The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-20 00:00:00

THE WRONGS OF SHIP•MASTERS

TO THE EDITOR OF IIIi; NORT:IFRN TIME,.

Sir,—As I am about to e up m rather an
trodden path, it might, to s •Ine, s —in tee. lee, ;..
avoid the consequences of pos-riber veproof, by
availing myself of anonymous observations, so
that,' if publicly acceptable, I could, when safe,
declare myself; while, if faulty, I could thus escape
But, sir, I like not secrecy—'tis rarelyjust—some-
times unmanly. Better to shrink from what one
fears to avow, than thrust insinuation, with an
unseen hand, toward the public car. L therefore,
desirous only of truthful information, in a cause
which every English householder should make his
Own, and, fully sensible ofmy unimportance, attach
My name. Abuse slips glibly off a secret pen—
offensive personalities I abhor. I will avoid both,
and therefore ask indulgence.
Although, in the Shipping Gazette of Monday
last, I expressed, at some length, my humble views
on the question of " Ship Masters," I must hazar I
the charge of presumption in asking the favour of a
little space in your journal, while I continue, or
resume the subject. A letter in your paper of
Thursday last, signed ," 11." and healed " The
Lead Line Again," has gone its round through-
out your world of readers. Its well intentioned
writer ventures on a subject which greatly needs
attention. He attributes largely to neglect of
" lead" the frequent grievous losses on our shores
It is meritorious to applaud a merchant captain
whose good deeds are unknown—and the gallant
Master of the Mona's Queen now has common
Justice done him--but Captain Higginson s:iares
his laurels with coasting masters generally, not
One in ten swears by his compass, or heeds it over
much. To feel their way, as blind men use their
sticks, they use their lead, and thus it should be.
All should do the same. Why do they not ? we
ask. But this is not my question. According to
Your respected cotemporary, the Daily Post,
captains do " not wish to free themselves from
fair responsibility, but they wish a fair tribunal,
feeling it to he entirely incompatible with fair play
that their certificates,and with them their whole wordly
Prospects, should be left to the judgment of a
stipendiary magistrate, or two justices of the
Peace, assisted by a nautical assessor appointed
by the Board of Trade. Now, whatever the
individual probity of these gentlemen may be,
I contend that the very condition of the tribunal
itself implies its own unfitness ; for why is the
" assistance" of a " nautical" assessor called for if
the Justices of the peace (who may be excellent
sportsmen, or good lawyers, or admirable citizens).
understand the business consigned to their
scrutiny? I would not imply intentional neglect to
any one, but If the present practice be not wrong,
it is highly objectionable. Shipmasters complain
of it. Their loud appeal to us in their late pro -
ceedings is, however, purely of the " Strike, but
hear me" character; and when your correspondent
speaks of the " clamour recently raised about the
oppressive acts of the Board of Trade," he seems
to have mistaken the matter. Some have certainly
spoken of individual officers of the Board of Trade
as if the whole body of shipmasters were hostile to
them. I ask permission, as one holding contrary
opinions, to assert that the active officers of the
Board of Trade are totally unworthy of
unfriendly " clamour." The law plainly pre-
scribes their duties ; their work has been
'narked by much personal courtesy, and patience ;
but naturally catching the spirit of a law (and
instructions), having for its object the remedy
°f a glaring evil, their judgments bear at times the
aspect of oppression. It is, therefore, the British
senate that we arraign, and not the " naval head,"
it rather is the heart Thet the mercantile marine
law is a partial failure (although it has effected
Touchgood in certain measures), I trust to prove.
m
rial 1 v " peers" .may to a mere visionary be a
splendid phantom,' but to the eye of English flesh
anti blood, it has long been a cherished reality.
A. wish to be corrected, if in error, perhaps your
ro b
t will confer a favour by giving the
. and
-a on which
rt ed he asserts " that shipmasters are
Iy their peers' already-4
nP-ty differ from your readers generally, but
