Evening star., 1938-03-06
Growth of @ Ocean.Borne
American Commerce
BY FREDERIC J. HASKiN.

being one Of the oldest industries OF the
Nation and indispensable, 1t is neces-
sary that vessels go upmolested to all
parts OF the world. This is true of all
nations, for shipping Is one of the life
veins all people.
Mans mastery Of the waves through
the construction and operation of ves-
sells is so full of romance and adventure
that 1t has become a part of the life of
every nation. And to America goes the
honor OF having sent the first steamship
the Savannah-across the Atlantic.
This 100-foot ship sailed out Of the Port
of Savannah, Ga, May %, 1919, and
when sighted in an Irish port some one
exclaimed that the ship was on fire. not
having before seen vessel sailing under
steam.
On August II, 1907, Robert Fulton
sailed the Clermont, the worlds first
successful steamboat, up the Hudson
River, and following this the use Of
steam in propelling vessels came into
use along the Atlantic Coast. But it re-
manned for the Savannah to be the first
steamship to reach European shores. An
old sea captain, Moses Rogers, first
thought of putting the sailing vessel Sa-
vannah into steam. The engine and
boiler were placed on her deck, while
paddle wheels were so arrangd that when
the engine was not running and the
Savannah was proceeding under sail the
wheels could be hoisted on deck. But
many years passed, after that first voy-
age of the Savannah, before steamships
began crossing the ocean frequently.
Back in 1926 Donald Mckay, a 16-year-
old lad from Nova Scotia, landed in New
York. Within him there dwelt a great
love of ships and of the sea. So he
appreniced himself to shipbulder in
New York After Mckay had learned the
trade he entered the Brooklyn Navy
Yard, where he was selected from thou
sand men to be foreman, although he was
but lad of 20. Because he was not a
native American, men in the navy yard
refused to work under him and finally
drove him away. But the hand Of des-
tiny was upon him. He was to perform
a tremendously important task for his
adopted country. Within few years he
had become head OF his own shipyard.
For many years Donald Mckay had
heard sea-going men talk about the
speed of ships. He learned that since
the days of ancient Egypt the bow or
1Ol wal Cllu VI lllC dFCl d6C SdllllS NCSScl
had followed the pattern of the swans
breast with a smooth, curving surface
that lifted easily over the waves He
heard men talk, too, about building the
bow of ship with sharp point-a point
that actually would clip through the
waves instead of riding over them One
day Mckay decided to build clipper ships.
and that decision wrote the first chapter
in new era for shipping. and made pos
sible faster and safer crossing of the At
lantic.
While Mckay was not the inventor Of
this type of vessel, he built the fastest
and most wonderful sailing craft the
world has ever seen. And their records
for speed under sail are today unbroken.
In that day the incessant cry everywhere
was for speed-speed. Gold had just
been discovered in California. The quick
est way to reach this new Ell Dorado was
by sailing around Cape Horn Fortune
hunters were willing to pay any price
for the voyage. Donald Mckay built
ships for the gold rush-marvelous ships
as beautiful as they were swift One of
his clipper ships. the Lightning. sailed
436 miles in one day-a world record
which still stands.
Though Mckay was the one man most
responsible for clipper ships. fate in the
end denied the eventual rewards that
should have been his. During the war
of the Cos, many of this country's ships
were destroyed and commerce suffered
severely. With the end of the war. A-3eri-
cans turned their energies to the develop.
ment of the West, constructing railroads.
resulting in the neglect of shipping.
American ships gradually disappeared
from the seas. Donald Mckay, with all
the glory of accomplishment to his credit,
died in 1880, an old man. broken-hearted
and in poverty. Even the models of his
proud ships which had been stored in a
barn were chopped to pieces for firewood.
-
Although America invented the steam
ship and although it was an American
vessel which first crossed the Atlantic,
equipped with engines. it was the British
who developed ocean navigation by iron
steamers. Gradually the shipping of the
United States declined, until short time
before the World War only one-tenth Of
the commerce of the United States was
carried under the American flag.
In 1917, many of the worlds proudest
ships lay at the bottom of the sea. Sub
marines had ravished the ocean. Ma
tions overseas were on the brink of star
vation. America entered the war 5000
miles from the battlefelds, and without
a merchant marine. 1t was necessary.
almost overnight, to build a bridge Of
ships to France. But the miracle was
performed. The greatest fleet in the
history of the world was built and
launched within few months. On July
a. 1918. 90. great American ships slid
down the ways at one time-a record
that probably will stand for many year.
This was possible because the tremen.
dous energy of America coupled with in
ventive genius brought forth new type
of vessel-a prefabricated ship in which
the various standard parts were built in
factories and then assembled and
launched to the sea.
Early in the last century young man
in Massachusetts named Frederick Tudor
called upon an old sea captain and said
he wanted to take on cargo of ice for
Martinique. Told by the captain that it
could not be done for the reason that
the ice would melt, young Tudor per-
sisted. He found that by covering ice
with sawdust it melted very little. So
shipload of ice went forth to Martinique
as one of the most unusual cargoes Of
American products ever to sail into for
eign port.
The entire story of American foreign
trade is equally cOlOrful and amazing