The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08
gravel scow.

some conclusions may he drawn con.
corning the effect of the canal on
trade wen 49,
The absence Of German ships has
been II Of the factors in lesseninc
the volume OF traffic. The Germans
In their mercantile marine. as in
everything else, were fully prepared to
utilize the canal. Their calculations
had been made To the minutest detail
Some of the business which they
would have had of course has gone
60 their competitors.
The value Of the British fleet To the
British merchant marine by driving
the Germans of the sea and absorbing
their trade has been made manifest.
hut there has been an actual loss OF
traffic due To the complete paralyzing
OF German overseas commerce. Al
lowance must be made for this in any
Cuesses as to the future volume Of
traffic through the canal. During the
frst year IL has meant "A subtraction
Of revenue tolls and from present in
dications this minus quantity must he
allowed for during another year at
least.
The first year Of operation has
brought some surprises and has con-
founded some prophecies.
II was quite generally assumed that
the canal sounGed the doom Of the
sailing ships. just the opposite has
happened. They have received a new
lease Of life. 1t has been demonstrated
that they can use the canal To adj
vantage.
In June the harkontlnc John G..
Meyer Of San francisco passed
through the canal with a cargo of
lumber from oregon for Quebec. She
lost time in the area Of the doldrums
west Of Central America. hut, she saved
nifty days in tho voyage To- Quebec
ms compared with the voyage around
Cape Horn.
During the same month the four
masied steel bark Fell was despatched
from Balboa for japan with n cargo
Of oil from Philadelphia. Later in the
month her sister ship the Daylight
passed through the canal with n cargo
az petroleum from New York for
Shanghai.
The Bell ana the Daylight are
emong the largest sailing ships afloat.
The Bell is 3i2'. feet long by - feet
IN the beam and Is feet deep, and has
q net tonnage "f $500.
The passage of these four masted
sailing vessels with their relatively
large tonnage would seem to settle
definitely the commercial feasibility
of the canal for this class Of merchant
craft. Various smaller sailing ships
ais have pas ed through.
The Canal Commission has been So
impressed with the prospect that II
has sought the cooperation of the
United States liydrographic Di'ico 10
give full information regarding sea-
soma winds ana other data regard
Ing directions for sailing vessels. II
has ais formulated suggestions that
the sailing vessels make a"rrangemcnts
with regular steamship lines To pick
them zap in the area of the doldrumS
and tow them into Balboa.
The commission gives some sug-
Ccstive figures regarding the cost Of
handling the sailing vessels going
through the canal and the saving in
net expense from port to port. II
estimates hat on the voyage from
New York to san Francisco It vessel
might be expected to save eighty days
at sea. II is pointed ont that n shin
of 1000 tons and Wy may he operated
a. sea AT n cost Of SO a day. Tn,
Charges for passing such n vcss"'
through the canal would approximate
&2,70O. SubtraCting these charges
from the saving Of eighty days al
eca at S15 "A day. or a total of So, 900
tho net saving to the operator would
be -, 300.
TINS mathematical t"munStrltiol
Of til" none value Of the canal
o. sailing ships may be subjcc.
I" some variation. hut the out
standing facts are the passage both
of bic and little sailing vessels througi
IN" canal, and conclusion Of SO con,
scrVativo an official as Gov. GOcthaIs
ana his associates is that the cana
iout' is favorable 10 them.
III" experience in regard to train,
routes, making allowance for the up.
set caused 10y the world war. in III,
main justifics anticipations, Thus IA,
the chief volume of traffic is tho
coastwise trade, that Is. from the Al,
l.illC- 10 tho PACING, and vice versa