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CHAPTER II.

SHIPPING AND YACHTS.

SUMMARY OF SHIPPING.

The growth of our merchant marine is slow, and is in no sense commensurate with our phenomenal advancement in manufactures and commerce. At the same time, it is a fact worthy of note that the documented tonnage of the United States on June 30, 1903, for the first time in our history exceeded 6,000,000 gross tons register, comprising 24,425 vessels of 6,087,345 gross tons. These figures do not include 1,828 yachts of 74,990 gross tons. The total shipping of the United Kingdom for 1902 was 20,258 vessels, of 15,357,052 gross tons (vessels of British colonies number 15,533 of 512,268 net tons). On January 1, 1902, the total shipping of the German Empire was 6,024 vessels of 3,503,551 gross tons. The shipping of the United Kingdom and Germany is largely employed in developing foreign trade. The shipping of the United States is almost wholly a part of our domestic transportation system. On June 30, 1903, 5,141,037 gross tons were engaged in transportation and coastwise trade, 879,264 gross tons were devoted to foreign trade, and 67,044 to fisheries. The distribution of our tonnage on June 30, 1903, was: Atlantic Ocean, 3,157,373 gross tons; Pacific Ocean, 812.179 gross tons; the Great Lakes, 1,902,698 gross tons; Mississippi system, 215,095 gross tons. Our shipping on the Pacific has increased more rapidly than on the Atlantic. In regard to motive power, 3,408,088 gross tons were propelled by steam, and 1,965,924 gross tons were sailing vessels, and 713.333 gross tons of canalboats and barges were variously propelled. As regards the materials of construction, 2,440,247 gross tons were of iron and steel construction, and 3,647,098 gross tons were of wood. following table shows the geographical distribution, motive power, and material of construction of American shipping June 30, 1903.

The

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The very heavy percentage of loss of steamers by fire discloses unsatisfactory attention to duty in the hold or insufficient fire apparatus, or both. The table given includes lost American vessels of all sizes on the rivers and lakes of the country, as well as salt water. For comparison of the relative losses of the merchant shipping of the United States and foreign nations, the most complete figures are those of the "Bureau Veritas." They cover only sea-going steamers of over 100 gross tons and sea-going sail vessels of over 50 net tons. The proportion of foreign vessels on the ocean is so great and of American vessels so small that the figures do not clearly disclose the relative security of navigation under various flags and laws. Figures show that American sea-going vessels from 1896 to 1903 have been less liable to accident but more liable to total loss than foreign steamers, while American sea-going sail vessels have been more liable both to accident and loss than foreign sea-going sail vessels.

The

losses of both steamers and sail vessels of all nations are due, of course, more to stranding than to any other cause, as it accounts for 47 per cent. of the losses of American sea-going steamers and 53 per cent. of the losses of American sea-going sail vessels. The losses of foreign steamers are 44 per cent., and the losses of foreign sail vessels 46 per cent.

There

is a special reason why American vessels are more liable to stranding than the vessels of other nations which conduct the world's deep-sea trade. American vessels are seldom found in midocean on long voyages. Their course is usually along our own coasts in the domestic trade, or in trade with

The third cause of loss and accident in the order followed by the "Bureau Veritas" is fire. The element of direct human responsibility in the case of fire is considerably greater than in cases of collision, where fog and the fault of the second party to the collision may produce disaster, and is much greater than in cases of stranding, where fog, defective charts, and an inadequately lighted coast add to the perils which stress of weather always creates. Afloat or ashore fire seems usually to be a peril to life and property, to be guarded against only by a higher degree of men's watchfulness or by better extinguishing appliances. Each vessel is separated usually by the water from every other vessel as buildings ashore are not separated, so that extra precautions should produce better results with ships than with buildings. The American steam fleet contains a considerable proportion of wooden hulls, while foreign steamers are usually steel. Still it is not pleasant to notice that while the loss of 18 per cent. of lost American steamers may be charged to fire, the loss of only 4 per cent. of lost foreign steamers is charged to this cause; that while 8 per cent. of damaged American steamers suffered from fire, only 5 per cent. of foreign vessels came from this cause; that 4 per cent. of lost American sail vessels were burned and only 2 per cent. of lost foreign sail vessels were burned. The only relieving feature of these particular figures is that the proportion of accidents from fire to American sail vessels-3 per cent. of the total-was the same as to foreign vessels. The situation disclosed may be corrected. Whether that correction should come from the under

writers or from the Government in its legislative or executive branch is not now considered.

