834 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



Of the total exports Europe took 76.33, North 

 America 12.88, South America 2.90, Asia 3.94. 

 Oceania 2.43, and Africa 1.52 per cent. 



The value of merchandise received from foreign 

 countries for immediate transit across United 

 States territory in 1899 was $80,028,440. Of the 

 total value of imports $33,424,821 came by land 

 in vehicles, $82,050,118 by sea in American ves- 

 sels, and $581,673,550 in foreign vessels 

 total exports $83,870,907 went by land, $/ 8,562,08. 

 in American vessels, and $1,064,590,307 in foreign 

 vessels. The percentage of the carrying trade 

 taken in American vessels was 12.4 per cent, of 

 the imports and 6.9 per cent, of the exports by 

 sea- of the whole sea-borne trade, amounting 

 to $1,806,876,063, the proportion of American ves- 

 sels was $160,612,206, or 8.9 per cent. 



The imports of gold coin and bullion in l 

 amounted to $88,954,603. The exports were $27,- 

 478,412 of domestic and $10,043,674 of foreign; 

 total, $37,522,086, leaving an excess of imports 

 over exports of $51,432,517 in amount, against 

 $104,985,283 in 1898, and $44,653,200 in 1897, and 

 an excess of exports in 1896 amounting to $78,- 

 884,882. The imports of silver in 1899 were $30,- 

 675,056 in coining value, and the exports were 

 $51,168,770 of domestic and $5,150,285 of foreign; 

 total, $56,319,055, an excess of exports of $25,643,- 

 999, against $24,177,458 in 1898, $31,413,411 in 

 1897, and $31,764,484 in 1896. The value of silver 

 imported in ore in 1899 was $20,961,270. 



Telegraphs. The telegraph lines of the West- 

 ern Union Company in 1899 had a total length of 

 189,856 miles, with 904,633 miles of wire. The 

 number of messages sent during the year was 61,- 

 398,157. The receipts were $23,954,312; expenses, 

 $18,085,579. 



Navigation. The total number of seagoing 

 vessels under the United States flag in 1899 was 

 22,728, of 4,864,238 tons, of which 0,837 were 

 stearfters, of 2,476,011 tons, and 15,891 sailing ves- 

 sels, etc., of 2,388,227 tons, the whole being valued 

 at $215,069,296. There were 357 steamers, of 

 355,913 tons, and 927 sailing vessels and barges, 

 of 481,316 tons, engaged in the foreign trade; 

 total, 1,284 vessels, of 837,229 tons. In the coast- 

 ing trade the total number was 19,980, of 3,965,- 

 313 tons, of which 6,470, of 2,115,981 tons, were 

 steamers, and 13,510, of 1,849,332 tons, were 

 sailing vessels and barges. The tonnage employed 

 in the whale fisheries was 11,017, of which 4.117 

 was steam ; in the cod and mackerel fisheries, 50,679 

 tons. In 1899 there were 1,273 vessels, of 300,038 

 tons, built and registered, of which 439, of 151,- 

 058 tons, were steamers, 420, of 98,073 tons, sail- 

 ing vessels, 13, of 1,411 tons, canal boats, and 401, 

 of 49,496 tons, barges. The tonnage of iron and 

 steel vessels built in 1899 was 131,379 tons, of 

 which steam vessels make 103,018 and sailing 

 vessels and barges 28,361 tons." In 1899 there 

 were 2,614,869 tons owned on the Atlantic and 

 Gulf coasts, 539,937 tons on the Pacific coast, 

 1,446,348 tons on the Northern lakes, and 263,084 

 tons on the Western rivers ; total, 4,864,238 tons. 



The tonnage entered at American seaports from 

 foreign countries in 1899 was 21,963,407, of which 

 3,359,091 tons were sailing vessels, 974,552 tons 

 being American and 2.384,539 tons foreign, and 

 18,604,316 tons were steam vessels, 2,358,211 tons 

 being American and 16,246,105 tons foreign. The 

 total tonnage cleared was 22,177,483, of which 

 3,350,261 tons were sailing vessels, 1,008,363 tons 

 being American and 2,341,898 foreign, and 18,- 

 827,222 tons were steam vessels, 2,454,836 tons be- 

 ing American and 16,372,336 tons foreign. The 

 tonnage entered and cleared from the various for- 

 eign countries is shown in the following table: 



The nationality of the foreign tonnage entered 

 and cleared at seaports of the t'nited State- lmm 

 foreign countries during 1899 is shown in the 

 following table: 



The tonnage entered and cleared at the dif- 

 ferent seaport- is given in the following table: 



Railroads. There were 2.047 railroads in the 

 United States on June 30. 1SOS, having an aj 

 gate length of 1S6.H10 miles and operating 24, .532 

 miles of track, which was an incrca-r f>r ll"' 

 year of 48,039 miles. The number of pa -Hirers 

 carried during the year was 501.0i;;.<M . an in- 

 crease of 11,621,483; tons of freight carried. 879,- 

 006.307, an increase of 137.300.361 tons. The 

 cross earnings on 184.64S mile- of lines \\ere $1,- 

 247.305.621, exceeding tlice of the ])n--i-lini; 

 by $125,235,848. The operating expei^,- f..r 



