The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-27 00:00:00

WRECKS AND CASUALTIES IN 1860.

This morning an abstract was presented to Par.
liament of the returns made to the Lords of the Co&
mittee of Privy Council for Trade of the wrecks and
casualties on or near the coast of the United Kingdom from
the Ist of January to the 31d of December, 1860.
We regret to state that the year 1860, having been al.
most unprecedented for • continued succession of bad
weather, the number of wrecks and easualtiee from mute
other than collision is greater than it was during either of
the preceding eight years. The number is 186 above the an-
nual average for six Tears, or 1,081 against 1,067, in 1839.
Whilst, however, wrecks and stranding, have increased,
collisions have decreased, being 298 against 349 in 1839,
The whole number of assualties of all hied', including col-
lisions, is 37 less than the number recorded in 1859, bat it
is 146 above the anneal average for six years. Although
the number of wrecks and stranding; has been greater than
usual, the lose of life has been less ; the number of lives
lost in 1860 being under me-third of the number lost in
1869, and 264 under the annual average for nine years.
The numbers for 1859 and 1860 are 1,645 and 536. The
great low of life during 1859 was mainly attributable to the
law of two or three fine passenger ships, and the daurease
in the number of lives lad in 1860 is owing to the absence
of the loss of any large ships under similar circumstances.
In 1859, 870 lives were lost in two casualties alone, viz., the
wrecks of the Pomona and the Royal Charter, whilst in
1860 the greatest number of lives lost in any me
casualty was 37, and the next greatest number 31.
On reference to the table, distinguishing the cargo of the
ships, it is seen that the number of casualties to ships of
the collier class, (i.e. ships carrying coals, coke, ores, and
stone in bulk) is below the number for the last year,
although, as is usual, it exceeds the number of casualties to
all other descriptions of ships put together. For the pur-
pose of comparison, the number of casualties to each de-
scription of ship during the last two years nay be bristly
stated as follows :--Colliers, lade; 1859, 506 ; 1860, 479 ;
ditto, light, 1859, 71 ; 1860, 60; iron and copper ore, 1859,
130; 1880, 93 ; stone, he., 1850, 82; 1860, 83• total, 1,504.
Timber, 1860, 61; 1860, 76; other laden vessels, 1869, 376;
1860, 338 ; other veoWs in ballast, not colliers, 1859, 148;
1860, 724 ; passengers, 1859, 42 ; 1880, 26 ; total, 1,29 L
Grand total, 1859, 1,416 ;1860, 1,379. This shows thattlie
total number of casualties in the two years is 2,795, and that
of this number 1,504, or considerably more than half hap.
meted to ship* of the collier class. The classes of ships to
which cawaalties most frequently happen on our coasts
are the., between 50 and 300 tons burthen, employed in
carrying anal, coke, ores, and stow. The experience of the
plat eleven yeses shows that the most serious wrecks, re-
Salting in the greatest loss of life, do not happen, as was
supposed, on the north-east coast, but in three
seas and channels mostly frequented by large
foreign-going ships. The toted number of lives lost
from shipwreck during 11 years has been 6,683.
The greater portion of casualties happen with the force of
the wind at and under 8 (fresh gale) or under circumstances
is which • ship, if seaworthy and properly manned and
found, ought to be well able to keep the sea. The
numbers are as follow :—With the force of the
wind at and under 8, i.e. from " mini to fresh
pie," 73L With the fora of the wind from 9to 12,
i.e. from " • to • hurricane," 648.
The peat increase ftuniiBs galei collisions is attributed by
the Beard of Trade to the increased number of
rather Shea to any actual increase in the collisions=
selves. At the aid of 1860 the number of lifeboats sta.
timed on the coast was 173, against 158 in 1859; 91 are
under the management of the National Lifeboat Institu-
tion, but are subsidised by the Board of Trade, and 5 are
subsidised by the board direct. Of the remainder, 19 are
maintained by the institution and 58 by local bodies.
The mortar and rocket apparatus is maintained in • very
effective state ; there has been an increase of 17 in the
number of stations during the past year ; many of the ex-
isting stations have been removed, and the appoint& has in
many cases been renewed and remodelled. Through the
energy and seal of the officers and men of the Coast Guard
service, great proficiency has been attained in working the
apparatus from the shore. It does, however, sometimes
trthat after a communication is effected, the crew are
IT to use it from ignorance of the working of the apps.
rains, notwithstanding the means taken to make it known
by circulation of handbills, by inserting the directions in
ship's logs, by exercising the apparatus in the presence of
merchant seamen where possible, and by examining
masters and mates in its use and application when
when they are peeing for certificates of competency.
The payments by the Beard of Trade direct, for rewards and
gratuities and for services at wrecks, amount to 9181. Bs. 6d.;
and the expenses of maintaining the mortar and rocket:sippe-
r/40s to 2,4161. 15e. Bd. ; being • total payment of 5,8811
17s. 5d., for saving sod endeavouring to save life during the
year 1860. The mortar and rocket apparatus and life-
boats cannot be over-rated as means for saving life.
During the last six years no less than 8,205 lives bays been
reed on the coast by assistance from the shore. The num-
ber last year thus saved was 1,383, there being 110 We-
' boats and 233 seta of mortar and rocket apparatus.
The number of lives saved during 1860 on on near the coasts
of the United Kingdom of which reporta have been received
was 2,152 against 2,332 in 1869. The number saved, with
more or less risk, by assistance from the shore
during 1860, was 1,383, or nearly two-thirds of the
whole number saved. The life boats saved 326 lives, being
greatly in excess of the number saved by lifeboats during
the two previous years. And the mortar and rocket appa-
ratus saved 408 Itves. The remainder (viz., 635) were saved
b 7 fishing.boate, mach; ,kc., at sea, and fourteen by intli.
&dual exertions of a meritorious character.
The return bears date the 12th of last month.