The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-07
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: n fouAon Csarssriy Rspisr has 90 interesuns
article on the various dangers to which navsstois
Of ~ - are sxpcsed, and Of which the Eogisn
COAT ~ its fulI share, there having been, from
lisa 10 1855 both inclusive, 5,l2s wrecks ana col
l,s,cus. be,ue IN average Of LOIS year. " the
total. sks vere collisions, . danger which has
~reatsv ipcyeAsed since the introduction OF steam
The dsssruesion Of life consequent upon these CAS-
~sitiss vas AIS persons In 1854, the number OF
lives loss amounted TO l,Sao
Amone the causes Of shipwreck, the RerieU
ensmsrates currents Of the ocean, fog, lightning,
icsesrgs, ssndbanks, vsterlogsed chips, defective
com passes, and imperfect chsrts. In regard to
lightning, which 10 especially dangerous 10 the
husricsnss Of tropical oceans Is said that In six
wears between 1909 and 1875 forty sail ofths iinss
twenty frigates and ten sioops Of the BrtishN
were % crippled by being struck - 10 many cases
20 b. placed for . time hors de combat. In
fry years there were $50 Instances Of serious
damage 70 ships IN tho British Navy. Since the
yesr loo0 thirty three ships in the British ner.
ehsut service have beea totally destroyed by
lighsuing. and forty.nye greatly damaged. 1t 10
msntionsd that great popularity In cases OF
ships ct on Are BY lightning 10 the rapid spread
ing OF the are In every part OF the vessel, - the
electric agency had 90 perDeatsd the mass - to
render the extinction Of the Ere BY artificial means
Supossibis This danger, however, Of all tbs dan
ssrs thas bsset the mariner, is the only one that
he eau thoroughly guard against. perna-
uent conductor was adopted in the British
Nav IN ls42, which IL % arranged a. to extend
along the masts from the truck to the keelsou aud
10 ont e sea in the hull various branches ramify,
and admit Of free dispersion Of the electric hud
in all directions. Since this apparatus has been
adopted, no vessel Of the Royal Navy has been in
jured. The Rerissc makes the following extract
from the log Of the British frgate shannon en-
late voyage to China, showing the complete eff
cheney Of these conductors:
"when the ship was about 90 miles south Of
lava she became enyeloped 10 terrific thunder
storm, and ats p. NJ, an immense ball of IRE
covered the msintop.gallsntmast; at 5l5 the ship
was struck second time the mainmsst BY A.
parentlv n, immense mass of lightning at half
pass s another very heavy discharge fell upon
the nsiumsst and from this time ustii p NJ, the
ship was completely enveloped in sharp forked
lightning. On the nexs day her na,ts ana rigging
Harris1 system OF permanent lightning condnc-
tors, 20 injury whatever to the ship or rigging
was discovered"
In regard to the danger Of defective .compssses,
che Resiesg mentions melancholy example in the
loss Of the British frgate Apollo, and forty sail
mershant ships, out Of convoy Of 60 vessels
bound to the West indies Other instances are
given of vessels which have been lost, with hun
drsds OF passengers, from compasses which were
mpsrfsetfy constructed, or from the compssses
being placed ipjudiciously, either with reference
70 tho magnetism Of the ship, or in immediate
proximity to concealed and unsupported portions
Of metal, either ia equipment or cargo. Even the
pucy cabin and saloon rails covered with brass,
but often concealipg large quantities Of iron, cs
bin stores and tunnels exercise an influence. 4
concealed iron wire hoop, introduced by brazier
to strengthen the frame work of the bipnacls
lsmps, has made compass a. wild ~ the waves
The storage Of iron in CARGO is another Important
matter, and the Reyisw contends that it should be
imperative for every vessel which carries it, to be
swung for the local deviation before quitting port
and Q certificate duly lodged before clearing the
Custons II 10 said that when the "Agamem-
nom adjusted .compasses, preparatory to sailing
upon one Of her expeditions to lay the Atlantic
cable, II WAS discovered that the presence of the
enormous coil in her hold, caused deviation Of no
less than II degrsesi Az an illustration of mis-
apprehension on the nature Of magnetic action,
which exists among men who ought to know bet.
ter, it 10 said that competent witness in recent
Law trial, fn case of wreck, arising chiefly from
q want Of knowledge Of the laws Of magnetism in
the navigation of the ship, stated that seamen In
general believed, that II cargo of iron was Gov
cred over fts effects were cut off from the compass
A leading counsel in the case sympsthi sed with
the general ignorance, because he confessed that
he shared IL.
Another case of shipwreck, mentioned by the
Review, IL the fact that steamers beginning to
show lights a. powerful as those exhibited in
lighthouses Of the inferior order and in the light
ships. Hence . confusion il growing up between
the fixsd and the moving lights, which threatens
to produce most disastrous consequences In
February last the "Leandcr," an American barque,
proceeding down st. Georges Channel, saw light
which she mistook for that Oh the Tuskar rock,
and when too fate, discovered that it belonged to
the screw steamer "North America" which WAS
coming right ahead. A fearful collision
Was the consequence, and the unfortunate ship
with nearly all her crew was sent to the bottom
The most frequent cause of wreck, however, 10
negligence. Sailors have . saying, that II the
Ihrse LIS are attended to-lead, latitude and look
out.a ship 10 safe OF the cases Of collisiou thai
occurred last year. BY Ear the larger portion occ1.
red In the open sea, and in clear, bright weather
Out Of 277 collisions, involving total and partial
loss bad lockout vas the cause Of So, and neglect
Of the rood 80 collisions. The worthlessuess OF
so-sallsd life boats, With which many vessels are
equipped, ID referred to, and the perfect efficiency
Of tbs life boat adopted by the British Life Boat
Institution, which has stood the test of some
Year, experience, without single failure.
Whilst for tho last nve years there has been a
decrease with respect to wrecks, the number Of
olisiors has increased whic is attributed to the
vast increase Of the trade Of Great Britain, and
he aannsr In which steam 10 supplanting sails
In the last fourteen years, there has been an In.
sresss OF lSe psr cent. In the tonnage OF British
N foreign shipping, entered and cleared from
British portsi
In regard 10 the increased use Of steam, \ par
iamentaEy paper shows that the number Of steam.
,rs employed In the Home and Foreign trade has
ssrsased from llAin 1S4o to 800 in 1857; that is,
he number Of vessels most prone to come into
collision has more than doubled within the lac.
light years, and while the sailing vessels have In.
rsased during this period only $40 per cent, the
after have increased 177.15 per cent, the propor.
ioa Of steamers to sailinsvessels having advanced
rom 222 per cent. In 1s49 to 4S7 per cent in 1857
Bearing in mind the speed at which steamers 10, |
nd the manner in which their powerful lighS |
ust introdaced, simulate those Of Lighthouses an