The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

The Wreck Register and Chart for 1863.

The return of the Registrar-General of Seamen recently
published shows that during the past year 413,962 vessels,
representing a tonnage of nearly 62 millions, entered in-
wards and cleared outwards from British ports. The esti-
mated value of the goods carried on board these ships was
upwards of 400 millions sterling. The number of wrecks and
casualties, including collisions, reported as having occurred
on the coasts of the United Kingdom during 1863 is 2,001.
This number, which is in excess by 174 of the wrecks re-
ported in 1862, is above the annual average of the 10 years
ending 1863. The numbers for the last five years are asfol-
low—viz„ 1859, 1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861, 1,491; 1862,
1,827 ; and 1863, 2,ool—total, 8,117. The increase in 1863
was owing to the great number of casualties in the gales of
October, November, and December of that year, and the
marked increase in 1862 is owing mainly to the 512 wrecks
and casualties which happened in the gales of January,
October, and December. Out of the 2,001 wrecks and
casualties in 1863, 882 are reported to have occurred by
stress of weather and 214 from various and unknown causes.
Again, 61 were lost from defects in the ships or in their gear
or equipment, and 176 from inattention and negligence.
During the same period 5,096 lives were saved by life-boats,
the rocket apparatus, fishing-boats, and other means. The
number of collisions reported in 1863 is 331, against 338 in
1862 and 323 in 1861, or 317, being the annual average of
the seven years ended 1863. Of these 331 collisions, 216
happened at night and 115 in the day time ; 133 were
caused by bad look-cut, neglecting to show lights, and ne-
glect or a misapplication of the road at sea. The remainder
were more or less the result of accident, unsound gear, or
negligence. During the past six years 399 lives have been lost
from collisions in our seas. The total number of wrecks
and casualties from all causes reported during the year 1863
is 2,001, against 1,827 reported in 1862. It is above the
number reported during any one of the eight years preced-
ing, and is 661 above the annual average of the eight years
ending 1862. The tonnage of these wrecks is thus given
—Vessels under 50 tons, 404; 51 and under 100 tons, 491 ;
101 and under 300 tons, 867 ; 301 and under 600 tons, 158 ;
601 and under 900 tons, 46; 901 and under 1,200 tons, 18;
1,201 tons and upwards, 14-. total, 2,001. Of the total
number of ships to which casualties have happened in 1863,
1,649 were British ships, 272 foreign. ships, and the country
and employment of 80 were unknown. The greatest num-
ber of casualties happened to ships laden with coals, ores,
bricks, &c., or, in other words, to ships of the collier class,
as will be seen from the accompanying list, viz.:—Colliers
laden, 614; colliers light, 114 ; iron and copper ore, &c„
146 ; stone, &c., 115 ; timber, 101; fishing smacks and
other laden vessels, 639 ; vessels in ballast (not colliers)
174 ; passengers and general cargo, 48—total, 2,001. Tho
winds most fatal during 1853 were from the N.W.,
S.W., W.S.W., and W. During the former year
(1862) the most fatal winds were S.S. W.. S.W., W.S.W.,
W.N. W. Again, it appears that 614 casualties happened
with the wind at and under force 7, or from a calm to a
moderate gale; and that 1,050 happened with the wind
above force 7, or from a fresh gale to a hurricane. The
number of persons who perished in 1863 from wrecks was
620, while in 1862 it was 690. It is satisfactory to know
that, notwithstanding the larger number of casualties in
1863, there is a great falling off in the number of lives lost,
and that it is 161 below the annual average of the last 12
years. The number of lives saved during the past year
was 5,096, and the total number of lives rescued by life-
boats, the rocket and mortar apparatus, smacks, and other
means,:during the past eight years, is 25,251. There are at
present 182 life-boats on the coasts of the United King-
dom belonging to the Royal National Life-boat Institution
and other bodies. The mortar and rocket apparatus stations
now number 239, and are under the management of the
Coast-guard and the Board of Trade. During the past
year 417 lives—besides 17 vessels—were saved by the life-
boats of the National Institution alone, and upwards of 300
by shore boats and other means for which the institution
granted rewards. A sum of £1,297 was expended by it in
reward,—and £13,819 on its various establishments round,
our ooasts.