The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-27 00:00:00

hydraulic pressure of 801 b. to the square inch, how
much steam pressure, in your opinion, could it
stand P—lf I knew it was not properly stayed I
should not like to put 501 b upon it.
What, in your opinion, was the cause of the acci-
dent P.—The boiler not being properly stayed. I
find no fault with the iron.
The jury then adjourned (at six o'clock) till to-
morrow afternoon at five o'clock.

VRECK REGISTER AND CHART FOR
1858.

(Front the Journal of the National Lifeboat Institution.)
In accordance with our custom for some years
past, we present some facts connected with the
" Wreck Register and Chart," prepared annually,
by the Board of Trade for presentation to Parlia-
ment.
It is, as usual, a carefully-arranged document,
prepared from official and reliable authorities.
At the outset it is satisfactsry to find that 1,555
lives were rescued in 1858 by life-boats, other boats,
and ships, and by the rocket and mortar apparatus,
and that out of 1,895 lives in actual peril from ship-
wreck, 340 only were lost. This number is still
too large, and it must not be forgotten that the
average number of lives lost during the past seven
years, including the number in 1858, is 745. --We
believe we are correct in stating that even now,
before the winter has commenced, the loss of life
from shipwrecks on the coasts and in the seas of
the United Kingdom this very year (1859) has al-
ready reached the average number. It is, therefore,
quite evident that the strenuous efforts which are
now being made by the National Lifeboat Institu-
tion in this good work must not be allowed, on any
consideration, to relax, for the stormy elements and
the carelessness of man can only be counteracted by
the best preparations and calculations.
The following statement shows clearly the num-
ber and character of the shipwrecks that have oc-
curred in the seas and on the coasts of the British
Isles during the past seven years :
Wrecks and Total Total Lives
Casualties in Wreck. Collisions. Wrecks. Lost.
1852 .. 958 .. 57 .. 1,015
1853 .. 759 .. 73 .. 832 .. 689
1854 .. 893 .. 94 .. 987 .. 1,549
1855 .. 894 .. 247 .. 1,141 .. 469
1856 .. 837 .. 316 .. 1,153 .. 521
1857 .. 866 .. 277 .. 1,143 .. 532
1858 .. 869 .. 301 .. 1,170 .. 340

Total .. 6,076 1,265 7,441 5,020
What a frightful catalogue does this aggregate
loss of life and of ships present. , How such cala-
mities have been tolerated for so many years in a
civilised country, without any serious attempt at a
systematic remedy, it is not easy to comprehend.
With regard to the means of saving life from
wreck, it is consolatory to learn that human skill
and ingenuity bid fair, if properly supported, to
very greatly reduce the number of lives lost fro m
these catastrophes. The " Register" tells us that
there are now 149 lifeboats on the coast, 82 of which
are under the management of the National Life-
boat Institution, and 67 belong to local authorities.
Each boat of that institution has a paid coaxswain
and a volunteer crews attached to her, who are
promptly paid after they have been afloat in the
boats. We fear that few of the lifeboats of local
authorities are equally well attended to.
We also observe that there are 216 mortar and
rocket stations on the coast. These are chiefly un-
der the control of the Board of Trade, and worked
by the Coast-guard. We find that the result of
these combined and active exertions during the past
year in saving life is thus succinctly given :
Persons.
By lifeboats 206
By luggers, coast-guard boats, small craft, and ships'
own boats 719
By ships and steam vessels
From shore by ropes, rockets, mortar apparatus, &c 2lO
Individual exertions of a meritorious character

