The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-01 00:00:00

THE ADMIRALTY REGISTER FOR

WRECKS FOR 1854.

(Front the Journal of the National Life-boat Institution)
The Admiralty register of the wrecks that have oc-
curred on the coasts of the United Kingdom during the
year 1854 has jest been published by order of the House
of Commons, accompanied by the Wreck Chart of the
British Isles for the same period. We are therefore
enabled, in continuation of the series which we have in-
serted in former numbers of this journal, now to present
them to our readers.
Those who have retained in their memories the num-
ber of casualties to ships and of lives lost which these
documents have hitherto disclosed, or who now com-
pare them with this last melancholy record of the
precious things, the lives and property of men which
the insatiable waters have engulfed within the brirf
space of 12 months on our own coasts and neighbour-
ing seas alone, cannot but be impressed by the dis-
couraging fact that, so far from any measures
hitherto adopted to abate this annual drain on our
wealth and our life's blood having succeeded
in diminishing its amount, the loss of life during the
year 1854 was greater than in any previous year of
which we have any record, amounting, as far as is known
to 1,549 lives, being 560 more than in the previousyear,
while the number of vessels lost was 987, being 155 more
than in 1853. The only legitimate deduction, however,
from this comparison is, that there is all the greater ne
cessity for increased exertion and additional precaution-
ary measures, both of which must be persevered in until
the average loss of life and property on the sea is re-
duced to the minimum amount attainable by human
skill ; for to altogether subdue and neutralise the de-
vastating power of that mighty element, when lashed
into fury by a storm, is far more than the utmost skill
and ingenuity of man can ever hope to attain to, and
his failure to do which will probably ever remain an evi-
dence of the finite nature of the powers which in this
world are bestowed an him.

In comparing this increased loss of life and property
with the eff ,rta that have been made to reduce we
must remember that, until the passing of the Merchant
Shipping Act, 1854, the provisions of which did not
come into force until the Ist of May last, no efforts cor-
responding with the increased trade of this country had
been made, as we have ourselves often borne witness to.
We trust, however, that the passing of this act is the
first dawn of a new era on us, and if its full effects are

not immediately seen, they will soon, and year by year,
• be more perceptible. In the meantime, let us hope that
each in the proper sphere of his own duty, whether it be
the Legislature, the shipowner, the shipbuilder, the ma,

ters and seamen of ships themseives, the life-boatinsti:

tutions, or the public by whom they are supported, Will
each put the shoulder to the wheel ; and, with God's
blessing on their endeavours, the average proportionate
loss of life and property from shipwreck will, we firmly
believe, he in a few years reduced to half what it now i .
The summary appended to the register is as follows :
The works on the coasts and in the seas of the
United Kingdom in the year 1854 were 987, which may
be thus classed :
Totally wrecked 431
Totally lost in collision
Damaged seriously, and had to discharge 462
Damaged seriously in collision
The number of casualties in each month were :
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

.. 26
.. 35
.. 30
.. 131
.. 127
. 109

Total

987

Of these, 350 occurred on the east coast of Great Bri-
tain ; 33 on the south coast, and 164 on the west coast ;
66 wrecks took place on the coasts of Ireland ; 5 were
cast on shore at Scilly, 9 at the Channel Islands, 19 at
Orkney and Shetland, and 5 at the Isle of Man ; the re-
maining 331 wrecks occurred in the surrounding seas.
Thus, the register for the year 1854 shows an increase
of 155 wrecks above those recorded in 1853 ; but, as
compared with the year 1852, it shows a less number by
123.

January was, to the shipping on the British coasts, by
far the most disastrous month of this year ; continued
gales prevailed nearly throughout, causing the loss of
467 lives, and the wreck or damage of 258 vessels. The
weather was not at any period of the rest of the year so
boi,terous as to cause, comparatively, any remarkable
increase of casualties until October, which, with No-
vember, caused the wreck or damage of 258 vessels—
exceeding the casualties of the same months in 1853 by
91; the loss of life, however, was not quite so great.