Collision to a great extent, and fire to a greater extent, cause loss or accident to vessels mainly through lack of skill and vigilance of the officers and crew. Except where caused by unusual storms or waves vessels founder, on the other hand, on account of structural weakness of the hull. This weakness may be inherent and the fault of the builder, or it may be due to age and inadequate repair, the fault of the owner. In rare cases a new vessel, splendidly built, may yield to the tempest. The separation of causes of loss by the "Bureau Veritas" into foundered, abandoned, and missing, while proper enough from the point of view of the statistician, is not wholly satisfactory to those required to deal with facts from the point of view of possible remedy. The three classes, foundered, abandoned, and missing, really constitute one class for remedial purposes. That class consists of vessels which, on account of defects of the hull, are lost at sea. Most of them founder. Some of them are abandoned by their crews and the ship does not actually go down before their eyes. All of these ultimately go down except the proportion kept afloat by their cargoes, such as lumber-laden schooners. This small proportion constitutes the class known as "derelicts." Leaks (defects in a vessel's bottom) cause about 2 per cent. of the accidents to American steamers and to foreign steamers. Leaks, again, cause 20 per cent. of the accidents to American sail vessels, and only 15 per cent. of the accidents to foreign sail vessels.

Stress of weather or storms accounted for 10 per cent of the accidents to American steamers, 13 per cent. of accidents to foreign steamers, 30 per cent. of accidents to American sail vessels, and 35 per cent. of accidents to foreign sail vessels. Doubtless the excellent system of weather reports and storm warning along the American coasts helps to produce this favorable showing for American vessels. The principal cause of accidents to American steamers lies in the engines and boilers to which 29 per cent. of our steamer accidents are charged, compared with 24 per cent. for foreign steamers. Collision (31 per cent.) is the principal cause of British steamer accidents; stranding (31 per cent.) of German accidents. Accidents engines and boilers may be due to de

to

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fective original construction, to inadequate repairs, or to faults of the men in charge of them. Generally speaking, American machinery holds high place in the world's esteem, and while positive evidence is not at hand, it still seems probable that American marine engines and boilers are equal to those of foreign make. If that be so then the large proportion of accidents from engines and boilers must proceed from one or both of the other two causes mentioned. The returns of the number of men including masters required to man the documented fleet of merchant vessels and yachts of the United States report crews aggregating 135,828 men, 88,249 men being engaged on steamers, while the crews of sailing vessels number 45,030 men, and unrigged boats require 2,549 men to man them. These figures are only for the crews reported.

Returns for 1903 show that 3,086 American steam vessels, including yachts, aggregating 2,994.866 gross tons, are propelled by engines aggregating 2,369,202 indicated horsepower. The figures indicate an annual consumption of about 10,000,000 long tons of coal for fuel on these steamers, and. the employment on board of about 20,000 men as firemen and trimmers. The total number of steam vessels (including motor launches) on June 30, 1903, was 8,801 of 3,459,644 gross tons, so that the figures stated cover 86 per cent. of our steam tonnage, including yachts. In the navy 207 steam vessels of 206,953 tons (displacement) are propelled by engines of 624,745 indicated horse-power.-Condensed the Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Navigation.

from

Flag Day.-Flag Day is June 14. "Old Glory" was 127 years old on June 14, 1904.

NATIONAL SWISS RAILWAYS.

Four of the chief railway lines in Switzerland-the Central Suisse, the Nord Est, the Union Suisse, and the Jura-Simplon-have been nationalized. There only remains the St. Gothard Company. The existing concession will be renounced 1905, and the purchase price fixed on the basis of the average returns of the 10 years preceding 1894-1904.

STATEMENT OF NUMBER AND NET AND GROSS TONNAGE OF
STEAM AND SAILING VESSELS OF OVER 100 TONS, OF
THE SEVERAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD,

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THE WORLD'S LARGE AND FAST OCEAN STEAMSHIPS.

The following table shows the seagoing screw steamships in the world of 12 knots or upward, and of 2,000 gross tons or more, recorded in Lloyd's Register on July 1, 1903, including a few vessels building at that time. While in tonnage these vessels are about onefourth of the world's sea-going steam tonnage, in efficiency, due to their size and speed, they represent more nearly one-third of the effective ocean-carrying power of the world in the general foreign and colonial carrying trade, and probably 85 per cent. of the world's foreign passenger trade.

Speed.

1903.

Num-
ber.

Tons.

Twenty knots and over.
Under 20 and over 19 knots.
Under 19 and over 18 knots.
Under 18 and over 17 knots.

20

236,114

9

63,219

24

191,454

56

378,197

Under 17 and over 16 knots.

80

550,315

Under 16 and over 15 knots.

98

509,479

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COMPARATIVE MERCHANT MARINE OF THE FIRST EIGHT MARITIME NATIONS OF THE WORLD, TONNAGE EXPRESSED IN ROUND FIGURES.

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