
per cent.
Between 1889 and 1906 the number of
steam vessels owned in the United
States increased from 5,603 to 1927, or
772 per cent; their tonnage from no.
O73 to ,O59, 521, or 1874 per cent: and
their value from $131, 567, 427 to 1885,,
772, 727, or 1O4 per cent. This increase.
moreover, was general on all waters ex-
cept the Mississippi River and its trib-
utaries, where the tonnage actually
decreased. The greatest absolute IN
crease except IN gross tonnage is shown
for the steam vessels operating on the
Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. In
gross tonnage the largest mcrease-1,-
319,9T3 tonS-was reported from the
Great Lakes, and resulted from the re-
cent construction of ,arge vessels to
carry ore and grain.
With the increased SIZE OF vessels has
come to more general use of the screw
propeller. Introduced into the United
States in 1871, the screw propeller in
1906 propelled SOL per cent. of all YES
sells and S5.5 per cent of the entire ton
mage. Stern wheels were in use on the
next largest number Of vessels, TO,4 per
cent. of which were in the Mississippi
River district, the side wheel type still
predominateS among ferry bOatS.
In 1889 nearly 1870. 100000 net tons of
freight were carried by American yes
so carried, an increase of over 100 per
CeHt' IHe Plopolt londte lhoiot'o0o loi
freight carried on The Atlantic coast
and Gulf of Mexico and on the Great
Lakes were even considerably larger.
On the basis of tonnage moved, coal
40, 900, 600 tons-is the important item
of freight i'll the water commence of
the United States. Next to coal is iron
ore-41 600 900 tons in 1906, an decrease
400 per cent, since 1889. In the Great
Lakes region large quantities of grain
$685. 1923 tonS-Were transported by
water in 1906.
Considerable decreases are shown in
the shipments of lumber and ice, due to
forest exhaustion near water courses
and to the manufacture of artificial ice.