The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-29 00:00:00

COt gkonlriby etsertrer.

..',71.1;1,AY. OCTOBER 29. IR7O.

OUR MARITIME CASUALTIES.

That very important and suggestive complica•
tion, this Wreck Register, has just been published,
giving us a summary of the maritime disasters
for the year 1869. rho enormous loss of life
and property at sea Is a saddening theme, and
Ito sorrowful tale Pan never be fully told. Here
i scope for the pen of the historian, the poet,
or the philosopher. Alluding to the treasures
which the deep has engulfed, Mrs. Henien's
sweetly says:—

"To thee the toot et wows, lealh goo. dna.
Dark Arm thy tides net atantiocare noble 11..1.
O'er youth's bright locks and beauty flowery vrown.'
But this Wreck Register takes an unronointie
and practical view of the subject, and its records
of a year's wrecks is not without deep interest,
and, moreover, spesially suggestive of needful
reforms at this rough and boisterous season Of
the year.
We find that during the year 1869 there were
on our toasts no less than 2,114 maritime disas-
ters, resulting in the loss of or damage to 2,594
vassals, causing the loss of 933 human lives.
Bad as this filet is, it must be taken in conjunc-
tion with two other very consolatory statements.
About 400,000 vessels entered inwards and
elected outwards from British ports, so that the
proportion of lose is not very large, however
large it may seam in the abstract. Moreover,
while there were 988 lives lost, there were 5,121
endangered persons saved. Much of the hon•
our and credit of this is due to the National
Lifeboat Institution, sod it is only fair that we
should give honour where houour is due, This
Wreck liteginter contains a number ef interest- i
ing facts relative to this heavy loss of life and
property. The largest number of wrecks, as
always the tree. tilmie on the east coast ;
the greatest loss 01 'ate was in the Irish Sea and
on the coast of lrel-tol ; there were 461 collisions,
606tota1 wrecks, and 1,047 more or less serious
disasters, thus makirg the 2.114 casualties; but
it must he borne in mind that the mere word
" colliron " suggests that more than tuts num-
ber met with disaster—in fact, 2,594. •It it curi-
ous to fird that 177 wrecks happened when the
wind was calm or not blowing more than a gen-
tle bre si. But the Most interesting, and, at
the same time, the most seriously important
facts relate to the causes of maritime disaster.
These facts cannot be too urgently brought un-
der the attention of the public, and Parliament
might put them to a good use in endeavouring
to solve the problem, how best to save life and
property at sea. Of the 606 total wrecks, 74
arose from defects in the ships or equipments,
such as imperfect charts or compasses, dc. and
45 of thee. 74 ship. are stated to have been ae-
easily unseaworthy. Now this ought not to be
permitted. • peat maritime nation like oar.
selves should have strict laws NI to the sea.
worthiness of vessels and their proper equip-
ment, and these laws should be rigidly enforced.
There ought to be no free trade in human life,
whether railways or the sea is concerned, and '
on shore or afloat our fellow creat,ures have no
right to be subjected to avoidable risk of life.
There were also 80 total wrecks through the
fault of the, on board. This fact simply shows
that our navigation laws should provide as far
as possible the safety of our ships and crews.
Taking the average for the past 14 yesrs, in.
eluding 1999, the number is, for wrecks, result-
ing In total losses, other than collisions, 484;
and for similar casualties resulting in partial
daresie, 719; while.. we have just said, the
number for the pest year is 606 for total losses,
and 1,047 for partial damage, irrespective of
collisieas.

A noticeable feature of this is, that ships corn.
partitively new, are lost in greater proportion
than those that are old. We find that up to 14
years 1,180 were lost ; and from 15 to 30 there
were 750 ; while there were 641 old ships be-
iWIND 80 and 50, and 87 very old ships, one of
which was 92, and another nearly 100 years old,
the last named being a collier. Thus we And
that of those which happened in 1859, 98 were
fitted se ships, 112 were steam ls, 706
schooners, 08 brigs, 827 barques, 265 brigan•
tines. end 178 smacks; the remainder being
meetly smaller mate. Thus during the past 22
months tkisiLifeboat Institutions has contributed
by it. hfeboste and other means to the Baring of
1,847 lives !rem different wrecks on our coast,
in addition to 58 Yeesele rescued from destruc•
tios—making • grand total of 19,694 lives saved
from shipwreck sires billee the formation of the
Lifeboat inetitntions.

From the above statistic). unprofessional obser-
vers will conclude that the new Navigation
Laws should enter* the seaworthiness of craft,
should demand nautical proficiency from those
in command, and shonld exact from owners pro-
per precautions for the sake of human life, since
they will take them for the sake of property.
The annual list of loss and deaths would be still
move happily metalled. It is quite time that
Parliament should legislate upon this, and de.
arable that our engineers should put their heeds
together, sad gad some cheap but serviceable
way of multiplying the harbours along our somas.
There are many fiats where a haven of refuge
Is wanted. In the meantime no one can exam•
ins the dismal map of wrecks without being
thankful for the work the National LifeboatJms
done.

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