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14 Shipbuilding During 1908. ' The usual annual statistics issued - by Lloyds : 1908, exclusive of warships, 523 Vves- ' sels of 929,669 tons gross (viz., 454 _ steamers of 914,570 tcn3 and 69 sail- 1 ing vessels of 15,099 tons) have been launched in the United Kingdom. . The- warships launched at both gov- Register show that during private yards amount to tons displacement. The total output of the United Kingdom for the year has, therefore, been 559 vessels of 1,003,855 tons. These totals are analyzed in the accompanying ta- bles, but the following notes will also be of interest. In these notes, war- ships are excluded from consideration except where they are specially men- tioned. The 'output of mercantile tonnage in the United Kingdom during 1908 shows a decrease of 678,221 'tons on that of last year, and is the lowest total recorded by the society | for 15) years. As: regards war vessels the total for 1908 is €0,239° tons less than in 1907. Practically the whole of the ton- nage launched has been built of steel, ernment and 36 of 74,186 and: over 961/35. per cent is .com- posed of steam tonnage. COMPARISON OF TONNAGE AFLOAT, 1907-8. Of the total output, 60 per cent, or 554,995 tons (547,080 steam tons and 7,915 sailing tons), has been built for registration in the United Kingdom. In this connection, it should be not- ed that the tonnage of the United Kingdom vessels lost, broken up, etc., during the last 12 months appears, from the information at present in the possession of Lloyd's Register, to have been 176,690 tons (142,000 steam, 34,575 sail). Sales to foreign and colonial owners for the 12 months ended November, 1908, according to the registrar-general's returns, reached a total of 262.866 tons (200,757 steam, 53,291 sail). On the other hand 2,050 (all steam) were 'built abroad for United Kingdom owners, and_ pur- "chases "from and colonial owners during the same _ period amounted to 51,551. tons (46,997 steam, 4,554 sail). The sailing ton- nage of the United Kingdom would thus appear to have decreased by about 75,400 tons, and the steamer tonnage to have increased by 245,- 000 tons. The net increase of the United Kingdom tonnage at the end of 1908 is therefore about 169,600 tons. For the previous five years the foreign TRE Marine REVIEW... estimated net increases were as fol- fows: 1903, 405,000 tons; 1904,..429;- 000 tons; 1905, 469,090 tons; 1906, 764,000 tons (the highest figures on record); 1907, 426,800 tons. VESSELS LAUNCHED FOR ABROAD.' ' The amount of tonnage launched for: abroad during 1938 was, 374,674 tons, forming 40 per cent of the total © output, as compared with 34 per cent in 1907, 201/3 per cent in 1906, 21% per cent in 1905, 182/3 per cent in 1604, 18 per cent in 1933 and 1902, 23 per cent in 1901 and 1900, and 19 per cent in 1899. The British colonies have provided the greatest amount of work for the ship builders of the United Kingdom, viz.:--7/4 vessels of 67,518 tons (7% per cent of the total output). Belgium oc:upies the sec- ond position with 40,039 tons, Hol- land and Norway come third and fourth with 33,274 tons and 32,273 tons, respectively, being followed by Greece (23,168 tons), Austria-Hun- gary (22698 tons), ani Sweden (20,- 979 tons). . SIZE OF VESSELS. The increasing tendency to build steamers of large size has been again apparent in the output of the United Kingdom for 1908. During the four years, 1892-5, on an average, eight vessels of 6,000 tons and -upwards were launched per annum: in the Unit- ed Kingdom; in the following four years, 1896-9, the average rose to 25, and to 39 for the four years 1900-3, and dropped to 27 for the four years 1904-7. During 1908, 28 such vessels were launched. Of vessels of 10,000 tons and upwards, Watimened in the four years 1892-5: 17 were launched during the four years 1896-9; while 32 were launched during the four years 1900-3, and 2) during the four years 1904-7. During 1908, ten vessels of 10,000 tons and above launched, the Memes of which are as «follows:-- Rotterdam, 24,149 tons land, 17,540; Laurentic, gantic, 14,500; Orsova; 13,000: coma, 11533: 10,700. At the present time there are under construction 20 vessels of 6,000 tons and upwards, of which 10,000 tons each. only three were were gross; Lap- 14,500; Me- Minnewaska, 14,220; Otway, 13,000: Or- Morea, 10,899; Malwa, IZ .ate. Over The average tonnage of steamers launched in the United Kingdom during 1908 is 2,014 tons; but if steam- ers of less than 500 tons be excluded the average of the. remaining Steam. ers reaches 3,281 tons gross, ° OUTPUT OF LEADING PORTS, The Glasgow district occupies the first place among the principal Ship- building centers of the country, show. ing an output of 233,870 tons, Then follow in order Newcastle (174,259 tons), Belfast. (153,517. tons), Green. ock (103,470 tons), Sunderland (86,- 547 tons), Middlesbro' (57,210 tons), f- and Hartlepool (37,843 tons). In war | ship tonnage Newcastle leads with 21,830 tons, followed by Devonport and Portsmouth with 19,250 tons each, TURBINE VESSELS. - Three vessels in which the turbine method of propulsion has been adopt- ed were launched in the United King- dom during 1908. Their names are as follows: Ben-my-Chree, 2,651 tons gross; Munich, 2,410; Vanadis (yacht) 1,092. Two other' vessels were also launched in which turbines are used in conjunction with reciprccating en- gines. The Laurent'c, of 14,500 tons, and the Otaki, of 742) tcns At the end of 1903 there weré under construction in the United Kingdom four merchant vessels of about I, 400 tons which are to be fitted with steam turbines, and two others of about 49,700 tons, which will have turbines as well as reciprocating en- gines. OTHER SPECIAL TYPES. A feature of the yea:'s work is the number of vessels built to carry oil in bulk, 19 such vessels, of a total tonnage of 90,785 tons, having beet launched. One ofthese, it may be noted, has been constrreted on the longitudinal framing system. The fe turns also include a secord vessel om this system; nine vessels of the turret deck, trunk deck, and wing tank types; 88 steam traw'ers and other fishing vessels; 45 dredgers, barges: etc., 2) tugs; seven yachts; and other vessels designed fo: special service. Besides these, 64 vessels, principally for river and harbor Pur poes, have been built in the United to pieces for \ intended taken shipment abroad. PROSRESS OF WORK IN HAND DURING THE Kingdom and YEAR. As the movement of the shipbuilding industry during the course of 1908, Lloyd's. Register 7© turns show that, at the opening of the year, irrespective of warships; 948,830 tons (936,378 steam, 12,492 sail) were being built in the Unite regards