The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-28 00:00:00

ACCIDENT 4 By STgAM,IMATA,

- -
We have taken occasion, at various times, to bring befose
the notice of the public the persevering diligence evinced by
the French government to improve and extend its navy ; and
especially the encouragement which it has systematically
given to the growth of its steam navigation. The 'contrast
presented by the course adopted by the government of this
country is not a little remarkable. While France, a military
power, has spared no pains and grudged no expense in' per-
fecting the new element of marine power which the adapta-
tion of steam to navigation has given rise to. Great Britain,
a naval power, altogether dependent on its naval supremacy
for the protection of its übiquitous commerce and for its in-
fluential position in Europe, has uniformly thrown all sorts
of discouragements and obstacles in the way of the advance-
ment of its steam navigation. It is true there has been a
popular prejudice, now fast wearing away, against steam
navigation ; and it is not difficult to imagine that a vast num-
ber of interested persons, as well as of the ignorant and
envious, would endeavour to decry an innovation ;which in-
terfered with their pursuits and their prejudices. In this
cas# an enlightened administrative government might have
conferred an essential service on the country, by taking
measures to remove the errors existing in respect to steam
navigation, and by the adoption of a judicious system of
encouragement. But instead of taking this course, the go-
vernment rather gave countenance to the misrepresentations
industriously put forth of the deficiencies and dangers of the
new mode of navigation. Whether the tone thus given by
the government influenced the popular feeling on the subject,
it is not our present purpose to inquire ; but it cannot have
escaped the observation of those who have attended to the
question, that the prejudice against steam navigation, and its
conductors, has not been confined to the merely ignorant and
uneducated. In any dispute between the public and steam
navigation companies, the presumption has always been that
the steam company must be wrong. If an obs• inate barge
would-wilfully run across a steam vessel, and would not get
out of the way, such a case of " COLLISION" would be sure
to interest at once in favour of the barge, the sympathies of
the judge, jury, and spectators. The steam company came
into court already pre-judged; the drily question was the
quantum of damages.
This prejudice against steam-vessels may in some respect
have been occasioned by the supposition of the vast number
of accidents consequent on the introduction of steam navi-
gation. Since its introduction every accident of a steam-
vessel has been sedulously made public, and from its novelty
has attracted attention ; sailing vessels have experienced their
usual casualties of masts lost, and leaks sprung; have been
cast on shore or sunk at sea without giving rise to particular
notice. But the bursting of a boiler has attracted immedi-
ate attention, and excited the general indignation of the pub-
lic ; nothing has then been talked of but the dangers of
steam-navigation, and the horrors of being boiled and blown
up by terrible steam explosions. Now what is the fact? In
the early part of last year, the government, yielding to the
popular outcry against steam-boat accidents, appointed a
commission for the purpose of investigating the number and
nature of steam-boat accidents. The inquiry was set on foot
in no friendly spirit; and was much in the nature of an in-
quisition to bring to light the manifold enormities practised
by the steam companies on an unsuspecting public. The re-
sult, however, of this inquiry, proves in a remarkable man-
ner the gross, error of the popular prejudice, and is the
strongest evidence that can be given of the comparative
safety and the great superiority afforded by the'application of
steam power to the great purposes of navigation.
We extract from an able article in the Monthly Chronicle,
the following table of the number of steam accidents :

ABSTRACT OF NINETY-TWO ACCIDENTS.
Ascertained
Number of
Vessels. Lives Lost.
40 Wrecked, foundered, or in imminent peril 308
2.3 Explosions of boilers
17 Fires from various causes 2
12 Collisions

Computed number of persons lost on board
the Erin, Frolic, and Superb...
From watermen's and coroners' lists, in the
Thames, exclusive of the above, during
the last three years 4O
From a list obtained in Scotland, exclusive
of the above, being accidents in the Clyde
during the last ten years.

The greatest ascertained number of
lives lost at any one time occurred
by the wreck of the Rothsay Cas-
tle, when ll9 persons perished.
The greatest number at any one time
from explosion
The greatest number at any one time
from fire 2 .. . .

