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30 THE MARINE REVIEW the other hand, a number of companies : have taken advantage of the favorable market and have disposed. of some steamers at good prices. The program of the German steamship companies has been maintained in some degree, as dur- ‘ing the first year of war a number of new ships were launched from German yards. No prediction can be made as to the volume of ocean traffic after the war, because just as little as can be said about the future development of the German foreign. trade, no conclu- sions can be formed as to the change in the situation brought on by the entry of neutral shipping companies into the ter- ritory formerly occupied almost. exclu- sively by German — steamship. lines. eH ler to unite Cuba with the United States by means of the over-sea rail- way extension of the Florida East Coast Railway and the P. & O. ferry- stemer service. This idea is now bear- ing abundant fruit. The business of the ferry service is growing so rapidly that the company has, it is reported, ordered the construction of a second ferry steamer similar to the Henry M. Facer, now in operation, making daily trips between Havana and Key West. This vessel can carry 30 loaded standard freight cars.. The service has been a complete success in every detail and will be a special boon to the fruit and vegetable shippers of Cuba, as it does away with the neces- January, 1916. Petition Denied As a result of the recent order by the interstate commerce commission * deny- ing the application of the commercial exchange of Burlington, Ia., and other western cities, for a reopening of the lake line case, it is believed railroads operating vessels on the Great Lakes have abandoned plans to go to court in an effort to retain their interest in steamship lines. The Panama canal act, it is pointed out, gives the commis- sion absolute authority to order the divorcing of a rail line and a steam- ship line when convinced that joint ownership of the two is against public interest. This is the position taken. by American Ship Builders Are IAREFUL estimates now place at about 90 the total number of sizeable merchant vessels closed with Atlantic yards since the active ship-building movement, now in full sway in this country, was inaugurated. The greater number of these boats yet is to be com- pleted, since the yards have their capacity sold so far ahead that few of them are able to promise deliveries much under two years from the present date. The con- tracting demand for new ships is as active as ever. This continues to lead to projects for providing new or enlarged building capacity. A new company known as the Continental Trading Co. has acquired and is re- habilitating the old Mallory shipyard, Mystic, Ct. It is understood that this company has received orders for three fair-sized boats from Norwegian shipping tnter- ests. The Standard Shipbuilding Co., which -recently purchased the Shooters island shipyard in New York harbor, now is figuring actively on work and has four 8,000 to 9,000-ton boats in view. The Southern Pacific Steamship Co. has awarded to Rushed the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., con- tracts for two cargo boats of about 5,000 tons gross each, and for a tank steamer of about 7,500 tons gross. The Harlan & Hollingsworth Corporation has received a vessel from the Ocean Steamship Co. for Savannah traffic. The Wm. Cramp & Sons Shp & Engine Building Co. took two more tank ships for the Mexican Petroleum Co. and the New York Ship- building Co., one vessel for the Pocahontas Fuel Co. and an additional boat for the Coastwise Transportation Co. The cramp yard also has been awarded a dupl- cate of the large car ferry built some months ago for the Florida East Coast railroad. Other vessels placed recently were two tankers for the Standard Oil Co. to the Harlan & Hollingsworth Corporation and one for the same company to the Newport News yard. The Chester Shipbuilding Co., which has revived the old Roach yard at Chester, Pa., has four vessels under con- tract for Norwegian interests. I = il al New Dock at Havana The new terminal dock and ware- house of the Peninsula & Occidental Steamship Co., at Havana, Cuba, have been opened for business. The Penin- sula & Occidental is the first steam- ship line to possess its own dock and terminal at that port. The inaugura- tion of this service means added con- venience and comfort for passengers arriving and departing, since it obvi- ates the necessity of using tugs or lighters for their transfer to and from the vessels. Apparently no detail has been overlooked to make the dock and warehouse buildings complete and modern in every respect. The brick and iron construction renders them as nearly rat-proof and fireproof as possible. Space also has been pro- vided at the new terminal for the offices of the company, but a city ticket office will be maintained as before for the added convenience of passengers. The erection of the term- inal has involved a considerable ex- pense to the company. It was the idea of the late Henry M. Flag- sity of transferring freight from car to steamer and vice versa at the terminals. British Steamers Costly British ship brokers report an unpre- cedented demand for new and second- hand steam vessels, prices rising daily for several weeks. Many owners, it is said, have secured employment since hostilities began, at! rates which would pay the first cost of their ships in one or two years. Vessels which realized $30 per ton deadweight a year ago, are being sold for almost twice that sum now; and second-hand steamers also are worth more than double the price paid for them a year ago. Several craft from 10 to 15 years old have been re- cently sold for more than their original cost. Belated advices received from Shang- hai state that a shipping company at Odessa has decided to place with a Japanese dock company an order for constructing several passenger steamers of a large type. The order is under- stood to include eight steamers. = = = = tttUGOCNVH_"__——D————MKtininimolTll the commission in its original order in the case. Since the commission’s first order, it is asserted, lake rates have advanced about 200 per cent. This, it is declared, is not entirely due to the commission’s order, but is ascribed partly to the effect of war conditions on marine ton- nage, resulting in a tremendous demand for cargo space for ocean-going freight, which caused large tonnages to be withdrawn from inland waters and transferred to ocean routes. Aid rendered by the government radio service to American ships which met with accident or disaster during the past fiscal year resulted, with but one exception, in the saving of all but two lives. The exception was Lusitania, which was torpedoed. Re- ports to the bureau of navigation show that 26 vessels left American ports and required the use of wireless to summon help. Of that number four, caught fire; 12 ran _ ashore, stranded or got into an ice jam; three broke down and five were in collisions.