The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

1901.] MARINE REVIEW. 15 similar standardization in modern railway equipment and gaining all the attendant advantages. After careful study of all conditions, supplemented by many years' experience at sea and in ship building establishments, the designer of the "Long-Arm" system has decided to recommend the use of compressed air in large installations and electricity in small ones. The simplicity and economy of pneumatic apparatus and the fact that pneumatic power adapts itself to the special requirements of door and hatch operation without being dangerous, or creating discomfort, has been proved. The use of electric power may, however, be desired by owners in many cases, and such use is particularly suitable in small plants where the special pneu- matic power station would be relatively more expensive and where there are no other uses for compressed air. The simplicity of using power direct from the electric generators of the ship is sometimes more apparent than real, especially when this power must be surrounded by special safeguards to make it as permanent and reliable as that from the pneumatic power station flasks, but where a storage battery is installed for other purposes it makes electrically-operated doors especially desirable. When the con- duit, wiring, fittings and the increased generator capacity are considered it will be found that pneumatic power is cheaper for the large plants and electric power is cheaper for the small plants. The "Long-Arm" System Co. manufactures both. Some time after the ""Long-Arm" hydraulic power system was suc- cessfully placed on the principal water-tight doors of the United States cruiser Chicago in 1898 the Bowles-Sprague-Hill 'safety system of electric water-tight doors'? was devised and constructed by Naval Constructor F. T. Bowles, now the chief constructor of the navy, and the Sprague Electric Co. In this system the successful features of safety for the man and for the ship were the same as those in the "Long-Arm" system. In 1900 the "Long-Arm" System Co. bought the entire United States and foreign rights, patents, business and good will connected with this electric power system for water-tight doors with a view of perfecting it in all pos- sible ways, as would naturally come from practical experience and tests, and embodying it in the "Long-Arm" business. Continued work in this line has resulted in many improvements in detail and much simplification. SUMMARY OF NAVAL CONSTRUCTION. The monthly summary of naval construction, issued by the bureau of construction and repair, shows that all the armored cruisers, with the ex- ception of the two awarded to the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, have now been laid down. Undoubtedly the strike has delayed the progress of work at the Union Iron Works. As a whole the statement indicates most favorable progress. The seven submarines are rapidly reaching a stage of completion. Following is the summary: Degree BATTLESHIPS. of completion, Per cent. Name. Building at Oct. 1. Nov. 1. WERING oo es Si Nase cs caee'e Cramp te SONG kc. s. ss ccs eee 67 70 MiISSOUTs oso ss kako bie swase ees Newport News 0800 45 48 QO oe eon eeu eee eaten Union. Iron: Works: :. 6566555 43 43 Witeinia® seco sies chic ese se Newport NWS ...5.51.,525.5.-0 55 Ss 0 0 Nebraska ooo. .cc os. Setce sce. cnn Moran 'Bros: Con, na 0 0 COTO fess ccs ecco secs soos Ath ITONOWOTKS 6. co oe. bos cscs as 1 2 New Jersey ........... neesecvecs HOPG RIVED: OO... ccs. esac cess 0 2 Rhode island 2... 20... c ese. e es sOre (River CO. ern. ie cee 0 2 ARMORED CRUISERS. Pennsylvania ............ Caps ece Cramp & Sons ......... Sebelec is Sees 4 6 Wost Virginia .. ..<c.5.6.5.055.6 «Newport NOWS.<c.60.c.068c8scc ss ok 1 2 CAllornia: occ es cies tenes yee nea Union Iron Works «5.0063 5.6.<.43.....¢ 0 0 COLOTOUO: pieces. so cscsasss eos SOEAMD: CeBONS!.. cs cisco oe 7 9 Maryiang «5.226... cscce a. ....Newport News ........ Dee ace eat 1 2 South Dakota :2:2.35..3..ca6- <0: Union Tron Works: <<... 06sec 0 0 SHEATHED PROTECTED CRUISERS. DONWOL. veces cuss cass chess oe WeaNe GOV cies esi cissccass sc ce lsc: 57 58 Des Moines .... 6.0. 5c cc cco e sees Fore River Engine Co................. 54 57 Chattanooga ....... 6.2 0.6s cess Lewis Nixon ....... Beosieucs oe cecrc ces 46 48 MGRIVOSLON: 20 ccs... ok roses cae Wan, Re Dries CO} esc cces ces. ceo 40 45 Tacoma ......... epee ORMOD ATOM WORKS: ccscees cscs ee 20 20 Cleveland .. Bath Iron Works ... ee OL 68 St. Louis .. -Neafie & Levy .... 0 0 Milwaukee .. .. Union Iron Works. 