New-York tribune., 1873-03-01
{" FOUL PLAY"
sHIPwRECK BY SYSTEM.

sEIs on THE OCEAN IN AN UNsEAwoRTHY
CoNDITION-LIVES OF sEAMEN REChLESsLi
ENDANGERED.
,vpou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THR TRIBUNE.l
I,oNpoN. Feb. 13-0ne of the most extraor-
binary books ever published appears this week under
the title "our seamen; an Appeal by Samuel PliTnsol
M p" The author sits in the House OF Commons ior
Derby; man OF so years, thereabout; not at an
leading parsonage; not of great position; cea mer-
chant; Liberal, and advanced one; but possessed
Of an idea neither Liberal Conservative but Human
and Humanitarian in very high sense OF whicn 'no
book now IN question is the outgrowth ana eApeSon
His book is, to begin with. bbliographical curiosity
It's 0uarto volume, numbered 10 make but S|pagesi
really containing three hundred the pages uhhu
bered being devoted 70 illustrations OF the most Fau
and unusual character The idea which Mr. Plimsou mas
sought 10 work out in this way is the preserVaeono VI
saamen from shipwreck: and his stuales INTO 'he oao
of shipwreck what give to his book Its amazing '~
scter II seemed to Mr. Plimsol that the true way 70
attract attention and enlist sympathy was not through
theoretical amp eas but by statement OF iaets anu oy
statistics He has idea, be says, how to wrte pOoA'
he does not know to do 10, fears nc couu no' e0
ceed II he tried and finds the mere notion OF uyg or
mdable TO him. For all that he has produced volume
a hundred times more impressive than any proressohal
bookmaker could framed out Of the same natefs
Tle hook-maker would-have studied how TO make MS
materials tell Mr. Ps0 has been content 10 put 'he
bare materials themselves before the reaner anu !ou
accept the facts you have choice but to be conVceo
Convinced OF what OF this, that "there are many
hundreds of lives annually by shpwreck and as 10
me for GREATER part OF them they lost from causes
which are easily prevenble " that "they would not be
last tie same care was taken of sailors by the law
as is taken OF the rest Of of felow-subects; that
GREAT number of ships regularly sent to sea In such
rotten and otherwise iprovided state that they can
only reach their destination through fine weather. and
large number are overloaded that nearly mposs
bic for them also reach their destination IL the voyage
is at all rough " that from these two causes alone and
they applied only 10 portion of our merchant shps)
rather more than a full half of our losses arise"
Truly formidable indictment against the great ship
owning class Of Great Britain. The facts 10 support it
are what make ND the bulk of Mr.. Plmsolls book. No
body can say he is vague lacking In specific detail
He gives dates aud partcularseverything but names
He has witnesses at hand. There are, no declares,
"gentlemen of high character in Cardiff, Newcastle,
Greenock, Port Glasgow, London, Sunderland, Hull
Liverpool, and other places, who are longing Tor the
opportunity of telling q Royal Commission what they
know but whose lips sealed by the terrible Law
OF Libel" 1t is this latter law suppose, which induces
Mr. PlimsOl TO suppress the names of the shI-owners
whose oenses he draRs 10 light, as well as the other
reason he himself givesthat his object is not to ruin
regulations bat to save lives But the names VIII pe
Forthcoming some day meantime let look az some of
the facts.
The number Of lives the English coast and with
IN 10 miles OF the coast averages during the last years
about 700 q year. Mr. Plimsol states the principal
causes. Onep gives
one furgged ship having been sent into the Baltic
with but IL men board, and another where steam
ship OF 800 tons from Liverpool on voyage to the
East with only eight deck hands aboard. Next come
bad stowage, and inadequate engne-power; next the
Significant item overinsurance arising from "down
right wckedness" and from that only One owner, ac
before the Lord Mayor of London of endeavorng
TO compass of his Ship confessed that he had in
sured for $500 vessel that cost $500 Another at
North Shields admitted the value of his vessel to be $780,
and the insurance her $4,000. third testified
that ship bought for $35OO she insured for
5000 at eight per centl Then comes defective con
strueton aud new fact is brought to ght-the system
of building ships With devils" devil is sham bolt,
with the head only of copper the rest OF rOn sometimes
the bolt nothing but bolt head without any shaft at
ALL just enough real bolts are used TO keep the tim
bers In their plaees-whe the ship Is the stocks
suppose Ina single Ship the surveyors of Loyds found
20 devils" Mr.. PmsO prints the fac sime of letter
received 10y him describing feet Of 21 vessels thus built
On 1861 Ten OF them have been lost five never heard
of.
Overlooking seems peculiarly tempting form OF
making a ship unseaworthy. There was one ship
owner" writes Mr.. Plimsol, "whose often
mentioned TO the of the years 1869 and 70.
During my inquiries in the north and east heard his
name wherever went that of ship-Owner who was
notorious practice OF overlooking, aud for reek
less dlsregard Of human life therefore made inquiry
as to the ships belonging to him which had been lost,
and the number lost in each case" and he prints
the result of the inquiry From 1857 TO 1869 II ships lost
los lves-the work of single owner in three years OF
do MT suppose" adds Mr. PlimsOll, he has lost any
since for 1 threatened him to his face that 1 would
bring the matter before the House of Commons, and it
was ptsble to see the abect of the man." And
his informant subsequently him that his con-
lecture is rue that the guilty owner has not lost
single since that wholesome threat terrified him
into humanity. Not less striking is the following
count of Mr.. Pmsors experience with another ship
In the year 1870 when my bill was before the House
the first time evening appointed for the second read
ing arrived. was standing in the lobby when mem;
come pen on toaightls Yes hope so said He said
and r@ sSed sSy not %r ike % be ABSENT think should
pot be absent" was my reply my 70 sad tS S me-
House of whose name you will hear in any coffee
room or exchange in Yarmouth, Hull Scarborough,
land or any port the northeast coast as one no
iorious for excessive and habual Oyerloading. and
OceangOing steamers and drowned more than hundred
mem no inquiry, Of course was held in any one OF these
cases) ain less than two years, and whose name have
myself a of those whose ships insurance
brokers Will ship goods in before the underwriters
Will take lien upon them and may have TO- tel the
House that that man is the member for - thought
the imam would have tainted. He answered never
word. Now he had put the paper notice TO move an
amendment to the second reading Of my DiI-vz that
IL be read second time that day six months. Every
member knows that such purpose is abandoned, 1t Is
% S5 Ss %SE Th0 or has as e ysn @ HSeS RSe % 81
turn speak-that is all. Some 20 minutes after
this interview III pace IN state OF StrOng
element, because had just made two powerful enemies
felt utterly alone IN my work, and sick with excite
nent fear that compelling myself TO think Of
the poor widows had keep up my courage, when
hsnd was put upon my os sh9Ider .n Much , startled tart
that of dead man. ana this Is what he said "Mr Plm
SOIL have been 10 Mr. Pagraye,t and taken my notice
of the paper" Why dld he 90 10 Nj. Palgraye Why
did he trouble TO tell me he had done sol
Many OF the facts first brought to the attention of
the public have been long familiar TO circles in
terested in such matters. Thus told of man