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28 MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. [Jan. 15, BRITISH SHIP BUILDING Output of United Kingdom in 1902 was less than in 1901, and outlook _for another year is not encouraging--Period of depression seems inevitable--Reducing wages in Clyde yards. Glasgow, Jan. 3.--In a recent letter I stated that the output of new ships in the United Kingdom in 1902 would probably be 100,000 tons down. The total recorded, subject to revision as all returns are, is 1,619,040 tons, which compared with the re- vised total of 1,799,088 tons in 1901, shows a decrease of 180,048 tons. The falling away in the English yards has thus been greater than I anticipated. Had they been as -busy as the Scotch yards have been, the 1902 output would have been a record. As it is, the totals are as under, as nearly as we can get at them at present. 1902 1901 : Tons Ay. "Ps Tons TH: Scotland 567,886 533,128 554,406 472,190 England 891,521 660,373 1,092,760 890,208 Treland eS 150,633 '107,100 151,922 109,300 Total U. K. 3 = | ,619,040.. .1,300,601 1,799,088. 1,471,788 Thus Scotland shows an actual increase of 13,480 tons in spite of the growing depression in shipping. : The output of each Clyde yard in 1902 was as follows: Tons. Tons. Bisecl @ Co... 25 t8.. Sec6s. (bueAiea Can corks: 5,019 | (ool & Co... . 41,052... The Clyde Co. 2.8. .'8,103 W. Denny & Bros. .... 40,3290 Mackie & Thomson.... 4,193 D.& W. Henderson .... 30,849 Campbeltown Co. ..... 3,204 Barclay, Curle.& Co... 31,280 Alley & Macletlan'... "x t57-- The Fairfield Co™.........30;300 -.Bow, McLachlan: & Co... 2,951. A, Stephen & Sotis'..:...27,820. J. Hullertor &'Ce.'...5-2,818 John Brown & Co. °."... 26,260" Ritchie. & Graham... 2,346 Woper @ Miller 2... 18708 The: Ardrossan. "Co... . .' 2067. +. Ay MeMillan & Son... 17,055 , J. slicdrer & = Sons... sr 462 = Ry Dancan & Cores reo Lobnitz, & Co. 2... <.. 1,240 W Beardmore & Co. ~ .. 15,258. Scott & Sons oi... 2.0.3 1,228 Scot 0, .. 13,8904 Geo. Brown & Co.... 900 London & Glasgow Co. 13,835 W. Chalmers & Co... 850 e eeeger & Co... 127er DD Mo Cumming ..... 347 Grangem'th & Grnk. Co. 12,404 W. Fife & Son ........ 2090 Pane & €o. .... ..... 11,084 Cochtah & Co... 278 A & {, Inglis ...7..., 10,875 Peter Macgregor .... 104 Wy Hemilion & Co. © oar J. & J. Hay 2.2232 en: 185 DF Ounop & Co... 8670 The Irvine Co 2.0 .:. 153 Wm. Simons & Co... 8050 Hanna & Wilson .... 83 Fleming & Ferguson.. 6,400 W. Jacks & Co. ...... 68 Murdock & Murray... 6,083 R. Macallister & Son. 64 Jonn Reid & Co...3. so5r Other firms ......... 98 The total for the yards named above is 518,270 tons in 1902, compared with 511,990 tons in 1901. 'The output in steam vessels from these yards in 1902 aggregated 475,504 tons' as against 42,766 tons of sailing vessels. 'The number of steam vessels was 239 and of sailing vessels 73. The years 1oor and 1902 are the largest on record. 'The next largest was 401,074 tons in 1899. The output of 1892 was 336,414 tons; of 1882, 391,034 tons; of 1872, 230,347 tons; of 1862; 60,967 tons. The Tyne, like the Clyde, also managed to better its last year's record. It-was late in the season before the depression now so general on the northeast. coast took effect on the yards, and it does not, therefore, tell on the output of the year. Wages have come down, and the operatives have in most cases accepted the reductions, recognizing that this is their share of a falling market. The strike of joiners has, however, caused a good deal of inconvenience, and some builders state that but for this they would each have had another vessel in this year's figures. Among the notable Tyne launches of the year mention may be made of the twin-screw cable steamer Colonia, built by Messrs. Wigham-Richardson & Co. 'This vessel left the Thames in July to lay the Vancouver-Fanning island section of the new Pacific cable, and, loaded witn 3,540 knots, weighino 7,684 tons, she arrived at Vancouver island on Sept. 12. She began pay- ing out on Sept. 18, and laid 3,455 knots without a hitch. This is the longest length of cable ever laid. The list also includes the Wilson-Furness-Leyland liner Mayflower, the largest yet built in the district, and the Durban floating dock built by Messrs. Swan & Hunter, which was wrecked on the way out: TYNE OUTPUT IN 1902. Vessels. Tons. Re ae & unter ooo. oo bis ks, II 58,322 Poisons Whitworth 66... s.. ee ee 13 52,039 Oem iAtl- Richardson ©. ec ee. 12 37,355 CS Oe 6 31.313 Peer lee 8 Co... es. 5 26,658 De erland C6. eae. 6 24,790 ESS 8 24,764 I i ee 9 15,004 Oe ok ees, 5 15,271 Wee ron ee Co, ek. ees. ot 6 13,749 ee 6 es. 4 0,352 Meeps, omrner © Co... eee ck 5 6,490 OO 31 S725 J; 1 Pilltigiam & Coo a, 9 1,770 J. P. Rennocldson & Sons... 8 1,632 Preoie & UG ee 2 240 Jou Lmidsay Fo eee 3 175 Nel ee Pentley ee eee I 66 'he Union CO. 8 ee oe eo ea 144 -- 323,705 Returns from the English yards show an increase of sixty-one vessels over last year, but a decrease of over 200,000 in tonnage and of over 220,000 in horse-power. 