PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
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C.O.
420
Sailing-Ships.
Notwithstanding the rapidly increasing use of steamers in this country, their aggregate tonnage is still largely surpassed by that of sailing-ships. So economical are the latter to work that in the opinion of some witnesses there is reason to anticipate the continued employment of fair proportion of sailing tonnage in trades in which speed is not a material consideration.
British sailing-ships still trade to all parts of the world. The principal articles brought home by them are timber from North America, grain from San Francisco, grain and copper from Chile, grain (including rice) from India and Burmah, grain and wool from Australia, sugar from Mauritius, and guano from Peru. These are all articles of a bulky nature, and it is to the conveyance of such that sailing-ships are now confined. They bring no merchandize of high value, and their outward voyages are to a large extent either in ballast or with cargoes of coal.
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Sailing-ships are still built, but in small and decreasing numbers. In 1880, out of total tonnage of 403,895 built in the United Kingdom, 57,534 was sailing. In the same year 67,374 of wooden sailing tonnage was built in British North America. Except for ships employed in the guano trade, for which wood is preferred, and the smaller class of coasting vessels, iron is the material generally used in this country.
The following Memorandum on this subject is furnished by the Director of Naval Construction to the Admiralty:-
"The number and tonnage of sailing-vessels belonging to the United Kingdom, and actually employed in the home and, foreign trades, has, on the whole, steadily diminished during the years 1870-80. This decrease has been in both the home and foreign trades, and in all classes of vessels with one exception.
"There has been a large increase of ships of 1,200 to 2,000 tons in the foreign trade. This increase took place chiefly in 1874-77. During that period about 250 ships, with a total tonnage of about 400,000 tons, were added to the merchant navy in excess of the normal rate of building at that time. A break in the continuous decline of sailing-ships was thus produced, as shown in the lists below. But, so far as can be seen from the details of recent Returns, this increase of large sailing-ships has now ceased, and the general diminution of sailing tonuage and transfer of the trade to steamers is likely to be followed here.
"The distribution of sailing tonnage (actually employed) amongst the various classes of ships in 1870 and 1880 is shown in the Table below. Since 1870 there has been no increase in the number of sailing-ships of over 2,000 tons, and they are very few."
SAILING-VESSELS belonging to the United Kingdom actually employed in Home and Foreign
Trades:-
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1675
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
Number of Vessels.
Total Tonnage (net).
19,940
4,519,141
19,650
4,3-13,558
19,709
4,245,904
18,785
4,067,144
17,926
4,087,564
17,221
4,044,504
17,228
4,126,058
17,101
4,138,149
16,704
4,076,098
16,449
3,918,676
16,183
3,750,442
SAILING-VESSELS belonging to the United Kingdom actually employed in Home and Foreign
421.
A certain number of British sailing ships are annually sold to foreigners, generally Norwegians, Danes, or Germans. They continue in the same trades in which their former owners employed them, and compete successfully with British ships, as foreigners, being satisfied with smaller profits, are content to work at a cheaper rate. The chief field for their operations is on the west coast of South America, where much of the trade in nitrates and other fertilizers is in their hands. Mr. Ismay states that his firm sold twenty-five of their sailing-ships to foreigners during the last four years.
Supersession of Sailing by Steam Ships.
The encroachment of steamers upon trades formerly carried on exclusively in sailing-ships has been marked and continuous. Year by year the process has gone on, and one trade after another has passed to steamers, till all that is left to sailing-ships is merchandize of the most bulky and least valuable description, and even for this steamers are beginning to compete, with a fair degree of success.
The figures show that there is an actual diminution of sailing tonnage employed, and an enormnous increase of steam tonnage: indeed, since 1860 the steam-fleet has more than doubled itself every ten years, mainly owing to improvements in stean machinery, and to increased economy of working. Mr. Giffen meutions that, when the Suez Canal was projected, it was anticipated that the steamers of that day could not avail themselves of it largely, as they would not be able to afford the dnes. By a remarkable coincidence, it was precisely during the construction of the Canal that the great improvements took place, and it has thus become available to an extent that could not have been contemplated.
At present the apportionment of trade between sailing and steam-ships appears to be, roughly, as follows;—
North Pacific trade
West Coast of South America
East Coast of South America
West Indies
Atlantic
India China
Cape
Australia..
Mediterranean
West Coast of Africa
Sailing.
Majority sailing, but gradually going into steam.
Great majority steam.
Steam.
Great majority steam.
About equally divided.
Great majority steam, about seven-eights. Steam.
About equally divided.
Almost all steam. Steam."
The relative carrying capacity of steam and sailing tonnage may be ascertained by comparing the tonnage employed and the tonnage entered and cleared during any given period. Thus, in 1878, in the foreign trade of the United Kingdom, the net tonnage of sailing shipping employed, and the total net tonnage entered and cleared, were respectively 3,236,081 and 9.850,283; with respect to steam shipping, the figures for the same year were 1,811,024 and 25,441,200; giving in one case an average of three voyages, and in the other an average of fourteen voyages in the year, and showing that steam is between four and five times as powerful as sailing tonnage. The same proportion would not necessarily hold good fu all trades; but looking to the extent and distribution of the foreign trade, it is probably sufficiently accurate for purposes of calculation.
Steamers.
The following statement, obtained from the Director of Naval Construction to the Admiralty in April, 1881, shows the number of British steamers of 1,500 tons and over:—
Trades:-
8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Average Ocean Speed.
Over 5,000.
4,000
to
3,000 to
2,500
to
2,000 to
1,500
5,000.
4,000.
3,000.
2,500.
to 2,000.
Total.
Knots.
Percentage of Total Tonnage.
1870
1880
16
15
3
14
14
Under 50 tons..
134
50 to 100 tons
8
9
13
100
200
111
9
121
12
+
12
200
300
13
300
400
111
11
"}
400
500
11
11
})
500 n
600
10
600
700
10
:::::: :222CH
15
700
800
5
91
-
19
11
1
800 1,000
10
9
9
12
"
1,000 1,200
12
12
"
1 200 1,500
114
51
171
1,500,, 2,000
8
#1
Over 2,000
100
100
13
1
9
13
2
2
41
21
84
14
29
39
28
28
8
95
5
17
39
19
80
14
68
56
141
6
76
89
172
2
42
167
212
3
124
127
1
48
50
8
35
118
91
268
518
1,099*
Not including "Great Eastern."
::::::
1
3
5
14