Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-01-30
Vol. XIX. Whole No. $40 No, 5
Buried in the Atlantic.
PROBABLE LOSS OF SIX ENGLISH GRA
LADEN STEAMERS


But few except those interested in
steam and sailing ship commerce know
how many vessels which have left the
Atlantic and European ports since No
vember last. to use familiar express
ion, 'are out Of time and are now
either being tossed helplessly on the
bosom of the Atlantic or have found
their resting place many fathoms deep
in the oceans bed, leaving no trace be-
hind them. The New York Herald
publishes list of steamers which have
not been heard OF, or are known to have
been lost. The English steamer Scan
deria, Captain Upton, grain laden, from
New York tor Waterford, sailed on the
sth of october, and has never been heard
OF since. The British steamer James
Marychurch, Captain Deacon, from
Montreal for Falmouth, sailed on the
Eth OF October, and no tidings have
been received. The Charucca, English
steamer) from New York for Liverpool.
grain laden, sailed on the Sd of Noyem
Der and has never been heard of. Two
other British steamers from Msatrea
for Great Britian-the Shannon and the
Devon--which sailed from Montreal for
England last November are also unheard
Oh. Changing the scene to the other
side OF the Atlantic, the English grain
laden steamers K. S. Judkins and Cres-
well, from the Black Sea, have never
been heard of after passing Gibralter.
Recently the Dalmatian, one of the mar
ow.built Belfast steamers, broke in two
and sunk in gale of wind, and every
soul perished. Another case is that of
the REINDEER steamer, grain laden, which
capsized in the Mediterranean, and
again the Annie Broughten steamer,
which was abandoned in mid-Atlantic
lying on her beam ends. This list is
iairl. appalling and the majority of the
vessels lost were entirely new; and it
would appear that the present ocean
model OF steamship is very defective, or
the material is more so.
In addition to these steamers, the shin
british Flag, an iron ship, owned in
England is also missing. The cost ofthc
British Flag was about Sl6O, ,OOO and
she was laden with 69,2sl bushels of
corn IN bags and general cargo of cot
ton and tobacco.
The immense corn crop in the United
states OF the past year brought out a host
oi extra English steamers who came ont
iate IN the season to get late-that is to
say, hlSh-raics. Many ofthese steamers
Ufs;, "nftn pour in gram n. last as the
ships matches can take it, many having
all grain i'll bulk without ANYTHING +,
steady lt-no bulkhcads, no stowaec
planks. These vessels in most cases be-
ION to the long, narrow model, which i,
now becoming so unpopular on both
sides ot the Atlautic, the length being
eight to ten times the breadth of beam.
These vessels are daily proving them
selves mere. floating collins a well
known writer on marine affairs said sew
eral years ago, 1--WE believe that no sail
ing vessel should be i'll leng gthImore than
seven times her breadth OF beam, whilew
could endorse eight, probably nine time,
the breadth of beam tor mail steamer
intended for great speed, but should re-
quire her proportiOnately strengthened,
and then would not like to guarantee
her as safe vessel. 1t would appear as
II safety had been sacrificed to speed"
Their sailing powers are poor, and when
forced to hold their heads against Attain
tic seas their steam poweri, insufficient,
and Tor the sake OF economy they have
but small crews. Their matches are
large, ior the pruposc of being able to
Load and discharge with rapidity
hen caught in storm their grain car
goes fall often to one side, and the con-
sequenccI is that they get u list to star
ooard or port, which makes the vessel
unmanageable, or it is possible that she
may be so unbalanced by the cargo that
she may be overbalanced and go down
to the bottom there and then, or, ON the
other hand, while the crew is attempt
ing to trim the cargo in gale, a sea
drives the matches in and the vessel
founders. This style of vessel is exclu
sively an English institution.-rPort-
land Adrertiser.