cannot avoid the conclusion that shipmasters of the
present day are almost a new creation. Time was
When the stately old " walls" of England had
110 steamers to compete with, nor had speed.
like a restless spirit, forced headlong on her course
the bounding clipper. In those days of plod-
ding venture, safety was the weed of caution
The merchant captains had a high repute, aria
(next to courage) care and forethought were their
)14;11 attainments. They have no less at present.
Tho merchant service was a hardy school, and
Ships were manned with seamen, charts were less per-
fect, lights were less frequent on the coast, nor
Were the dangers of the varied channels so plainly
buoyed. Thus, then, the merchant captain of the
olden time was more dependent on his own resources,
and all his watchfulness concentred on the sea and
deep, Hence 'twas the latter that he most relied
on when in soundings, and thus the ship and
Cargo reached her port in safety. Protracted peace
and extended trade lured from their flag Great
Britain's " jolly tars." Foreign engagements and
chaeges in the fleets of commerce induced a change
in men. Steam needed less the practised sailer in
a crew. Stout heart no longer claimed the
"` weather-earing"—" Topmen" and " Fo'csl-men"
and .aAfterguard" became one equal crowd, and
" Jack'' despising oil and smoke and paddles, clung
to the sailing and the pristine "ship." The landsman
front the workshop, plough or loom, could haul a
rope, or man a capstan bar, or clean bright rails
and pins. The work aloft was lessened, topsails,
braiis and downhauls sapped poor "Jack's" voca
ti°n—his race diminished—and any sku'king mass
14 human form, indued in mocking garb, passed for
a sailor ! The change thus ;nide trebled the master's
'cares Few trusty eyes, henceforth, but his to
watch the hareed horizon, or to keep " look out."
The practised helmsman, now so few in number,
shared extended duties. The well-skilled leads-
man also had his altered work. Hence the master's
tricllB No more the ready hands to sing the
"marks" and 4' deeps." The plaintive music of
lUe leadsman's song no more by moonlight echoes
from the cliff! That soothing balm to wearied
avatch ful master no longer tells him of his safety,nor
drops the flimsy veil between the world and him ! It
7x gives place to noise, and screech and shake—
. paddles" and " screws" hurry to " keep their
times." Light-buoys and charts improve—com-
merce itself plants thorns in its own side, and calls
for more rapid transit. The vessel trembles lest
her hour be late ! Channels and seas being
(Toweled, collisions occur which cause a fearful
loss—shipwrecks increase—no wonder ! With
best intents we tie the masters's hands, and
mezaviszo's works the last great change. The
rchant captain, striving in vain to stem each
innovation, becomes the victim of the world's
avarice, and science, which to others proves a boon,
enslaves the free born master—perchance it sounds
Ilia knell! If bravely he defies the raging storm,
and, " while planks keep together," claims his
right to perish with his battered ship—the
Panful second thought (he gives the firstto el:aty) of widow and of orphan, left to
truggi against scorn and want, saddens .
manly heart. For all the wealth he earns in
These now altered times, consists in what the rich
o:t lack. His treasured reputation, maintained
through anxious toil for which he worked so long,
and which at last might calm his children's
grief, must perish with him ! Dawn sinks the
Martyr in the ruthless dee
Wail ! p,—God hears his dying
Oh says the would-be etatesman, " these sailors
Sealer so reckle''s that merchant captains need the
)aw's strong AlM—they run their shies ashore, they
"'have the headlands, and cut such " hairs' breadth
rapers'' in their mad career, despising shoal and
"augers—they lose their ships they drowns their
ttS6Origers---their cargoes perish—they srossly
'trgleet precautions. The boasted smartness of
i le British sailor no more avails to reef the strain-
nlo,asail—see ye, how long they hug that surging
'.":*" • they drift, and drift, while loitering at
now
workthey're badly managed ! Ship masters
sires
must be an idle set, degenerate from their
l.orres ! Mark yeti that ship, whose leeway sets her
a wards the rocky ledge ? What means her sluggish
master ? Why not
- fat do so and so. [The M-
ed barque still drives—her feeble cretcj exhaust

