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THE WORLD'S SHIPPING.

The entire fleet of the world in 1899 was, according to Lloyds Register, 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,528, of which 39 per cent. are British. There are 3,010 American vessels, with 2,465,387 tonnage; 1,676 German vessels, with 2,453,334 tonnage; 2,528 Norwegian vessels, with 1,694,230 tonnage; 1,408 Swedish vessels, with 605,991 tonnage; 1,218 Russian vessels, with 643,527 tonnage, 1,150 Italian, 1,182 French, 841 Japanese, 796 Danish, 701 Spanish vessels. One-half of the ship tonnage is British and American.

American registered vessels engaged in foreign commerce number only 1,331, having a gross tonnage of 848,246 and transacting less than 9 per cent. of our ocean carrying trade, which is worth yearly to the vessels transacting it $175,000,000. The American percentage of shipping profits is the smallest in our history. In 1860 our registered tonnage employed in ocean traffic was 2,546,237, or, three times as large as it is now when our trade is three times greater than it was then. Generally speaking, of the 28,000,000 tons capacity assigned to international oceanic trade, less than 300,000 tons are of American registry. Allowing 3,000 tons to the vessel, there are only about 300 American vessels engaged in transoceanic carrying.

SHIPBUILDING IN 1899.

According to Lloyds Register for July, 1899, there were 580 vessels of 1,322,068 tons gross under construction in the United Kingdom, 474 of which were for British owners, 16 for Russians, 11 for Danes, 10 for Hollanders. On the Clyde, Glasgow was building 128; Greenock, 69; Newcastle, 80; and Sunderland, 59.

The number of vessels built and numbered by the American Bureau of Navigation in 1899 was 954 of 267,642 gross tons, of which 421 with 160,132 gross tons were steam vessels, and 533 of 107,510 gross tons were sailing vessels. Of these 70 vessels of 72,094 gross tons were constructed on the Great Lakes,

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Next in order come the Pacific Co., Cunard and White Star lines.

VESSELS ARRIVING AT NEW YORK, 1899.

The Barge Office authorities compiled the following table of the arrival of vessels from foreign ports at New York in 1899:

Nationality.

St'mships. Ships. Barks. Brigs. Schooners. Total.

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From 1789 to 1820 it is estimated that the total immigration into the United States amounted to 250,000. From 1820 to 1899 inclusive the total was 18,316,538. In 1899 there were 311,715 as against 229,299 in 1898.

Immigration was heaviest in 1882, amounting to 788,992, while in 1881 it was next heaviest, with 669,431. Great Britain has furnished the largest proportion of any country. Between 1881 and 1890 there were 1,466,426 from Great Britain, 1,452,952 from Germany, 560,483 from Norway and Sweden, 307,095 from Italy, 265,064 from Russia and Poland, 226,020 from Austria, 127,678 from Hungary, while lesser numbers came from other countries except Canada, from which there were 392,802. There were 4,725,814 from all the countries of Europe.

Immigration during its three largest recent years, 1893, 1892 and 1891, formed respectively 43.79 per cent., 39.24 per cent. and 33.66 per cent. of the annual increase of population, as against 10.92 per cent. in 1879, and 41.09 per cent. in 1874 and 39.23 per cent. in 1868.

In 1898, the smallest immigration year since 1879, there were 229,299. Of these 178,748 came through the customs district of New York, 10,735 through Baltimore, 12,271 through Boston, 8,360 through Philadelphia, 2,274 through San Francisco, and 16,911 through other ports, including those of Canada. Their reported occupations on arrival were as follows: Laborers, 52,531; farmers, 16,243; servants, 23,656; carpenters, 2,904; miners, 1,604; clerks, 2,031; tailors, 3,826; shoemakers, 3,229; blacksmiths, 1,152; the professions, 1,342; skilled laborers, 33,145; of miscellaneous, 104,238.

The nationality of immigrants for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899, was principally as follows: Italian, 98,730; Irish, 32,345; Polish, 28,466; German, 26,631; Scandinavian, 23,249; Slovak, 15,838; English, 10,

712.

