The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-27
TONNAGE EXPLAINED.
What Is Meant by Vessels Tonnage,
Gross and Net

The average man who speaks of the
=. : lmpcrator as being OF $4,000 tons
burden would bo at loss to explain
Just what he means or understands lay
this And he would be mystilied If the
exact figures of the vessel were placed
before him and he were asked to eX-
plain them. The figures are
Displacement, fully laden. j1.ooo tons
Gross tonnage ............ 52lli tons
Deadweight capacity ...... 1000 tons
These terms and that of net regis
tered tonnage are confusing To all but
shipping men, especially as the word
ton when used of gross tonnage or
net tonnage, does not mean ton either
long or short-iu the Landmarks under
standing of the word, bot is a measure
of capacity and not of weight. Each
ton in such cases represents 100 cubic
feet or IS cubic meters.
Displacement means the uvoirdupuis
weight of water actually displaced Boy
a vessel as she is when leaving port
fully laden. Ia this case ton means
".2lo pounds avoirdupois This is ass
cer;ained Joy calcul1tiu2 the cNd.t
number of cubic feet occupied 10y the
vessel below the water line and divid-
| ing h,, -. as 81 cubic feet of water
weighs one ton.
| The cubic contents of the vessels ina
terror divided by 100 give her gross
tonnage. This Is taken 10y measuring
exactly all spaces without any eNcep-
| ton, below the second deck, as we'll as
all permanently uclosed spaces on that
deck and ON all decks above.
The net registered tonnage is sup.
posed To- represent the actual capaciN
of a vessel for cargo carrying II Is
obtained by deductiug from tho grus.
tonnage the cubic contents eft all space
that cannot he used for cargo, or pas.
sengcrs. including crews quarters, law
atories. engine rooms, coal hunkcrS
spaces needed for ventilation. char
rooms. etc. The international congress
that met i'm Coustautinuplr In lN'" O
draw up rules for the operation of the
Suez Canal defined the space To- Ice de
Quoted in figuring net TONNAGE as al
space that cannot Ice used for earn
ing freight 10y being employed for ear
rying passengers or merchandise.
The measurements. 10y which gr"s
and net TONNAGE are calculated are s.
intricate that capt. Charles ~ MacA
lister Of the United States Revenu
Cutter service testifylng as am eNper
before the senate committee on Oh
Panama canal said that mo two com
petent persons could take the sam
prescribed measurements independent
Is and arrive at the Same result
There Is another term. deadWeisl
capacity" rarcl, used except of ore am
coal CARRYING harges ON the Grry
Lakes. It simply means the maNimm
number Of long tons the vessel ca
carry.
\ vessel built specially 10 carry pas
sengers and designed for high spec
sometimes has very small net t"nuas
For example. the Kaiser Wilhelm I'D
crosse is of 2S500 tons displacement
1870 gross tonnage and only i.'2l M
' registered tonnage. I'll. Celtic. d'
} signed for both freight aud passcugci
, shows mach less dispuritN. being
Q 10000 tons displacement 2l9ol gro
. tonnage. l3.I49 net tonnage.
F.. Passing through the Snrz canal. o
\ vessels pay tolls on thu hasts of N
= tonnage. so warship. which has llti
I, space that could be used FOR freiel
gets on cheaper than a trcighter
similar displacement The TINT
II states steamship Connecticut for g
+ ample, has displacement ot 100