Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1884 — A Change in Ship Building. [ARTICLE]

A Change in Ship Building.

It has not yet been generally noticed that in the stagnation that has settled upon the industry of ship building there is a change—probably a temporary one —in progress. The latest list of the monthly additions to the registry of British vessels shows that change. It is evinced in the fact that the vessels now being added to the registry are of a very small tonnage compared to those which were added a year ago. In the month reported on last by the registrar, 62 iron and steel steamers were added to the registry of the United Kingdom, but the net registered tonnage of these was only 28,698 tons—not 500 tons each on the average, which is far lelow that usual at the time we

have referred to. Of wood steamers, four were added within the month, the net tonnage being 53 only, while oi iron sailing vessels, the 5 that were added were of 5,55 fl tons net, and the wooden sailing vessels added were oi 1,683 tons net. It is clear from these figures that while the iron and steel and wood steamers included many of Bmall tonnage—river tugs and similar vessels—the tonnage of the sailing vessels was larger. Hence the deduction is fair, that the vessels which are now being built are small steamers for special purposes, and large iron sailing vessels. It is a fact that gives ground for belief that there will lie soon a revival in the demand for steamships, because the loss is going on, and practically the building,of large steamships has for the present ceased. The vessels which are idle must by and by be called into requisition, and then we shall find that there will be orders for new ones to meet the loss that seems to be increasing with the increase of the fleet of Steamers, and with the transfer of a considerable part of the tonnage from sailing vessels to steamers.— Engineer.