BIG SHIPPING FIRM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 7

BIG SHIPPING FIRM.

TONNAGE 50-1,582. ... BX TEI.EGIUriI—I'KESS ASSOCIATION—COrTP.IGOT. London, Nov'embor 4. Christopher. Furncss, Withyi and Company;, lias increased, its capital to three arid a half millions sterling, and has acquired the fleets of the British Maritime Trust and tho Chesa-peake-Ohio Steamship Company, becoming tho owners of 504j082 tons of steam ship- ' ping. Prior to this purchase, Furness, Withy, and Company had forty, steamers, tho largest boing Uio Seuton, 2770 tons; the British Maritime Trust had thirty-eight steamers, tho lar-jeht being tho Guardiana, 5158 tons; and tho Cheiiii pcakc ami Ohio Company had thirteen ste.in.ers, ranging from 1072 to 1924 tons; so the total number of steamers is ninety-one. Hilly two steamship owners can show figures in e.ie>)?s of the tonnago which Furness, \Vithy, an 1 Co. now claim; these are the Hamburg-\ it. vricnn Company (157 steamers .of 773,000 tons,, amen ding to the current ...Whitaker's Almanac) ami the North-German Lloyd (118 steamers of 70T.0D0, tons). In addition to these two companies, four others show bigger figures ,in number of steamer, but not in tons—British India Steam Navigation (120 steamers, 4CG.000 tons), Elder, Dempster, and Co. (103 steamers, 311,000 tons), Navagazione Gen. Italiana (108 steamers, 292,000 and the ForcnedoDamskibs Selskab, of Copenhagen (118 steamers, 151,000 tons). Furncss, Withy, and Co.'s previous capital was .£1,781,100. Sir Christopher Furness. head of tho Company, is a shipbuilder as well as a'.shipowner, and represents Hnrtlopool in the Houso of Cohimons in the interest of tlie Liberals, who knighted him in 1895.