River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-12-21
Marine Disasters During the Year 1876

From the Syracuse IN. " Journal.
WHEN the excitement of political
disasters shall have subsidized, the
statistics of disasters more yitally re-
lated to humanity and commerce will
be likely to take hold upon the public
mind and arouse to action in the
United States some earnest humanitar.
ian in behalf of the cause, of which
Mr.. Plimsoll, of British seaman, stands
as the foremost representative.
The statement is made public that
during the year 1875, 1852 American
vessels suffered disaster, besides 4S5
foreign vessels, on our shores, giving
total of | .537. OF this number Al
collided and 200 casualties arose direct
ly from carelessness or ignorance;
3l2, aggregating a tonnage of l02,5i2
tons, with their cargoes, valued at up
ward of $10,000,0 900, were wrecked,
}y which 90, 2l5 lives were imperiled
and Sos lost, besides SO other persons
drowned, without other casulties to
the vessels to which thy belonged.
In 1884 there were reported TO
the British Board of Trade $50 vessels
not heard from after sailing or being
spoken at sea. They are all supposed
to have been lost with all on board,
aggregating 1881 persons. Besides
these there were reported an the same
authority 5,0S4 vessels as having suf-
fered or casualty resulting in the total
loss of All vessels and 6,Sl4 lives.
During the ten years ending June
30, 1874, there were 22.098 wrecks,
collisions and other casulties of YES
sells on or near the British Isles alone.
Over % per ceI.t. were total wrecks,
involving a loss OFFS 200 lives, and the
value of $90,00O,000 in property,
Nine hundred and twenty-three of the
vessels lost were known to be over so
years old, twelve over 100, and over
10 per cent. unknown.
The facts last given are the ones
that were used with so much effect by
Mr.. Plimsoll, whose persistency and
want Of tact, perhaps, brought such a
storm of ridicule upon his head. But
the results prove that his pleas were
not without beneficial results, and the
cause has found advocates in other
spheres. The statistics of losses of
life and property in American waters
are suggestive of a condition of affairs
in the American marine service SIM
liar to that shown to exist in the Brit
ish service. Certainly. Americans
haste to get rich. and American avar-
ice. are just as constituencies as British
ayarice. American seamen are doubt
less compelled to risk their lives in
rotten, unseaworthy craft quite as Of
ten as English mariners. The extent
to which this may be carried on may
be judged by the long list of disasters
annually announced. These show how
lightly human life is regarded iii the
mad race for wealth how largely the
existing laws with reference to the
safety of sea-going vessels are violated;
how much carelesSness is due to ire
spOnsibility or how much to the will
fully prolonged use of time-worn YES
sells.
Now that the press is calling partic-
ular attention to these facts, and our
brethren across the Atlantic have in.
augurated movements to remedy these
evils, it would seem that benevolent
and Christian Americans should give
more attention to the matter and Sc
cure, by proper legislation or by the
enforcement Of existing laws, due re.
gard by ship-owners to the safety of
the lives endangered by what have
well been termed ''flOating collins.