Evening star., 1934-01-14

long. narrow craft, built especially for
high speed when heavily laden and
under q fun head Of sail, American
supremacy was conceded.
The first clippers were only Of about
$50 tons, but In 1e43 the great Rainbow
was constructed. OF 750 tons, she was
claimed to be the fastest ship tn the
world. The Rainbow hung up tas tea
trade record Of Canton and return IN
s months II days. Later the Howqua
tore home to New York from Shanghai
IN "a days. The Yankee shippers had
system Of padlocking their gear 50
that sailors could not let q clipper of
the wind in fear Of capsizing. In a
race skipper would see his rigging car
ried away before he would shorten sail.
SO. proud IN this great reputation, The
American sailing feet grew year by year
When the California gold rush came
there was even greater pressure for
speed In 1851 the Flying Cloud
romped into San Francisco Bay only 50
days out Of New York, and this, Of
course, was around Cape Horn. In 1854
the Comet raised Boston Light only 76
days out Of San Francisco. The Atlantic
trade grew, and the Lightning. in 1854.
hung up the all-time record for q days
run-436 nautical miles-whtle the fast
cct ollOit llluc was 81 ulllcc III d1l AloUI,
made by the James Baines, July IT,
1856. Modern steamships seldom exceed
81 miles. The Liverpool voyage was
frequently made In 13 days.
Steam Fleet Crows
These feet vessels brought hig.l
freight rates and there were 20 many
built that competition became too keen
The zenith Of the sail feet is noted
for 1861, when the tonnage was
1852 ,609. But sailing craft continued
for many years to constitute the bulk
Of the American merchant marine.
Steel-hulled schooners were built for the
freight trade. and while the steamers
mail business after the Civil War, the
Nations freighting was done under sail
When the sailing fleet stood at 4, ,662 900
tons the steam fleet showed only 81, ,204
To the person who thinks Of the sail
ing ship as something very far In the
romantic past 1t may come as sur
prise to know that it was not until 1893
that the steam tonnage eQualed the sail,
both in that year standing at about
2,100 900 tons. The steamers averaged
more than twice as large as the sailing
ships, all sorts Of small fishing craft
being figured In the sail statistics. In
1893 there were $3.50 steamers in the
American merchant marine and Is, $50
sailing ships.
The sailing ships day was doubly over.
for In that very year appeared In the
registry figures the first motor ship
So rapid has been the development of
the motor ship that it now has passed
the steamship, not in tonnage but in
numbers. Each year, however. sees q
tonnage gain for the motor type Since
the war the number and tonnage Of
steamships has diminished, while the
number and tonnage Of motor ships has
gained.
There Is another chapter in American
merchant marine history. A century
ago the canals began to occupy an i'm
portant position in the inland trans
portation system. In 1873 the number
Of canal boats reached its peak-S970
Of 820, 1927 tons. Today there are 1866
canal boats of only l,760 tons.
At the end of this century Of navi-
cation there are 5.476 steamships of
11,787, ,655 tons, 12,706 motor ships of
1,074,585 tons and, as almost ghostly
survivals Of once glorious day on the
seas. 1927 sailing vessels Of 562,9 $50
tons, all there are left out of a proud
feet which once numbered nearly 20, 900.