their mortal powers ; th! / e.r 10
orert the shock—she strikes—by ,ff ;) ;tom In
h A licr off, but leaves his had &trite,' ALL t.')
i;te .Tot, and lives a broken man ] Sauely
h Li."l' could have wore that ship. Alas for
tc.riess r' '1 he stateslnAn says again, "
these merchant captains—'heir light., I see,
barns dimly. We'll keep their lamps in order.
Not one shall step on board an English ship who
has not passed examination well, and proved his
--His what? That's what I want to know !
and must renew enquiry in another letter.

S. M. SAXBY.

OUR COAL TRADE AND THE DOCK
COMMITTEE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—My letter published in the reported pro.
ceedings of the Dock Committee of last Thursday
is unintelligible to the general reader, as it refers
to previous communications with that body, not
made public.
The mineral wealth of South Lancashire is an
important element in the prosperity of this port
and district ; and whatever measures tend to
develope its production, cheapen the cost of
transit, and expedite delivery for export, merits
the attention of any body constituted to promote
the extension of commerce. That L'.verpool ought
to provide the most effective means for shipping
coal, is a proposition none will dispute. As the
public at large are interested in the question,
permit me briefly to recapitulate the points at
issue, contained in the corr3spondence allu led to.
The objections to the cranes erected at the North
Docks are confined simply to their non-appli-
cability for shipping coal in quantity and time,
and to the fact that they do not, as specially
intended, meet the exigencies of the coal trade.
Coal proprietors, who certainly are competent to
form an opinion upon a matter so vitally affecting
them; complain that their views have had little
weight in deciding the mode of shipment: The
dock surveyor is under the impression that his
plans were submitted to and approved by the trade.
One meeting only was called by the railway officials
for deliberating on the project The discussion
was desultory, and nothing determined. Three
methods were suggested :—l. Barrows ; 2. Cranes
and hopper wagons ; 3. Self-acting drops and
tipping trucks. It was intimated by the company's
engineer that the dock trust objected to the latter
plan, on the ground of dust. But the expressed
opinion of the majority present was in its favour,
although none were averse to the adoption of
plans 2 and 3 conjointly. High-level railways are
not necessary adjuncts to shipment by barrow
The inutility of apparatus adapted solely for box
or hopper waggons is apparent from the following
considerations :

Very few hopper waggons are employed in this
district, and they, in the hands of one or two
parties. If the proprietor is to find boxes it
involves the outlay of capital in stock not gene-
rally useful. There is not less than £700,000,
invested in waggons constructed to meet every
market commanded by railway, North Docks
Liverpool, excepted. Even with a desire to adapt
the existing rolling stock to the cranes, the imprtic.
ticability of doing so is evident, as the carrying
capacity varies from three to seven tons. Other
objections to hopper waggons are these : the great
coat of the building, the unnecessary dead weight
in them, and their elevation which would necessi-
tate the alteration of screens and other pit gear.
Subsequently a cradle has been appended to one
of the cranes to lift an ordinary coal truck ; but so
much teazing is required, to the injury of the wag-
gon, and so much time lost before it gains its
proper position, and so nice the care requisite to
prevent it performing evolutions scarcely consis-
tent with its humble an sedate vocation, to the
danger of the ship and all concerned, as to prove
the cradle to be the merest apology for drops.
To bring the high level railway into play, there
is no alternative but either to extend the works
and erect drops upon the Garston model, or for the
several railway companies to furnish box waggons
of an improved construction, and in number
sufficient to work the trade, The former alterna-
tive is preferable. There is some misapprehension
as to depreciation by breakage in shipping from
drops. We have shipped large quantities of Orrell
coal (naturally tender) through Garston without
complaint from the consignees. Shutes made to fit
under the hatchways, would decrease breakage and
reduce the cost of trimming.

Transit Charges.—l take Wigan to be the central
point from which these expenses ought to be com-
puted, in estimating the relative cost by canal and
rail. 42 tons, by canal, may be delivered on boats'
deck, in Nelson Dock, at less than 2s 31 per ton.
The total cost by rail, ought, therefore, under no
circumstances exceed that figure. Coal from St.
Helens is delivered on board, at Garston, at Bd per
ton less than this, with no dock charges. It would
be good policy on the part of the Dock Trust, and
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, to
arrange a through rate of 2s per ton for Wigan
coal, comprising every expense from the pit, to
delivery on ship board, dock dues inclusive—and
neither interest would suffer in its revenue by
accepting moderate rates. The town dues of 21
per ton is a serious pressure on a low-priced article
such as coal, and if modified would materially
affect the trade.

A few words in reference to the character of
Lancashire coals, recently assailed by parties who
emulate the folly of " taking coals to Newcastle."
Wigan cannel stands pre-eminent as a gas coal.
The Orrell 5 feet, and Orrell 4 feet (identica
with Arley mine). are first class house fuel, and
possess excellent gas and coking properties
They are largely consumed in the metropolitan and
southern markets, and compete successfully with
coal from the east coast. 'Though not introduced
as such, the Arley mine,
like the semi-bitumenous
kinds of South Wales, is a superior marine furnace
coal, as it requires and will sustain a strong blast,
and is perfectly inodorous. The better qualities
of the lower grades from wrigan and St Helens
have a large local sale, and for export the run is
principally upOn inferior descriptions.
Shippers of coal from Liverpool, unfortunately,
are too indifferent to quality if the figure be low
enough. This, joined with the article, being
pulverised by the frequent removals, incidental
to shipping by boat, has in some markets injured
its reputation. It needs no proof that Lancashire
contains coal suited to every purpose for which it
is in demand ; and, with ready shipping facilities.
will, in due time, work its own way. As the pro-
duction may be expanded to any extent, and with
a freight market second to none in the world,
Liverpool may become as eminent in the export of
coal as she is in dtller branches of commerce.—
Your obedient servant, JAMES

Agent for John Blundell.
Canal Basin, May 18; 1857.