Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-02-19
THELosr STEAMSHIPS.

Since 1858, no less than twelve international
steamships have beenlost. The Merchant Nags-
zine, insan article upon the subject says:
sEor three consecutive months, early in 1868,
EPacific' waters uttered theirYoices of alarm and
instruction, by the total loss of three valuable
steamships, and sacrifice of over one and one
fourth hundred lives of our citizens 1t were
possible the voice of spring, thus uttered, might
be unheeded, and the last month of the retiring
year utters again the Pacific's voice in the total
loss of the Winfield Scott, and the Atlantic's
voice is heard through the sIIumbolt and the
San Francisco attixing thesGal TO these instuc-
lions, as to the isqprQcident state 81 our stegDs-
&sips not only BY the loss of these three valua-
Bile ships and much merchandise, but by the sac
rifce Of over two hundred lives, many ofwhom
had: entered the ranks Of national usefulness and
national promotion to high responsibilities.
''The sum total of 1858, makes five valuable
steamships stranded and totally lost; onedisabled,
abandoned and lost at sea; and with two out of
the six over three aud half hundred valuable lives
persisted with the wrecks d.
"The Atlantic waters introduced the losses By
this class OF international steamships forlS54,'
aud March utters her lesson by the CITY of tilas-
gov. and about four hundred and eighty lives;
July by the Franklin, which is stranded and
lost at the door of our llarbor; September, by
TIC (4tS vi anu tSSlS
in hot haste the Arctic with hundreds of lives
sinks to rise no more. History can never por-
tray the horrors aud sorrows With which memo
~ imbues the mind that has witnessed, or listen
ed to the witnesses of this sad catastrophe. I'M
mediately succeeding these two September losses
the LIST of October speaks from the Pacific through
the total wreck of the Yankee Blade and near
II half hundred lives.
I'VE sumsup- for 1861, three valuable steam
ships stranded and totally lost, with much Of
their very valuable cargOes; and one that sunk
to bury its own history; and another that sunk
to stamp its history indclbly upon the minds of
the commercial world. fk3fE&
I'VE have the sinking of the North Carolina
in few minutes aftcrrher collision, for April,
1856, and Just before she reached her destination
in foreign port; also, in the same month"; we
have the strandingof the Golden Age, and may
We not hope that the lesson other imminent per-
il, with eight hundred passengers, and what is,
perhaps, more significant tn some) one-and- three
tenths millions of specie; with the fortunate and
providentlaf rescue of all, may prove golden
lesson to this.age, and the more especially since
the protector and president of this line stood up
on her decks an eyewitness of herperis, her ext
gencies, and her improSident state.
"Duringa period oftwenty-sixm months, twelve
of this class of steamships were totally lost, and
one more scarcely saved
THE nine stranded ships, at the time Of their
casualties, had an aggregate of over four-and-a-
half thousand passengers, and adding crews, o.
yer fyerand-s-half thousand persons They al
SO possessed a value in bottomry of over two-and-
fourth millions, and in specie and merchan-
disc of six and-one hence, total
of over eight-and-a-half millions of dollars was
thus jeoparded.
''The four sunk at sea ieopsrdeti over sixteen
hundred lives, and over two-and-a-half millions
of property