446 THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IN IRELAND. 



THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IN IRELAND. 



L Belfast. 



The success of the shipbuilding industry in Belfast is a striking proof of 

 what industry and perseverance can accomplish. With few natural advan- 

 tages — for in this part of the United Kingdom neither coal nor iron is 

 found — and with a comparatively small foreign trade, the spirit and enter- 

 prise of the people of Belfast has enabled them to excel in two branches of 

 industry, linen and shipbuilding. These industries, though apparently but 

 remotely connected, have this common factor — that they both demand skill 

 and care in design and execution. It may be noted here that, though the 

 connection between these industries is not, as we have said, very 

 apparent, much of their success is due to the fact that they have become 

 subsidiary to each other — the non-competents for one industry finding 

 occupation in the other. Thus while the male part of the community is 

 engaged in shipbuilding and kindred industries, the female and child labour 

 is absorbed in the local textile trade. 



Shipbuilding began in Belfast, as elsewhere, with the building of wooden 

 ships. As far as is known the first vessel was launched in 1636. The ship' 

 was of some 150 tons, and was, it is said, intended for a privateer, her 

 owner, strange to relate, being a Presbyterian clergyman. 



In the year 1682 the largest Belfast ship was the " Antelope," a Virginian 

 trader of 200 tons register. In 1700 the "Loyal Charles" of 250 tons- 

 burden was launched ; but up to 1791 there was no regular place for laying 

 dov/n a vessel. In the early part of the nineteenth century some fifty or 

 sixty vessels were built, the largest being the " Hindoo " of about 450 tons 

 burden. The first iron ship built in Belfast was the "Seagull," in 1844, 

 by Messrs. Coates and Young, but iron shipbuilding as an industry did not 

 begin until 1850, when the Belfast Ironworks was opened by Messrs. Barnes- 

 and Co. In 1853 Messrs. R. Hickson and Co., of Queen's Island, "laid 

 down " a large vessel — the " Mary Stenhouse " — the first built on the Island. 

 Messrs. Hickson continued their business with great and growing success- 

 until in 1858 their firm — and that of the Belfast Shipbuilding Co. — was 

 acquired by Mr. Edward Harland, the founder of the famous firm of Messrs. 

 Harland and Wolff. Such has been the energy and enterprise of this- 

 company that from 1 00 hands in 1858, the number of persons employed has 

 increased to over 9,000, and the amount of tonnage turned out by the firm 

 during the past seven or eight years exceeds the production of any other- 

 yard in the world. In this connection the following figures are interesting. 

 Messrs. Harland and Wolff turned out tonnage to the amount of 81,316 tons 

 in 1896, 84,240 in 1897, 67,905 in 1898, 82,634 in 1899, 73,897 in 1900, and' 

 last year they launched seven ships having a gross tonnage of 92,316, or 

 including deck erections, 98,756; the average size of each vessel being thus 

 over 14,000 tons. 



The greatest successes of this firm are associated with the White Star- 



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