COMMERCE AND =MANUFACTURES. The industrial development of Philadelphia has been greatly aided by the favorable location of the city for commerce, and especially by its proximity to raw materials. The city has the advantage of superior railroad facilities. The great Penn sylvania Railroad system, with 10.484 miles of owned am.] leased lines, and the Philadelphia aml Reading Railway, with $140.900.000 capital and 1457 miles of track, terminate and have home offices near the City Hall. The Pennsylvania lines give Philadelphia more direct communication with the productive Middle West than is enjoyed by any other Atlantic port. The general offices of the Lehigh Valley Railroad are in the city. The Baltimore and Ohio enters where Chestnut Street crosses the Schuylkill. The tracks of the Pennsyl vania are nearly all elevated or below grade, the Baltimore and Ohio below, and the Reading partly above, partly below, but mainly at grade. The Delaware River admits of the en trance of ocean vessels, and is navigable the entire length of the city's frontage, IS miles. Work is now in progress to deepen the river to 30 feet. The Schuylkill River is navigable eight miles for vessels of light draught and is being dredged to a depth of 22 feet. The general ex port and import interests. including the Port Richmond coal wharves, are located mainly on the Delaware. Eleven transatlantic lines enter the port.
Early in the nineteenth century Philadelphia was first among United States ports in foreign commerce, but its relative importance declined. until in 1901 it ranked fourth. The imports for that year were valued at $48,043,443. and the exports at $79,354.025. In 190]. 158 sailing vessels, with an aggregate of 115.779 tons, and 950 steam vessels, of 1.807,623 tons, entered the port. The pipe lines of the Standard Oil Com pany from the wells in the northwest section of the State terminate at Point Breeze, on the Schuylkill. and oil is one of the largest and most valuable shipments of the port. In 1001 the ex ports of illuminating mineral oil amounted to 207.111.311 gallons. valued at $12,323,961. The exports of corn for the same year amounted to S12,633,467, one-seventh of the total for the country. Wheat and flour are also exported ex
tensively. In 1901. 37.833 head of cattle were shipped, and there were also considerable exports of meat and meat products. Coal and copper are other important exports. The largest import is sugar, amounting in 1901 to a value of over $15, 500.000, Imports of unmannfactured silk were valued at over $S,000,000. Among•other leading imports are goat skins, fabrics, bananas, etc.
Philadelphia is a great manufacturing centre, ranking third in the United States 'in value of products. Of 15 selected industries in the census year 1900, it was first in one (leather), second in two (cigars and and women's factory clothing). and third in six. The value of the total output was $732.137,957. This was nearly double the corresponding figure for 1880. but the greater part of the increase was made in the decade 1880 90. The manufacture of foundry and machine shop products is most important, amounting, in 1900 to In this industry Philadel phia has a special advantage, owing to its prox imity to abundant of coal and iron. It is noted particularly for the manufacture of locomotives, the Baldwin Locomotive Works, on North Broad Street. having a yearly capacity of 1500. For years Philadelphia has been the fore most shipbuilding centre in the tountry. :Many warships of the United States and also a number for foreign governments have been built at the Cramp shipyard, which occupies some 52 acres in the Port Richmond section. These two estab lishments are not only the leading one. of Philadelphia, but each excels, in its own line, for the country at large: In the total manufacture of textiles also the city ranks fir,t (though not for any one branch), the value of the principal textiles produced in 1900 being as Wool en goods, $15.340.012; worsted goods, S16.242. 250: cotton roods, S15.723,654: hosiery and knit goods, 813.040.905; silk and silk goods. S4.531 794. The output of the sugar and molasses re fining industry was valued at over ::36,000.000; the output of clothing. S28,000.000; of carpets and rug., nearly 522.000,000; of leather. nearly 520.000.000: and of liquors. over $12.000,000.