Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1934-01-31
FIRST SHIP BUILT
I'M AMERICA I'M 1907
Federal Bureau Reveals an
Interesting Story.

Washington. Shipbuilding in
American yards dates back about
three centuries. In 1907 the Vir-
ginia was built at the mouth of the
Kennebec river. the first vessel con
structed In the New world. The
Ourest was built ten years later at
New York; ia 1881 the blessing of
the Bay was floated at Medford,
Mass. These were employed in the
coasting and fishing trade. for il
was not until 1910 that vessels for
transatlantic trade We're launched
In the American colonies. The sue
cess OF these early ventures was
the beginning Of an industry which
was thereafter conducted with an
nually increasing volume The
United States bureau of navigation
records show, according to A. ].
Tyrer, assistant director. that In
1897. the first year that tonnage
built was officially recorded, 56,679
gross tons were completed.
Drop old Models.
Meanwhile, American shipbuilders
began to abandon the old models.
substituting therefor new plans in
the construction and equipment of
ships that resolved the unwieldy,
unsightly crafts of a foreign type
into patterns OF beauty, speed and
endurance previously unknown.
Packet ships. which were commodi-
GUS and luxuriously furnished. were
succeeded by the clipper. vessel
built for speed and fully meeting
expectations in that behalf. In the
year 1853 the age of sail. with its
clippers. brought the maritime ca
reer Of the United States to its
height in building with 2,024 yes
sells Of an aggregate gross tonnage
Of 5S3,450 tons completed.
Clipper ships for passenger sery-
ice were then in turn succeeded by
steamships built on improved mod
els and REINFORCED by every me
chanical device and appliance in
vention could devise or money could
procure at the time. until in 1908
there were 471.926 tons of steam
vessels built as compared with only
31,9S1 tons Of sailing craft for the
same year.
Steel Displaces Wood
The steam vessels became larger
each year. and the ports Of New
York, Philadelphia. Boston and else
where were selected as locations for
the most extensively equipped ship
yards in the world. What was true
with respect to the construction of
ocean vessels and steamers applied
with equal force TO vessels of this
type constructed for inland river
and lake navigation. The first
steiner on these inland rivers was
built at Pittsburgh in 1911; she was
named the Orleans, and had a speed
of about three miles per hour. Five
years later the Ontario. the pioneer
steamer of the lakes, was launched
and completed at Sacketts Harbor.
N. Y.
Shipbuilding Jagged in 1918. the
period of the World war. when in
that year it completed 1,300,S6S
tons IN American yards. This pc
riod also gave an impetus to the
substitution Of steel vessels for
those of wood. especially in the con-
struction of ships for the transat.
lantic service. In 1920 the high peak
of American shipbuilding for all
times brought forth 3.S80.639 gross
tons launched and completed
Since that period. construction In
American shipyards has Jagged to
considerable extent. until on
June 30, 1898. American yards COM
pleted 642 vessels of all types with
a total gross Of 190.s03 tons. OF
this new tonnage IL vessels were
steel passenger steamers of 1881
gross tons. two steel steam cargo
vessels of 1922 gross tons. and
one steel cargo motor ship Of 1.169
gross tons. aggregating 1922
gross tons. The total horsepower
OF the sea-going vessels was 1884,
300.