Ship-building On The Clyde

Saitins diwii the placin, bit not oTBr WTorv witovs of" the Clvdo yesi.m-1:m-, iVnui Glasgow t Greenock, mv niiri, navs n eorrcapoiitiout of tlio Clevelmid fferald, were saluted by the din or Innnmerable hammers, and my eyes by tlie siülit of a lar-e iiumber of veswol on tlie stocks In il! stsw?es ot cdiistruRtion. Pi-om a Glas?or gentleman I ilenneil sonie particuhrs ol the Clytie sliiv-bnildin?--, wlnoh will ctonbtloBS be of iiitewwt to your reaThe rlwp, wlilch for twenty miles héli)v Ciis city is iiwinly artifloiil, is ilivi'li-.l inM) twi li-ilrirts H rcüMMH the yin!-; rhe lir.-t district compmes Ghs'iïow, Govon, Hartick, Benfrew, ■iii.l Dimibnrton; th ■ s'-cmul, or lower, iVstl'lct, ciniini'-s ih lowns ot' Groonpck iiihI PkcI Glnsgow. lu all tliero hi-e ( !i ii-ty--ix druis ouaed at pre.et in bu Uil in r, the l;u-.,'oat of whicli, umi, n.lwil. llie líoaviHCt pi-ivatu huil lin ■ (nu in tli worlil, is rht o; John Klilcr & Co., Ovn. Diiriug last ycnr, which vfn cuiuiKitntively i qniet oihj, ihis fin alone built a Heet of vessela capable of transporting 17,000 tons oleuryo at once. ïliis yeai; their business Una more thnii twiee exccedetl Unit f 187'J, umi thoy expeet to Bggi-egate 40,U00. To aucomplUii thifi they' employ nertrly 4,üuu itieu, Tlieir principal work at nroBcut is a rcnmrkable yacht tor. the K.aueroi' of Ilussia, a ves8el which resembles a eross "boCvrceii monitor aud a ligbt shii), modeloJ, perlialis, aftor a gai-aen turuin, bui in.eii .cd lo bu thu most ooiuplete vCssul alloat. It ia ccrtainiy uni(jiie;i.s iar as il is done. There ara other linns whicli omploy belwcen -3.0UU anl 4,000 uien. Messrs. J. & G. Tiiompson have built over H0000 lom sllippiu,' tbr the Cuiiiuvl line alone. . In all, the nuinber ot' uien who et their livlug by this industry is esïiiuatei at betvveen 40,000 and 0,000. A eoniparison beiweun ihis port and its cio.sesL ooiupoiitora nny ïut be devoid of interest. TIQ iivu Ieading Englisli ghip-bnildiiig purts, nainely, the rivers Tyuii, Weur, Tees, Hartlepools, and Wuitby, sent out ueW work last yi-ar amtHiulnijJ to 300, i4ö tons, Wlnltí the (Jivde buililcrs seut out 170 vessels wltu a givss touuage of 173,43. Without seeing the hnge bulk of these levittiliaiis, it l diJHcnlt to comurclioiKl the stgmtteanoe of sueh figures iip'those, uut the reflectioa that H takesu vcry lure laUe vessol to eari-y J,3oO tons wiH as.sist the iaucy in tne aUcuiui to comunas tlie ia.cn. l iivoütuteU Uie auiouuts in oapacity rathei' tliaiircgmtured tottiiage, becanso ais is weli unovvii, Uiö toeter is cuiiTuutional and mi tu iniüload. (Jae more liiot Uusoi'Vei attention. tíiui;! is rapully ruplauing irou assiiipbuiUluiii' malurial. Juasl uo loos thuu ïyJOuU tons of sLoul sliips were built on Uie OiyJe,-one of vvlucfi was a 4 uUU-tou gtouuier ïor tlie Alian line. At'preseut JMossrs. Itobert Napier & Boua ai-u üuilaiu a stiil largor ona t'or tlie saino line, and mure ihan lour times additional tonna-e, it construclud oí tne sume metal. Oí oüui-cju its advantges in tlie vvay of Cüiiibinud liahtiiess auü speed are oovious, Uut tlie o. jcction has ueou raised that steel woiild bc more subjuct to corrosión in s;ilt water than non. Time, wnicll alone can test tlie matter, lias thus iar brouglit ma ver áct in lavor oí steel. A snTp built eiuven years ago íor tlie (Jlyiie tratöo sluws no sins of oorroBiou, aua a suip built iu iSó'J for tlie Pacific Steaui JSavigation eompany was examinad iu Iö71 au.i tound to bo ini good stiitu oí preservatiou. Tnua tuere i re.ison to oeneve tüat steel bUius uiay even ontlast tiloso built of 1 "B'o W OmlUtl' Bltl ]fH' atv lluT uuni iu tlns country, auu many ui tlie o ld ones are out oí coiuinissiuu. in t;ie uaroor of l'lymoutii lie many iiiglorious bulks wuieü bearprouaujuiiesjJiJiuiglish üistory.