'The increase in vessels is mostly in the Thames district, and the decrease in tonnage in the Tees and Hartlepools. The following table summarizes the work in England during the year: Vessels. Tons. THe. Whe vine (ke Aa 323,705 277,960 Ue, Weegee ke 67 230,670 159,450 Tees & Hartlepools ..... 74 195,114 111,600 "Lhe (dock yards 22.06: 5s 5 51,5600 12,500 he | panes (oes. os we 306 29,181 51,129 Western. ports 7.03... 67 27,022 19,165 ire Prater. 07 ee 120 26,442 24,135 English channel ports .... 147 6,764 12,820 Bristol channel ports ...7 7 1,063 605 937 891,521 669,373 In 1901 the number of vessels built in England was 876, the tonnage 1,092,760 and the horse-power 890,208. In the whole of Scotland the tonnage and horse-power pro- duced during 1902 was as follows: District. Vessels. . Tons, 1A PB: ie Clyde ee eee B12 5IG,270 = 480,870 PORCH Or ee 38 12,980 12,580 BMS ayn) ee EO 20 24,255 28,800 Be DEO acini ene bial ies 25 12,431 10,878 | 404 567,886 533,128 In 1901 the number of vessels produced in these districts was 376, the tonnage 554,406 and the horse-power 472,190, so that there is an increase in all three items. LARGE NUMBER OF STEEL SAILING SHIPS. A feature of the year's work was the number of large sailing ships launched. A. McMillan & Son, Dumbarton, turned out seven of 17,055 tons, ranging in size from 1,945 to 3,283 tons. A. Rodger & Co., Port Glasgow, launched: four of from 1,959 to 3,090 tons; Wm. Hamilton & Co., Port Glasgow, one of 1,951 tons; John Reid & Co., Whiteinch, two of 2,400 tons and one of 760 tons; and the Ailsa company, T'roon, one of 1,760 tons. Altogether, the list contains sixteen sailing ships--all steel. Russel & Co. have for the sixth consecutive year the great- est tonnage to their credit. Connell & Co. step from third place, which they occupied last year, to second, while Denny & Bros. follow with very nearly the same tonnage. The aggregate of the Clyde marine engineering is not only greater than that of last year but is also the second largest since 1890. The total indicated horse power for 1902 is 480,870, com- pared with 440,125 in 1901. Firms credited in the past year with 10,000 I. H. P. or more are: Total Total Too Pe. lee: Pairhelid: Co. 3. 45,750. - A. Stephen & Sons... 23,540 Denny. & Con ae7cers.3 41,920 Dunsmuir & Jackson... .22,600 D. & W.. Henderson. >. 36,300 4V. Simons &: Co. .:.2. 12,545 D: Rowan & Co: 31500 Ross: & Duncan... 12,225 Seott 4-Ce. tao 31,100 Po 8h Wnelis = 3. 12,170 W. Beardmore & Co...27,9000 Rankin & Blackmore...11,650 London & Glasgow Co.25,500 Muir & Houston... ... 11,410 Barclay, Curle & Co. ..25,250 iG. Kincaid & Cozy. 11,200 John Brown & Co......24,500 Card] & C0. rs. , 10,000 DEPRESSION AND LOWER WAGES INEVITABLE. All through the year the tonnage launched has, month after month, been in excess of that reported as booked, and there has been a gradual clearing off in the work on the stocks, until now there are a large number of vacant berths. This in itself is a significant fact, and the builders themselves say they have rarely found it so hard to obtain orders. Already in the lower reaches of the river several of the yards are closed, so far as actual ship building is concerned, and unless prospects brighten the remainder of the winter will be a hard time. The enormous output of the past year has cleared many of the order books, and those yards which are busy are principally those which do not depend on general trading steamers, but are always well em- ployed on warships or other special work. At this time last year the tonnage on hand in Scotland was estimated at 430,000 tons. The aggregate now on hand is estimated at about 362,000 tons. This, however, is very unequally distributed. There are in it two huge battleships, four first-class cruisers and probably the new Cunarders, vessels themselves aggregating nearly 100,000 tons. Apart from the yards where these vessels are to be built a period of depression seems inevitable. That it has already begun is evident, for one thing, from the reports of the different trade unions interested in the industry, The report of the As-