Total 1,5&

With reference to these results it should be ob-
served that the services of a lifeboat are seldom or
never called into requisition except in very boiste-
rous weather, when ordinary boats could not safely
be made use of. Hence it is, that so large a num-
ber of lives are rescued by shore boats and other
craft, mostly in moderate weather, which are
always then found in large numbers on the water.
We feel persuaded that in future years the services
of lifeboats will prove still more conspicuously
effective.
It may be hoped that the proposed new harbours
of refuge will do much to lessen the number of
these disasters ; but such extensive works must
necessarily be far apart, while a lifeboat establish-
ment can be formed almost on any part of the
coast, and is sure to find the support of active and
intrepid seamen. The only real impediment to the
multiplication of these works of mercy is money,
and without that the National Lifeboat Institution
cannot possibly carry out extensively its truly be-
nevolent work. There seems, indeed, hardly any
limit to the reduction which may be accomplished
in these annual disasters, by the exercise of vigi-
lance beforehand on the part of those most deeply
interested, and the provision of ready succour at
all times.
An analysis of the tonnage of the wrecks on our
shores during the past year is thus given :
Vessels.
Vessels under 50 tons 199
51 and under 100 „ .. 3.52
101 9) 300 If
301 „ 600 „
601 )9 900 91
... 23
901 , 1,200 „
1,200 and upwards

Total 1,170

The exact site of each disaster is given in the
" Register;" and to prevent Vie possibility of error
on this point, the " WI-Eck Chart" which accompa-
nies it, a copy of which we publish, clearly and dis-
tinctly points out the locality of the wreck. What
a tale of woe and misery does this grim chart bring
to light! Who can think of it without feeling a
desire, by every means in his power, to lessen the
causes of those black dots on it ? The following is
the summary :
Vessels.
East Coast—Dungeness to Pentland Frith 514
West Coast—Land's End to Greenock 3O
South Coast—Land's End to Dungeness B9
Irish Coast l6B
Scilly Islands l4
Lundy Island l5
Isle of Man 6
Northern Isles, Orkney, &c., &c .. 60

Total 1,170

On the coast of Scotland there is a sad want of
lifeboats. It is along this coast a large portion of
our trade with the Baltic, Greenland, Archangel,
Davis' Straits, and much of that of the Canadian
and United States trade is carried on. In addition
to this traffic the Scotch coast is remarkable f,r its
great herring fishery. Peterhead has its 250 fishing
boat; Fraserburgh and Buckie, more than 400
sail ; while further north, off the coast of Caith-
ness, more than 1,200 fishing boats, manned by
6,000 persons, nightly pursue their calling dur-
ing the season, exposed to the proverbial sud-
denness of a north-east gale. About two years
ago, during a fearful gale of wind, of a fleet of
such boats five were lost, from which 42 men were
drowned, leaving 27 widows and 79 orphans un-
provided for. Since then calamities to Scotch
fi,hermen nearly equal in magnitude have occurred.
Within the last two or three months the National
Lifeboat Institution-has made an urgent appeal to
the Scotch people generally for assistance to sta-
tion additional lifeboats on their coast ; but we la-
ment to say that appeal has met with little re-
sponse from them.
The number of casualties in each month of 1858
is thus given in the register for that year.
Vessels.
January 124

February

March _ 148
April
May
June
July
Auguat
September 9l

,ey.
October
November
December

Total
Representing 205,243 tons, and employing 8,979
hands, of whom 340 perished.
The cargoes of these wrecks are thus defined :
Vessels.
In ballast, not colliers
Coal, laden 377
. Colliers in ballast 4l
Cotton
, Fishing smacks
Fish or oil lB
Grain or provisions
Gmeral cargo
Iron and other ores
Manure and '- elp lB
Passengers
Potatoes or fruit
Salt
Sugar, coffee, spices, tea, molasses
Stone, slatP, lime, or bricks
Timber or bark
Various, or unknown
36

otal
T
It is supposed that this aggregate lossl7o of ships
and cargoes represents at least £1,506,000. Un-
questionably the first step towards checking this
truly distressing waste of life and property is to
institute immediate inquiry as to the cause of loss
in every case of shipwreck. we are glad to find
that this step is in numerous instanc_s now prose-
cuted with much adyantage by the Board of Trade,
and we augur still very beneficial results to arise
therefrom.
We further find that 172 vessels were lost from