Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-08-12

u mere is no estimate made oil The value o
I. the cargoes. Assuming he statement L
d be correct, and that the hazard of the two
S years represents fairly the general hazard
e OF The steamboat navigation OF 81. Louis
e and that again the general hazard of the
! navigation OF the Mississippi, including ii,
d tributaries, which, from its position, anc
I the wide extent of its commerce, is proba.
bly, not far from the truth, it would make
the total average annual loss of STEAMBOATS,
engaged in its navigation TO be very
small fraction less than ia per cent the
loss by snags TO be little less than "a per
cent. and that by snags, rocks, and logs,
Chat is, Of distractions susceptible OF being
removed,) 10 be very nearly Sper cent
These data would make the annual aggre.
gate loss Of navigating the Mississippi and
Its waters at the presen! time estimating
the number at 900) TO be 1914 from all
causes; of which 81 would be from snags,
and soventy.fve from snags, logs, and
rocks. Estimating the average value TO
be $l2,l 1876 per boat, (he average of the
ST. Louis estmato,) it would make the an.
nual aggregate loss to be 81 ,306, 100 from
all causes; of which 606,S00 woua be
from snags, and 100000 from snags,
! logs, and rocks. Assuming the loss and
damage of The cargo 10 be equal to the
loss of the boat, Ut put down as rather
more in the ST. Louis estimate,) it would
make the aggregate annual loss from all
causes $2,60l 200; from snags, 1893
600; and from snags, rocks, and logs, ST.
$4,000.
As great as the amount of these losses
may appear to be, they would seem to be
under, rather than above, the reality, when
compared with the estimate OF the Cincin.
matt committee, after making due allow.
ance for the increase of the commerce off
the Mississippi and the number Of steam
boats employed IN Transporting it since the
time they made their report, as the follow
ing extract will show. 1t states that "be
tween the llth September and the 18th
October, in the present year, (lS43,) the
losses on the Mississippi, between St.
Louis aud the mouth of the Ohio, dis.
lance Of only $50 miles, were S234,O00.
Within the last II months there have been
lost 70 steamboats,, worth SI,200,00O, be-
sides their cargoes, which were Of great
value.
"rhe losses paid by the insurance Off
ces in Cincinnati alone, on boats and car
goes, during period of five years from
November, 1887, to November, 1912, in
GLIDING only the losses by Instructions in
the navigation, and excluding all losses by
explosion, collision, fire, and other causes
have been $442930 80 As insurance
is made also at Pttsbnrg, Louisville, Nash.
vile, St. Louis, Wheeling, Natchez, New
Orleans, and at some of the smaller towns,
the above sum might be multiplied by seven
to arrive at something like fair approx.
nation Of the losses sustained by under
writers from the dangerous condition of the
navigation; and the result would be three
millions Of dollars, or six hundred thousand
dollars per annum. If to this be added the
losses from the same cause, on which there 5
was no insurance, the amount would /
he not less than one million of dollars per c
lunum. One million OF dollars per annum
IS actually taxed on the commerce of the
west for losses sustained in consequence ,
IF distractions which might be wholly re- t
moved by an appropriation by Congress q
If comparatively triAIng sum! An adj p
litional fact, showing the danger of this g
navigation, is, that many Offices have de. y
lined 10 insure the hulls Of boats, and such
'isk are only taken on the best boats, and b
It rates varying from IL TO IS per cent Il
Tha ineurara a 20 so;J 4, loso ,,,ono,, -, .,
wen these enormous rates. The amount, 4
hen, of The annual risk on the $1,000 p
100 invested on steamboats, alone, is Il
more than one million of dollars" 81
If there was no other evidence Of the it
'ast amount lost, The high rate of nsu. ii
ance, which is stated at from IL to IS d
er cent per annum on boats, and 10 re o
ercnce to which there can be no material \
rror, would Of itself concusiyely show v
hat the data furnished by the st. Louis C
tatement do not make the loss greater it
han the reality. The lowest rate per b
ent. of insurance would indicate a loss re
nnually of S3,600,000 on the estimated g
mount Of the commerce Of the river. "
70 this great loss of property must be ii
dded that Of lives from the hazard Of its i
but the means for making an ii
slimate any thing like approaching accu. al
acy are go imperfect, that it will moi be 81
tempted. 1t is known to be very con. al
The ST. Louis statement gives
4 per annum for l26 boats, which would il
lake about 1875 for the estimated number NJ
{ boats now engaged in navigating The VI
Mississippi and its waters. pl
This great loss, both Of property and CT
fe, will go on progressively increasing CT
nth the commerce Of the valley, unless q
omelhing should be done to render the in
aygation Of the river more safe. AS b.
uminr that lis commerce. will keen nnce ly