World's Shipbuilding

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 April 1915, Page 4

World's Shipbuilding

1 LAST YEAIt'S DECLINE. It was uot to be expected that the record i» shipbuilding established in 1913, beth at iloiue and abroad, would ue equallud last year. The annual return compiled by "Lloyd's .Register" ihowes that in the United Kingdom the lutput of merchant vessels declined by 248,600 tons, while the figures for foreign countries (which are, however, necessarily incomplete show an apparsnt decrease of 231.000 tons. That Britain's great lead in ship construction was easily maintained will be seen from the following table, giving particulars of last year's production at home and abroad :— United Other Kingdom Countries No. Tonnage.- No. Tonnage Steamers 621 1,074,358 473 1,111,027 S'ing Ships 35 9,195 190 58,17:3 Total (35(3 1,683,553 0*63 1,169,200 Of Britain's total output over 75 per cent., or 1,273,530 tons, was built for registration in the United Kingdom. The amount of tonnage launched -for other countries was 410,023. forming '21 1-3 per cent, of the total output, ah compared with over 211 per cent, in 1913 and nearly 24 per cent, in 1912. Tonnage intended for the British colonies amounted to 36,736. Of other countries, Holland provided the largest amount of work for the shipbuilders of the United Kingdom, namely, fifteen vessels of 88,097 tons (nearly 5.i per cent of the total output). Norway occupied the second position with 67,827 tons, being followed by Greece with 41,543 tons, and Belgium with 35,951 tons. Steamers continue to increase in cize Excluding vessels of less than 500 tons the average of the remaining steamers reached 4160 tons gross, a considerable advance on the average of the five preceding years. Seventy-one vessels of 6,000 tons and above were launched. O! these thirteen were over 10,000 tons each, the largest being the White Star liner Britannic, of 47,500 tons, the Hol-land-Amorika liner Statendum, of 32,500 tons, and the Belgenland. of 20.500 tons. Among shipbuilding centres the Civile district occupied the first place, showing an output of 444.621 tons (Glasgow 288,103 tons and Oreonock 106.518 tons). Then, follow the Tyne (315.518 ton.,). the \X<i;\v (277.528 tons) IMlVfct. (239.819 tons), Middlesbrough (137.165 tons, and Hartlepool (121.119 tuns). At the end of December there were under construction, including ;i number of vessels already launched but not completed. 57 vessels of between <>.(Hlli ami 10.000 tons, seven -if bctw-.-cn 10.000 ton*, ten of between M.OCO ;>■■<■ I 20,000 tons. f<i w r! hoi •.•.•< ei 2O.("'O -ml 40.000 tons, and one of 4 7.500 tons. Germany heads the list of foreijrn countries with an output of 387.15 M tons, followed by the United Stnte> with i>00.762 tons Holland with 118,159 tens and France with 11-1.(152 tons. f!-er tunny's production sliowis an apparent decrease of 78,000 tons. Twenty-eight steamers of between 5.000 tons and 10OV,[) tons wore launched in that country duriiifr the year, and six of ovei 10.000 tons. Tho largest was- th<> Ham bMig-Amerikan turbine liner Bismarck of about 56.000 tons gross, launched at Hamburg, one of the two biggest vessels now afloat.