It is to be borne in mind that the above list of lives lost in
steam-vessels or through their means, comprises a period of
the 22 years during which steam navigation has been in
practice in this country ; and " when it is considered that
Great Britain and Ireland had no less than 766 steam-boats
in full activity last year," we agree with the Monthly Chro-
nicle in thinking, " that a more triumphant case in favour of
the superior security of steam navigation could scarcely have
been presented than by the list thus compiled by the govern-
ment commissioners." In comparing the loss of life in
sailing vessels and in steam-vessels, we have the advantage
of the labours of a parliamentary committee appointed in
1836. From their report we ascertain that the annual loss
by the shipwreck of sailing vessels is three millions of pro-
perty and one thousand lives. It may be alleged, that this
great extent of loss is to be accounted for by the greater ex-
tent of our sailing than of our steam marine. But on exa-
mination it does not appear so. The Monthly Chronicle
shows, that " it appears from Mr. Porter's tables, that, in
1836, Great Britain and her colonies owned 25,000 vessels,
of an aggregate tonnage of nearly 2,800,000. We have seen
that, in 1835, the vessels lost were 550 in number. Assum-
ing the same loss for the ensuing year, we have one ship-
wreck for every forty-five vessels afloat. In the same year
of 1836, according to the schedule of Messrs. Parkes and
Pringle, ten steam-boats are stated to have met with serious
accidents : six of these accidents were attended by the com-
plete destruction of the vessel, but only in one instance were
those gentlemen able to ascertain the loss of a single life as
connected with any one of the serious accidents of that year.
In 1836, let it not be forgotten, 600 steam-boats were afloat
in our waters."

As we should damage the following extract by any abridge
went, we give it entire :

" One frequent subject of complaint has been the great
insecurity of the river Thames of late years, in consequence
of the reckless rapidity with which steam-boats are navigated
in our crowded pool, and to this subject it became, of course,
necessary for Messrs. Pringle and Parkes to direct a portion
of their attention. They have, with much labour, collected
a list, as complete as possible, of all the accidents that were
occasioned by steam-boats on the river Thames, during a
period of three years and a half—namely, from May, 1833,
to December, 1838. We will not weary our readers by re-
printing the whole of this list, but the following digest will
show at once bow much mischief these terrible steamers have
committed on the bosom of our venerable Thames :

Number of persons drowned or otherwise killed by
steamers upsetting boats, &c. 43
Number of persons who sustained bodily injuries.. 5
Number of persons thrown into the water, but saved
from drowning 72

Total personal accidents.

Number of wherries, barges, smacks, or other craft,

sunk and injured by steamers
Number of steamers seriously damaged by collision
with each other l2

Total accidents to vessels

. 71

Heaven forbid that we should speak lightly of the loss of a
single human life ! but really, when we consider the outcry
that has so often been raised, by the newspapers, about the
frightful loss of life occasioned in the river by the culpable
conduct of captains of steamers, we did expect that more
than 43 lives had been lost during a period of three years and
a half. And let is see, during that time, what the activity
of steam navigation on the river has been. From the ac-
counts taken at the government dock-yard at Deptford, it
appears that the number of steam-boats that pass weekly
amount to 7OO
Multiplying this number by..

We obtain, as the number of steam-boats pass-
ing annually up and down the river before the
dock-yard at Deptford

Or, in three years and a half
It would, therefore, appear, that the enormous number of
127,400 trips had probably been performed, up and down the
river, during, these three years and a half; so that, including
even the 72 individuals, whose sufferings extended no further
than a ducking (no very pleasant occurrence certainly,) there
would not be quite one personal accident to every one thou-
sand trips performed by steamers on the River Thames."
We have been led to devote so much of our space in the
present instance in showing the erroneous nature of the pre-
judices which exist in respect to the dangers attendant on
steam navigation, on account of the impediments which the
report of the government commissioners threatens to throw
in the way of the advance of steam navigation. Believing, as
we do, that the great discovery of the application of steam to
navigation, must, at no distant time, entirely change the cha-
racter of naval warfare ; and that superiority in naval domi-
nion will depend on superiority in steam navigation, we can-
not but regard any obstacles opposed to the rapid develop-
ment of this new power to be most unwise, and with relation
to this country, most dangerous. And looking at the sedu-
lous endeavours made by rival, awl in some respects hostile,
nations, to augment by every means in their power, by the
most careful protection, by the most unbounded encourage-
ment, and by all the lights and helps which a provident go-
vernment can assist with, this new branch of naval power, it
is not without alarm that we observe the British government,
not only affording neither protection nor encouragement, but
positively throwing discouragement and vexatious obstacles
in the way of those enterprising public companies which have
led the way in establishing for their country the elements of
the new marine power, by which alone its commerce can be
protected, and its national greatness maintained.—Courier.

