The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-01 00:00:00

[ independent of the bursting of boilers defective
/ machinery, and the negligence of the aptain or
engineer, a number of vessels has been lost by
another cause, which hitherto it has been found
difficult to guard against—collision,' and particu-
larly in rivers. In 1825 a collision took place in
the Clyde between the Comot and Ayr, by which
62 persons were killed or drowned. In the year
1837 the Royal William, during the night, r ran
foul of the Tagus in the river, and, but for the
former vessel being constructed with water-tight
compartments, she must have gone to the bottom,
probably with all on board. The Apollo was run
clown by the Monarch, and sunk in the Thames in
1837 for want of proper lights. These are merely
instances of cons•antly recurring accidents of a
similar nature, by which many costly steamers, and
also sailing vessels, have been sunk or destroyed.
The following is a very simple plan for preventing
these collisions during fogs :
. A distinguishing sound should be provided on board
steam-vessels, as an alarm, to notice their proximity to
'other vessels at night, on occasions, but more particu-
larly during fo-s or thick weather, when lights can
only be sec; on a very near approach. The want of.
such rJgulation is alluded to by several of our corres-
pondents, and a means is also suggested for accomplish-
ing the end. Sailing vessels are generally provided
with some instrument for making a noise, to Which re-
sort is had when circumstances require it—viz., bells,
horns, gongs, &c. A steam-vessel carries with
it an agent . more powerful than any of these
contrivances,..,_ and one which could not fail in
riotifyini, its approach, distinctively from every
class ofl' vessel, and from a much greater, dis-
tance than belle, &c.—a circumstance of no slight
consequence, when the greater velocity of a steamer is
considered. The steam-whistle in common use at-
tached to locomotive engines, if applied to the boiler
of a steam-vessel, would completely fulfil the desired
end. ,All that is.- required is a small pipe opening into
the steam chest, and brought .;up on deck, with the
wliistle on the top of it, in a convenient position to be
used when the commander may order it. By simply
turning the "handle ot a cock, a prolonged sound is pro-
duer.d, or a Succession of soundS, on opening and shut-.
ting the cock'at short intervals. The sound from the
whistle of a locomotive engine has frequently been
heard more than two miles. We have made particular
inquiries as to the degree of sound producible with low,
pressure compared with high-pressure steam, and learn
tliat this vvhistle may be constructed so as to be equally'
as effective with the one as with the other.
The list furnished to the Commissioners con-
tained two instances of steamers sunk in the river
in:fogs in 1836, namely, the Rob Roy and Red
Rover ; and the digest furnished by the Waterman's
Company exhibits a total of 71 accidents in the
Thames during three years only.
" Nearly' the whole of the passengers," states the
Report, " and no inconsiderable 'portion of the mer-
diandise, coasting traffic of the British isles, is carried
on kbY steam-vessels; the rapidly increasing number of
which will presently be' shown. It is impossible to de-
termine, in the, absence .of official, record, whether the
number of accidents has increased in a greater ratio
than that of the steamers ; but our schedule exhibits an
anntial increase of 'disasters, and shows that nearly the
half of them has occurred within,the last three years ;-
and' that from the beginning of 1838 to the present
time,,aperiod of -fifteen tiontias only, no•fewer than 22
accidents have happened. They consist of-
-11 wrecks, founderings, or immi-
nent peril ...
8 explosions ...

117 liycs lost.
-firdiito, and mank,
- lions injurcll4
collisions pet
1 fire ••• ••, ;:•••. • i
;Li*

'
22 - 137
In.addition t 6 the amount of, human life. sacrificed;
688 animals were' throWn oveiboard, or sealded to
death.
• Seven of the; vessels were totally lost, four of which
are traced to have had defective boilers or engines ;
and others had to undergo costly repairs.
SUMMARY OF CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS.
The priMary causes of nearly all the accidents which
occur to life and property on board steam-vessels may
be classed as follows :
OP WRECKS FOUNDERING, OR .IMMINENT PERIL 01?