Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/262

 250 MASSACHUSETTS nierriul purposes, the state is divided into 11 rust ..ins districts, of which the ports of entry are given in the following statements. The imports and exports for the year ending June 30, 1874, were as follows : PORTS OF ENTRY. Import*. Domwtic export* Foreign export.. Boston $52,212,405 8074 94,007 11,788 95,971 227,858 128 60,717 $28,885,627 $2,275,028 Fall River. . Gloucester.. Marblehead New Bedforc Newburypor Plymouth 1. "'" 1,400 80,369 89,076 84 49,009 109 '"288 8,663 t balem and Beverly . Total 1,744 $52,787,230 $28,455,515 $2,280,772 The movement of foreign shipping at the vari- ous ports, and the numher of vessels registered, enrolled, and licensed, were as follows : PORTS OF E-VTRY. ENTERED. CLEARED. EEGISTEE'D, &o. No. Ton*. No. Tons. No. Tom. 50,909 274,941 1,135 27,291 23,668. 2,636 778 47.871 12,865 8,940 7,844 Barnstablc . . Boston Edjrartown.. Fall Kivcr . . Gloucester. . Marblehead.. Nantucket Hi 2,717 1.428 780,769 20 2,G52 1,786 659,102 483 888 16 147 491 62 7 233 67 89 85 16 121 83 1,9.56 22,710 8,011 4 95 39 575 14,777 4,284 NewBcdford Newburyp't. I'lymouth .. Salem and Beverly... Total... 58 19 1 84 12,572 2,580 102 8,468 87 84 1 100 V,8i8 7,837 102 11,767 3,066 783,541 2,982 708,048 2,563 458,873 Those that entered and cleared as well as those registered were mostly sailing vessels. The number of vessels engaged in the coastwise trade was as follows : PORTS OF ENTRY. COASTWISE TRADE. ENTERED. CLEARED. No. Tom. No. Ton.. Barnstable 24 "S 486 70 10 7 185 528 1 08 2,966 1,150,169 2,085 v5.r,47 5,957 1,128 892 47,860 59,728 516 10,448 8 1,741 11 880 86 7 8 86 491 1 41 405 1,286,866 1,717 813.006 8,836 778 147 8,785 65,756 122 5,461 Boston. Ed^artown.. Fall Uivor Gloucester Marblehead Nantucket New Bedford Newburyport Plymouth Salem and Beverly Total 2,655 2,167,886 2,700 2,191,829 Besides the above, 105 vessels of 3,677 tons engaged in the general fisheries entered at Xewburyport, and 116 of 3,922 tons cleared. For more than a century the fisheries of Mas- sachusetts have constituted one of its leading industries. (See FISHERIES.) The most im- portant centres of this industry are Gloucester, whu-li far surpasses any other port of the coun- try in the magnitude of its cod and mackerel fisheries, and New Bedford, which is the lead- ing market in the United States for the pro- duce of the whale. The entire products of the American whale fisheries for the year end- ing June 30, 1874, amounted to $2,291,896, in- cluding sperm oil valued at $1,250,987, other whale oil $775,919, and whalebone $264,990. Nearly all of these were from Massachusetts, where were employed in the whale fisheries about 170 vessels belonging to Barnstable, Ed- gartown, New Bedford, and Salem and Bever- ly. Of the 2,099 vessels employed in the cod and mackerel fisheries in the United States, 1,026 of 49,578 tons belonged to Massachusetts. According to the census of 1870, more than half of the products of fisheries in the United States, exclusive of the whale fisheries, were the result of Massachusetts industry. The capital invested in this business was $4,287,871, and the number of persons employed was 8,993. Among the products, which were val- ued at $6,215,325, were 451,125 quintals of cod, 1,651 tons of halibut, 188,567 barrels of mackerel, $486,596 worth of miscellaneous fish, and 305,049 gallons of oil, valued at $302,- 790. Ship building is carried on in most of the customs districts ; in 1874 there were 77 vessels built, of 31,499 tons, including 5 steam- ers, of 689 tons. About two thirds of these were built in Boston, Charlestown, and New- buryport. The first railroad in Massachusetts was opened for use in 1835, since which time an average of about 50 m. has been annually constructed. On Sept. 30, 1874, the entire mileage belonging to Massachusetts companies was 2,418, exclusive of 657 m. of sidings and 626 m. of double track; the length of main track and branches within the commonwealth was 1,782 m., and of double track and sidings 917 m. About 29 per cent, of the main lines are laid with steel rails. Nominally there are 60 corporations, but the railroads of the state are controlled by 31 distinct boards of direction. The average cost of roads has been $56,883 62 a mile, in addition to the cost of equipment, $7,701 a mile. The entire amount directly in- vested in the railroads reporting to the state is $165,624,136, including $117,066,798 of stock and $48,557,338 of debt. The total earnings returned for the year amounted to $34,632,483,. of which about 49 per cent, were from passen- gers and 46 per cent, from freight. The num- ber of passengers carried was 42,480,494. The whole number of accidents was 279, of which 127 resulted in death; nearly one third were caused by walking on the tracks. The aver- age of casualties for a series of years from causes not attributable to the carelessness of the person injured has been 1 to each 1,400,000 passengers carried; but in 1874 it was only 1 to each 5,300,000. The railroads are under the general supervision of a board of three commis- sioners, who are appointed by the governor, and are required to report annually upon the condition of the roads and corporations, the causes of accidents, &c. The lines completed at the beginning of 1875 are represented in the fol- lowing table, omitting those less than 5 m. long :