0 0 TIN ATIOBLON i ooicicc cece soc' okies e's Newport News ......cccccccetssceeeeces 0 0 MONITORS. WMORBDGAS (oo occces coches cesses «.. Newport News .......00... TW 5 'Nevada ........... .... Bath Iron Works ......... 91 91 MIOTIGR ........-0- seve ddOWIS INIZON icc0cs cece ce cc 71 74 PU VOMUINE 505 icc s ccc csc c ase »s Union, Tron; WOrks «oo vss .cc5. sees csc 5 75 TORPEDO BOAT DESTROYERS. fot Bainbridge ....... pais gre NOBNO Me LUOVY vss scex cease ieee ss 99 99 Barry ..... .. Neafle & Levy .. Leia 92 Chauncey . -. Neafie & Levy ... 93 96 PalO: .. ssc. ae .... Wm. R. Trigg Co. a Oe 97 PIGCALUC oo oi sc sont oct wees e oe Wil, Ry UTR' CO... eres ences 98 98 THODEING 2.6505 os ie cs eee eee cs -.. Harlan & Hollingsworth .............. 76 76 pee Sr anas Neue ea weno --. Harlan & Hollingsworth .............. 75 75 TOR WLONCO cacscc ccs ccncta cence -.- Fore River Engine Co................. 99 99 MacDonough ................ --Fore River Engine Co................. 98 98 Paul Jones .............. Bie oats «- Union' Iron 'Works 3,002...) ..055.4% 85 85 QE ois oo Sb sg es es es ass woe Union Iron: Works: 6. ..3503. seh os 89 89 PPBDIO. 455 cic es css ess sneses UMION ITON WOPKS 5 ocses00c 6 ecces sins 87 87 Stewart .. es ----Gas Engine & Power Co............... 62 63 Truxton .. -. Maryland Steel Co...... Hee AG 78 Whipple .. »... Maryland Steel Co.... scene. ID 77 Worden ............- pees MACVIBNO Steel: CO, 5 cee cess cose sc ee ces v3) 76 TORPEDO BOATS. BirinZhaAM: 2.2265 oe. .-.Harlan & Hollingsworth . 98 98 Goldsborough +seee- Wolff & Zwicker ......... : 95 97 BIAKGLY p5sc sec ces ss vee +++e+e Geo. Lawley & Son .. sass 8 98 TGEMOR soos es coc cease ss. G@0. Lawley @ Son ...::.:.--..--3.-5- 98 98 WOROMON .o.i6 6555s. s ees sous IOWIB NIZON 50055 ceees ceils sees cess 95 97 OP Ren aces ok vases caso Sean veces Eeowis NISOD 002) coin sv is soc Siesencee ss 98 98 EROINION 6cssrseense ss Gccowe eae cee Kee TPIRE OOo oocac oo veto cece 97 97 MEDROY gp cccsinccescosnss +++eeeeee COluMbian Iron Works ....-.......... 69 70 WLIRGS cies cease. ces -.-e»Gas Engine & Power Co............... 87 90 SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOATS. Plunger .........-- ween ese as pa eptpOWUh IRON cose ccc ceccsscl cs ccs - 85 45 WEE AC Ch ions eececssecus saseu COWIN NIXON <6 550 .050c cece. cee Sas cs 90 92 Grampus ............. seseeeeeeee Union Iron Works .........-..0:0.0055 51 51 Moccasin o2ehiais SiOWiS NIZOR: ois 56. os cesce: Seki 8; 85 Pike ..... e» Union Iron Works ..... ees ae 50 Porpoise . cove ® NIXON oi ivccccces. site Se 80 Gente Sobewceesss NERO occs cise ccee, eevee'. Ue 74 GROWTH OF AMERICAN SHIPPING. AMERICAN TONNAGE HAS NOW PRACTICALLY ATTAINED THE FORMER MAXI-~ MUM GROWTH OF I86I--REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION. The report of Mr. Eugene Tyler Chamberlain, the commissioner of navigation, says that the last fiscal year has been the third successive year of notable prosperity and growth in American shipping, exceeding the two previous years. The extent and naturé of work under way or pro- jected in ship yards promises an even greater growth for the current fiscal year. American tonnage has now practically attained the former maxi- mum growth of 1861. The figures of 1901, compared with 1861, show an increase in coasting trade vessels from 2,704,544 tons to 4,582,683 tons (two-thirds of the increase being on the great lakes), a decrease in foreign trade vessels from 2,496,894 tons to 879,595 tons, and a decrease in whaling and fishing vessels from 358,375 tons to 61,940 tons. Of the total tonnage 3,623,201 tons are wooden vessels and only 1,901,017 are iron or steel. In 1900 Great Britain launched 1,440,000 tons of steel vessels. Porto Rico appears in the returns with twenty-five vessels of 5,297 tons, and Hawaii with sixty-four vessels of 37,149 tons. In the Philippines 2,340 vessels of 102,581 tons (of which 149 vessels of 43,598 tons are steam vessels) are under American protection. Until congress has so enacted the Philippine vessels are not vessels of the United States. Although registered American vessels increased 62,485 tons in the year, American vessels carried only 8.2 per cent of exports and imports, the smallest percentage in the history of the country. The fleet of ocean steamers in foreign trade is too small to be compared with that of foreign nations. The fleet of each of the four large British and German steamship corporations exceeds the American fleet in tonnage, mileage and business. The tonnage built and documented in the United States in the last fiscal year comprised 1,581 vessels of 483,634 gross tons. The steel vessels under construction or under contract in the current fiscal year will much exceed