Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-07
IHR COHSTITUTIOA-STAIA n : : - !.
RICHMOND WHIG.
TUESDAY mORNING, JUNK 7, Iss4.
Rlockade Running Statistics.

Blockade hpnnlnB olatlsllcs
The general opinion has 6e,n that turning the block
.de Is an extremely hax srdous business and the large
pross gained BY many Of those engaged y it have
been based in great measure, on the utEIa Of this
deA Il unfortunate thai such has been the case. Is
always in those branches Of traffic which Cher great
profits as an oe: TO extrAyagant risks, the tendene
has been to reduce blockade running to the level Of
such nlegmAte enterprises and 20 exclude il from the
regular circle OF traffic. Thus the necessities OF sdven
turers and moueylsss contractors tempted into the but
siness By peotAOns OF psedy fortunes have had the
eject Of still further enhancing the prices Of imported
Toods and the delusion in reglrd to risk thus main
tanned, hes probably kept out Of the trade large
amount Of capital which, seekilg NhAs are known a.
regular and legi innate emElOyments, would other
.sss have been invested in Is. The London
Insuranee ofRsss have been in the habit Of
charging 60 pc, cent. prsni IN for Spoioes on yes
sells and goods running the blockade. This rate
adopted at tbs beginning of the before any facts
had BEEN developed to establish the real average Of
rsk But persons engaged in the business soon found
that the real risk BY 10 means commensurate with
she nominal risk a. established By the London oces
and they consequently, ceased to insure or, ether
words adopted the plan OF being their own insurers
This will always be the when the true risk il mus.
below the nominal risk That such is the in the
blockade runniug business is clear fOm the fact that
those engaged in it no longer insure. Yet, Il Is
assumed by blockade runners and importers that in es
matpg the actual expenses 70 be added to the price
Of goods or included in the capital inVea ed in steam
sr they have right 20 charge 90 per cant for insu-
suranee simply because ths is q rate charged by the
London ofiees.
OF course, everybody knows that insurance forms
part oil the psice Of an article aud must be Geiaeted
10 etmatHg the profits sceFuiOg from any commercial
enterprise. Bus insurance. in Ihis case, means not the
rate demanded, out the rate paid; sad tbs rate paid
measured By the real risk Il has been very difficult 10
estmAt, what this EsS is. l. mIy vary at d HeIent
ports and probably q. different times. In the absence
Of precs statistics Il is Of course impossblsto arrive
a. correct solution of the problem. A. some ports,
the risk for steamers Is little nothing at others it
il comparatively gseAL But bslieve that of
the great blockade running ports does l. approach
the exorbitAnt estimate Of hs L1nd5n Offices. We
have long bssn persuaded Of this fact and We Low
have before statistics which, think, will demo-
strain the correctness Of our opinion.
A correspondent Of the London Laasz gives List O.
vsxss employed in running the blockade from the port
Ths hst comprises "a vessels OF these 81 have been
captured IS have been lost bsAehsd fouudSssd
q sea- one condemned two converted into Confederate
Elnbaas, and the rest supposed to be still in the
buscesJ or laid up. Tee total number of losses which
can be asoEibsd 70 causes connie ed with bloeksds
running.is g. Some Of these may, and probably we're
duSto ordinary causes; but, NO have no means OF
discriminating set them al 6osn as blockade run-
niog lOs'es.
But the number o. successful round trips made by
these YeSs Il ala Thus the risk TO the vessels on
tao round trip was % per cent The per eentags on
goods not by any great II the risks out 81
ia were equal, It would b, only l4i PEI cent each way
Bls the inward risk is nueh greater than The outward
We have no means Of aseertainiDg the precise drenc
bu in order IN be sure of the mark, we will place it
~ 100 per cent greater making it. say, 20 per osat.
A. goods this average is much reduced By tie saving
y; the GArgOss of many vessels returned as lost or
beAshsd We find in the list before Us ihA. six such
oArgOes were saved entire, aud six in part We are
therefore, justified in assuming that the real risk en-
goods imported into the Confectionery through the boek
ada IS not higher, say the port of Wilmington, thAa
n per cent
We may likewise assume that while the stringency Of
tue blockade has not been increased for many months
past and probably cannot be materially increased in
uure the character Of the vessels engaged in Iuunng
the blockade has been of late greatly improved This
circumstance, while it may Increase the origi-
nal expense Of the enterprise of course, dminshes
tue rsk.
The average life Of boat seems to be about FIVE
grips but for those of the better class is much high
]: appears from the tabular statement before Us
taa. cut Of 81 steamers, gOcd bad aud Indifferent II
oaly iAie ed the first Out Of AIS attempts to
tina blockade from the port of Nassau, S6s were
successful And only 90, in seVe1, unsuccessul.-
The AntonicA made "a and Was finally lost; the
Alice l6 and Is still running the Blnshee Il end was
captured; the BeAuregard 10 and was beached; the
Osce l6 and eapturCd the Flora IL and was con.
yerted into Confederate gunbOs; the Fannie is and
il still runoing; the Hansa IA and still running the
Kate IS Nhd was lost; the Leopard aud lost the
Lucy and ia still ruanicg; the Margaret and Jessie
Is and vas oap.ur d; tie Pet 10 and captured;
tae Syren IL AID is Ct running o.her vessels have
made /, 2, or re each. Some of those above men
toned have made successful trPs since the lO:h Of
aAreh.