CHAPTER IX WATERBORNE COMMERCE OF UNITED STATES Waterborne commerce of the United States during the calendar year 1953 was nearly 36 million tons greater than in 1952 and almost equaled the 1951 all-time high. The 1953 total was 923,547,693 tons, compared with 887,721,984 tons in 1952 and 924,128,411 tons in 1951. A significant feature of the 1953 traffic was the increase in waterborne freight carried on the inland waterways. This freight rose to a record total of 202 billion tonmiles, compared with 168 billion ton-miles in 1952 and the previous all time high of 182 billion ton-miles in 1951. Principal increases in the inland waterways freight occurred on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems, on which 127 billion and 42 billion ton-miles, respectively, were carried in 1953. Leading individual coastal ports by geographical regions included: Boston, 18,100,000 tons; New York, 139,400,000; Philadelphia, 37,300,000; Baltimore, 41,800,000; Norfolk, 24,100,000; New Orleans, 39,700,000; Houston, 44,300,000; Los Angeles, 19,700,000; Portland, Oregon, 11,700,000; Seattle, 11,800,000. The coastal roads having a concentration of harbors include the following, the tonnages shown being gross totals: Delaware River from Trenton, N. J., to the sea, 83,400,000 tons; Hampton Roads, Va., 36,300,000; San Francisco Bay area, Calif., 44,900,000; Columbia and Lower Willamette Rivers, Oreg. and Wash., 17,400,000. Among the leading individual Great Lakes ports in the several States bordering the lakes were: Duluth-Superior, 77,200,000 tons; Two Harbors (Agate Bay) (Minn.), 23,600,000; Milwaukee, 8,200,000; Chicago, 38,300,000; Indiana Harbor, 20,000,000; Detroit, 25,500,000; Toledo, 31,600,000; Erie, 7,300,000; Buffalo, 22,000,000. The generally upward trend in the total tonnage of waterborne commerce during the past 10 calendar years is indicated on chart IX. There are presented in the following tabulations the national summaries of the waterborne commerce of the United States and the Territories and possessions during the calendar year 1953, including the tonnages handled at ports and harbors and moved on the waterways and canals improved by the Corps of Engineers as authorized by Congress. Detailed data on the commodities handled and the vessel trips at the ports and on the individual waterways are contained in the following four separate publications which may be purchased from the sales agent of the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Lake Survey, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, 630 Federal Building, Detroit 26, Mich. : Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Calendar Year 1953: Part 1-Atlantic Coast. Part 2 Gulf Coast, Mississippi River System, and Antilles. Part 4-Pacific Coast, Alaska, and Pacific Islands. The terms applied to the kinds of traffic are explained in each of these regional publications. Authorization for the collection of these data is contained in various river and harbor acts enacted by the Congress through the years, the principal authorization being section 11 of the River and Harbor Act of 22 September 1922. While the information as now collected and compiled is designed to meet the administrative requirements of the Corps of Engineers in connection with the prosecution of the navigation program, it also provides necessary and vital data for other governmental departments, commercial and shipping concerns, and others interested in transportation. Table 22. Net Total Water-Borne Commerce of the United States, Calendar Years 1947-53 [In tons of 2,000 pounds] 766,816,730 62,162,169 57,365,892 4,773, 223 23,054 126,093,946 101,995,508 24,054,718 43,720 578,560,615 153,098,204 163,180,337 149,614,401 57,410,575 55,257,098 1952. 1 Included in other types of domestic traffic. 'Includes 19,448 tons in 1950, 28,413 tons in 1951, 49,179 tons in 1952, and 58,777 tons in 1953 of Department of Defense controlled cargo and Special Category commodities shipped from Great Lakes ports; breakdown by Canadian and overseas not available. |