similar tonnage built in any previous year. The bureau is advised of eighty-nine such merchant vessels of 355,645 gross tons, to be valued at about $36,000,000. Besides these, seventy-one naval vessels of 281,148 tons displacement are building at contract prices of $78,000,000: In this work forty-four plants, with a capital of about $68,000,000, employing about forty-six thousand men, are engaged. The building of ten transatlantic steamers presumably rests on antici- pated legislation by congress. Six for the Atlantic Transport line are building from the same plans used in building steamers in England for the same company. The American cost of a steamer of the Minnehaha type will be $1,846,800; the British cost $1,419,200. The American cost of the smaller transatlantic cargo steamers will be $729,000, for which the British price ranges from $534,000 to $486,000. The difference in wages on American and foreign vessels is consid- ered in detail. In illustration the payroll (excluding master) of 380 men on the St. Louis is $11,300; of 427 men on the British Oceanic is $9,900, and of 500 men on the German Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse $7,715. The German is the fastest steamship; the American is the smallest. : The report contains a detailed statement of the foreign voyages of American vessels last year, showing that the American flag was seen much oftener on the North Atlantic during President Jefferson's Embargo (1808) or during the cruises of the Alabama than at present. Foreign shipping in the Pacific trade has doubled in three years. The purchase of the Leyland line is considered as evidence that American capital is willing to invest in ocean steamships; that there is an advantage to American exporters in American control of ocean steam- ships, even if not under the American flag, and that in the coming devel- opment of ocean transportation facilities the union of trunk railroad lines and steamship corporations will be an important factor. Including the Leyland purchase, American capital owns fully 670,000 tons of steamers under foreign flags, which in actual carrying power exceed all American vessels now engaged in foreign trade. The war and navy departments also own 126,847 gross tons of foreign built transports and colliers. By various special acts, fifty-six foreign built vessels, of 132,187 gross tons, have been admitted to registry. American money, accordingly, of late years has purchased 931,000 tons of foreign built steel steamers, while since 1891 there have been built in the United States 1,006,000 tons of steel steam vessels of all kinds. The principal foreign and American ocean mail contracts are printed in full, and it is shown that, at the present prices of steamships, British ocean mail contracts are:more advantageous for steamship lines than American contracts under the act of 1891. The report contains the usual statistical tables of American shipping, and also tables illustrating the growth of British and German shipping. It will not be printed for dis- tribution until December. The following letter, recently addressed to the commissioner of navi- gation by B. N. Baker of Baltimore, president and principal owner of the Atlantic Transport line, shows the present difference in the cost of building ocean screw steel steamers in the United States and Great Britain: "Referring to my letter of March 16, 1901, and replying to your re- quest with regard to relative difference in cost of ships, our company at present have a contract for two ships with Messrs. Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast (one of which will be completed very early in the spring and the other a little later, say, during the summer), of exactly the same size, dimensions and all particulars as two ships we have con- tracted for with the New York Ship Building Co. of Camden. The cost of the English built ship, as near as possible (we having just com- pleted two of exactly the same size, dimensions and speed), will be about £292,000 ($1,419,120). The same identical ship, built at the works of the New York Ship Building Co., will cost us a little over £380,000 ($1,846,- 800). In addition to this we are building two steamers with the New York Ship Building Co., of smaller dimensions, for which we have a contract, at £150,000 each ($729,000). Also two ships of exactly the same dimensions, with the Maryland Steel Co., Sparrow's Point, for £150,000 each ($729,000). We have two ships of identically the same detail, de- livered to us in the last twelve months, built by Messrs. Harland & Wolff Belfast, one of which cost me £110,000 ($534,600), and the other £100,006 ($486,000).""