Mulhall estimates that there were 27,205,000 emigrants from Europe in the 73 years between 1816 to 1888, of whom 15,000,000 went to the United States.

In the course of a year the Commissioner of Immigration has many applications from unsuccessful immigrants who want to go back to their homes. Of these the majority are Irish, English and Germans-the better class of foreigners. Of the Italians and Russians and Polish Jews there are few who ever desire to return. The homes they left are probably more wretched than any they are

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likely to find here, and hardships which would discourage other immigrants are not sufficient to daunt them. The law governing immigration requires that if, within a year of his arrival, a foreigner is unable to maintain himself here, and is in danger of becoming a public charge, he shall be deported to the country from which he came. If the cause of his inability to support himself originated prior to his departure from home, he is sent back at the expense of the steamship company which brought him over; otherwise the Immigration Fund provides for his passage.

IMMIGRANTS AT NEW YORK.

The average number of deportations since 1893 is 3,535. During the year 1899 there were brought to New York 303,762 steerage passengers by the steamships of the sixteen different lines. The ports from which the immigrants embarked for this country are as follows: Mediterranean ports, 66,316; Bremen, 53,646; Liverpool, 46,061; Hamburg, 41,787; Havre, 22,883; Antwerp, 20,126; Rotterdam, 17,219; Southampton, 11,341; Glasgow, 6,759; Copenhagen, 3,465; Oporto, 1,515; Lisbon, 1,369; Amsterdam, 892; miscellaneous, 351.

The majority of the immigrants were Syrians, Greeks, Italians, Austro-Hungarians, Russians and Polish Jews. According to Commissioner of Immigration Fitchie, more than one-half of these immigrants are undesirable and will tend to injure rather than benefit the country which they have adopted. The Syrians, who are peddlers, seek such places in this country as offer a field for the sale of their wares; the Italians remain in the large cities; the Russians and Polish Jews go to the sweatshops, while the Austro-Hungarians seek employment at the iron foun

dries.

OCEAN CABLES.

The Atlantic telegraph connecting Europe and America. was completed in 1866. The first Atlantic cable was laid in 1858. All the cables that now cross the Atlantic were built since 1870. In 1890 there were 120,079 nautical

miles of cable in the world, that cost over $200,000,000.

In 1899 the aggregate number of all submarine telegraphs in the world was 1,500, and their aggregate length 170,000 miles, and their total cost $250,000,000. The number of messages annually transmitted over them is 6,000,000. Between all the grand divisions of the earth are these wires and beneath all oceans except the Pacific. Projected Pacific cables will soon cover even its bottom. About 151,067 miles of the submarine cables belong to 35 companies operating the commercial cables, which number 323. The remainder, 1,142 in number and 19,880 nautical miles in length, are mostly lines controlled by governments, and connecting forts, batteries, signal stations, lighthouses, etc. The governments of the world hold about 80,000 miles of cable in stock for war purposes, all ready to be laid when necessity may arise.

Twelve Atlantic cables now in use represent a total capital of $85,000,000.

The longest ocean cable is that from Brest to Cape Cod, 3,250 miles.

The quickest cable laying on record was accomplished in 1893, when the duplicate line of the Central and South American Company, in length 2,524 miles, was made and laid in ten months.

The first promoter of the Atlantic telegraph was Cyrus W. Field.

Of the lines owned by nations, Norway has the greatest number of cables, 325, but their aggregate length is only 324 miles. France has the largest nautical mileage of cables, 5,035, the cables numbering 54. Great Britain and Ireland have 135 cables measuring 1,989 miles, and British India 111 cables measuring 1,919 nautical miles. Germany follows with 58 cables and 2,225 mileage. Spain has 15 cables with 1,744 mileage, Japan 70 cables with 1,508 mileage, and Italy 39 cables with 1,061 mileage. No other nation has 1,000 miles of cables.

TELEGRAPHIC CODES.

Ever since submarine telegraphy has become an established means of communication, much ingenuity has been expended on the compilation of codes, partly for secrecy,

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