A CHINESE MAP OP THE WORLD.—It is two feet wide
by three and a half high, and is almost covered with China.
In the left hand corner, at the top, is a sea, three inches,
square, in which are delinested as small islands, Europe,
England, France, Holland, Portugal, and Africa. Holland
is as large as all the rest, and Africa is not so big as the end
of one's little finger! The northern frontier is Russia, very
large. The left corner, at the bottom, is occupied by " the
western ocean," as it is called, containing the Malay penin-
sula pretty well defined. Along the bottom are Carnboja,
Cochin China, &c., represented as moderate sized islands,
and on the right is Formosa, larger than all the rest put to-
gether. Various other countries are shown as small islands.
I should have given an engraving of this curious map, but
that a true reduction to the size of a page would have left out
most of these countries altogether. The surrounding ocean
is represented as huge waves, with smooth passages, or high-
ways branching off to the different countries, or islands, as
they represent them. They suppose that ships which keep
along these highways go safely ; but if they, through igno-
rance or stress of weather, diverge, they soon get among
these awful billows, and are lost.—Malcoin'a Travels.
ERSKINE AND HIS ANIMALS.—" He has always had se-
veral favourite animals, to whom he has been much attached,
and of whom all his acquaintance have a number of anecdotes
to refute—a favourite dog, which he used to bring when he
was at the bar, to all his consultations ; another favourite
dog, which, at the time when he was Lord
NN:l,aa,li:edaabout
favourite mackaw, and other dumb favourites
favouriteChancellor,
his
grounds ; a
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t ()ki him, underfollowed
pretence
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conversation about them, he went himselfof, his library, and placed them in their glass
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PRICES OF SHARES, APRIL 27.
Prices. This day Last
RAILWAYS, &c. Per Share. Prices.
Birmingham and Gloucester BO paid 69 15 0 .... 69 5 0
Ditto and Derby lOO .... 82 0 0
Birkenhead and Chester
Bolton and Leigh
Bolton and Preston
Bristol and Exeter 25 ....
Chester and Crewe 45 .... 48 15 0
Dublin and Drogheda
Eastern Counties
Edinburgh and Glasgow
Ditto Leigh and Newhaven 9 paid
Glasgow, Paisley, & Greenock 17 paid 15 15 0
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmar i 30 paid
Greenock, and Ayr J •• • •
Grand Junction
Ditto half shares 3O .... 88 15 0 ....
Great Western 65 83 0 0 83 10 0
Ditto new shares 3O .... 38 5 0 39 15 0
Hull and Selby
Lancaster and Preston 42 10 0 0 0 11 ....
Liverpool and Manchester
Ditto quarter shares
Ditto half shares
London and Birmingham 9O .... 165 0 0 .... 165 10 0
Ditto new shares
Ditto quarter shares
Ditto an i Southampton 5O .... 46 10 0 ... 47 5 0
Ditto & Brighton
London and Croydon
Leeds and Manchester 6O • 81 0 0 .... 82 0 0
Ditto half shares
Leicester and Swannington 5O .... 71 0 0
Ditto, (new)
Manchester, Bolton, & Bury
Manchester and Birmingham 25 .... 20 5 0
Ditto and Ditto Extension
Midland Counties
Newcastle and Carlisle lOO ....
Ditto quarter shares
North Midland lOO 102 10 0 ....
New North Midland 2O .... 33 5 0 .... 34 5 0
South Eastern and Dover 18 .... 0 0 0
North Union
St. Helen's and Runcorn Gap lOO paid u o o
York and North Midland 4O paid 54 0 0 ....
BANKS.
Royal Bank of Liverpool SOO ;65 0 Oexeiv7s6 10 0
Bank of Liverpool .el2los paid 20 17 6ex div.2o 15 0
- Commercial of Liverpool 10 .... 16 15 0
- Liverpool Union lO .... 12 15 0 .... 12 17 6
- Northern and Central
- Albion
- North and South Wale lO .... 6 15 0 ....
- of Manchester lO .... 10 2 6,.
- M'chester & L'pool Dsct. 15 .... 9 15 0
- South Lancashire
Liverpool Banking Company
Borough Bank lO .... 14 17 d ....
Commercial Bank of England 5
East of England lO .... 8 0 0 ....
Phcenix Bank
Wilts and Dorset 7 10s. • • • •
GAS, WATER WORKS, &c.
Exchange Buildings .eloo paid 163 0 0 •• • •
L'pool and Harrington Water l •
Works 350 477 10 0 .
Bootle Ditto Stock.... 325 0 0 •• •
L'pool Coal Gas Company Stock.... 370 0 0•• • •
L'pool New Gas & Coke Co. £lOO 191 0 0 ....
Ditto new shares are now paid up.
ASSURANCE COMPANIES.
Liverpool Marine Assurance
Company
Ocean Assurance Company.... 10 p 13 0 ....
Liverpool Fire and Life 2 los. 1 13 0 ex div

DUCKS, FERRIES, NEW COMPANIES, &c.
Anderton Carrying Company 15 ....
Woodside Ferry
Egremont Ferry
Rock Ferry
Monk's Ferry
Steam Tug Company lO .
Harrington Docks 100 ..
Apothecaries' Company
Asphalte (Liverpool)
(Poloncean) 2.

