The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-27
rSH|P CONSTRUCTION
/. IN UNITED STATES
|. ON ENORMOUS SCALE
Vessels Aggregating Gross
Tonnage of 100000 Are
Now Under Way
|. ONE is BIG TANK
TO CARRY MOLASSES
Shipyards of United States Are
Now Capable of Building Any
Character of Vessel Which
May be Designed
Nv HOII.ANn


the owners of one of the steamship lines
which operates vessels navigating along
both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and
engaged also in foreign commerce across
the Pacific were negotiating, according to
reports, for the sale of some. If not all,
of its steamers, information came from
Boston that capital is sought in that city
for the purpose of organizing a steamship
line which will operate between Boston
and the Pacific coast.
The promoter of this Boston plan has
heretofore been occupied with railway
transportation. His executive duties en-
tailed an oversight upon steamboats, ply
ing between New York and Boston. He
is the executive whom Charles s. Mel,en
brought from Minnesota to Boston to aid
Mr.. Melen In carrying out great plans
for the unfication of the New England
railroad situation Mr. Byrnes must have
been familiar with steamship navigation
through the great lakes and perhaps
gained by that experience knowledge
which will make it all the easier for him
to persuade Boston capital that the oppor-
tunities are excellent for establishing a
steamship line operating between Boston
and the Pacific coast by way of the Pan
anna canal.
Reports have been in circulation that
the managers of a steamship company
which has long been engaged in commerce
between New York and the Pacific coast
by way of the Panama isthmus and the
railroad which crosses the isthmus have
found it expedient to sell some of its
steamships on account of the effect of
less, when President Wilson takes up his
investigation of the LaFollette law with
view of making recommendations to Con-
gress in favor of modification of that
law, should he find this advisable, certain
facts will be brought to his attention
which will reveal to him the magnitude
of shipbuilding operations in the United
States Those who control shipyards do
not appear to find that the LaFollette law
Us to affect their work. However, it is not
the shipbuilders, but those who own and
navigate ships, who viii be affected, If
there is any harmful effect, by the La
Toilette law is to affect their work.
However, it is not the shipbuillders, but
those who own and navigate ships, who
will be affected, if there is any harmful
effect. by the LaFollette law.
Two or three years ago American ship
yards began to be busily occupied, partly
because the belief was general that the
opening of the Panama canal to naviga-
ton would greatly simulate commerce.
The advent of the European war seems
not to have affected the shipbuilding
business in the United States. The statis-
tics which President Wilson will have at
hand will show him that the American
shipyards lad, late in June of this year,
under construction vessels designed for
hsea board navigation built of steel or iron
aggregating go, with gross tonnage OF
nearly 100000. But the President VIII
ct than these be-
fore him when the details of the con-
struction of vessels which are to navigate
the great lakes are laid before him. AS
the so-called 800 canal has now for
some years foated greater tonnage
than any other ship canal in the world
greater even than that of the Suez canal
so also ship construction and the navi-
cation of the great lakes represent the
largest activity of that kind in American
waters
Few people realize what part the ton
mage of great lake shipping plays in the
aggregate of American commerce. The
city of Detroit furnishes excellent oppor-
.tunity for observing the magnitude OF
the commerce which is carried on through
the great lakes. There is probably no in
land city in the world through which
greater commerce passes than is the case
with Detroit.
The distinctive character of some or the
vessels which are under construction in
American shpyards illustrates some Pc
culjarit of our commerce. For instance.
the magnitude of the oil-carry1ng COM
merce can best be understood by the sta
tjstics which show that in American ship
yards there are now under construction
q oil carriers whose aggregate capacity is
little over 10000 gross tons. This is APP
proximately half of the entire tonnage
now under construction.
The Great Golfers
American shipyards are now construct
Ing six Golfers, each of which has ca
pacity of 1900 gross TONS and In add
ton five passenger steamers, each OF
which has a capacity of $1,000 gross tons.
About 20 cargo steamers are under con-
struction which are to be used exclusively
rs freighters and two of the steamers Will
when completed transport molasses in
great tanks. In one instance. American
efipyards are now occupied in building
steamers for foreign nations In Baiti-
more, the shipbuilding company Is build
ing for Norway two triple-screw, steer
steamers designed for the exclusive pur-
pose of transporting OIL This is reported
to be the first instance in which an Amer
lean shipbuildng company mas entered
into contracts to construct steamers for q
foreign nation.
Were there a ship canal of adequate
dimensions comparable in size and capac-
Nifty to the 500 canal, which connected
Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, then there
is no doubt that the shipbuildng and the
navigation industry of the great lakes