6 5 0 ....

6 12 6 ....
O 0 0 ....
O 0 0 ....
O 14 6 ....
1 0 0 ....

VESSELS ENTERED FOR LOADING.
(SINCE OUR LAST PUBLICATION.)

EAST INDIES, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Av.
Clifford, J Sharp, 528 Sincapore and China, K & A Henderson

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Old England, ‘.l Hodson, sO2 Sydney. N.S.W. J Poole &Co
WEST INDIES AND MADEIRA.
Cherokee, Simmons, 411 Havaltnah, J Gordon & Co
Canton, J Gibson, 181 Demerara, Bold & Starkey
Levant Packet, J Cundy, jun. 138 Trinidad, Imrie & Tomlinson
Forrester, W 11 Parker, 126 llavannah, Bolton, Ogden & Co
Dorothea, D James, 305 Kingston, Jamaica, lmrie & Tomlinson

SOUTH AMERICA.
Beccles, G L Manthorpe, 184 Monte Video, Bahr. Behrend &Co
Windsor, H Hayton, 207 Pernambuco and Ceara,
Singlehurst & Co
General Wolfe, Dentin, 195 Rio Grande, G Law
Ann Wise, J Nicholson, 230 Virgin Gorda, J Poole & Co
Janes Ray. R Mann, 233 Monte Video, Boric & Tomlinson
Secret, J Davies, 212 Lima, Locketts or Hughes & Co
Highlander, A Bottomley, 299 Arica, Islay and Eima,
Cotesworth & Wynne
UNITED STATES.
32 New Orleans, Baring Brs &Co
457 New York, Roskell, Ogden & Co
563 New York, Wildes, Pickeragill & Co
529 New York and Portland, U.S.

Delaware, D Patten,
Splendid, J Land,
Hark Away, A Proal,
Rose, C Flanders,

_
Humphreys & Biddle
HaMilton, G E Kilham, 412 BOston, Fletcher, Alexander & Co
Alexander Grant, H Thornton, 689 New York, Fitzhugh & Co
William Brown, G L Harris, 544 New Orleans, Ingleby &Co
Peruvian, J Wotton, 413 New Orleans, D Buchanan & Son
Gentoo, S G Hollis, 435 New York, Fitzhugh & Grimshaw
Wales, Watts, 500 New York, Galt, Barff & Co
CiCely, , 230 New York, Scott, Hastings & Co
Franciiia, E Crabtree, 522 New York and Savannah,
Bolton, Ogden & Co
Carthage, J N Knapp, 320 Norfolk, Virginia, Barings & Co
Arabian, 11-H Welch, 141 Charleston, H Mure &Co
. • .-. BRITISH AMERICA. ,
Evergreen, A Henry, 574 St. John, N.B. Gibbs, Bright & Co
Mary Muir, J Payne,- 357 Montreal, K Dowie & Co
Egvacton Castle, T Wantland, 210 Newfoundland,
Graham & Taylor
British America, J Prichard, 663 St. John, N.B. Gibbs, Bright & Co
James Bailie, J Morrison, 260 Richibucto, W C Wright
EUROPE.
Eclipse, F Muquellart, 70 Ostend, Bahr, Behrend & Co
Paul Frederien, 11 H Fenger, 195 Pernau, C G Weber &Co
Clementina, J Wotton, 118 Malaga, J Glynn & Bon
Tarujo Segundo, J K Pallas, 138 Lisbon, J Bibby & lions Lord Lambton, Al Pratt, 270 Malta and Odessa, .G Brown &Co
Gulnare, E Burnham, 315 Baltimore, Baring Brothers & Co
Fenella, J Wakeham, 66 Gibraltar and Malaga, J Aikin & Son
Leopold First, L Garling. 120 Antwerp, Bahr, Behrend &Co
Koningen Von Scheveden, C Grap, 207 Wolgast,
Bahr, Behrend & Co
120 Ostend, Bahr, Behrend &Co
59 Lisbon, W Dart
_ __ .

Providentia, .1 De Grave,
Heroine, H Much,

Crescent, R Thomas, 9 Cadiz, G Brown & Harrison
Vesta, T Orfeur, 142 Civita Vecchia, Bahr, Behrend & Co
Agatha, W J de Groot, 114 Rotterdam, Bahr, Behrend & Cd
Catharina Elizabeth, P Larsen, 160 Lubeck, Bahr, Behrend &Co
Syren, J Foster, 91 Leghorn, Bahr, Behrend &Co
Triton, D Molckenbuhr, 85 Hambro', Bahr, Behrend &Co