New-York tribune., 1880-02-22
papers little more, so as to see how they
Cp4TN SHIPS

GRATN SHIPS
rlne question Of the proper build equipment
and loading of freight steamships Is attracting
particular attention just now in England
where the long list Of the seasons losses has
excited no little public feeling. Certainly there
is reason enough for excitement. We printed
not long ago a record OF iifty ocean steam
ships lost during the year 1879 very large
proporlion of them being British freight yes
sells engaged in the trade between EnsIlSh
and American ports. No fewer than fourteen
of these fouudered at sea- or were never
beord of after sailing. This is terrible
story for single year. The weather mas been
unusually tcmpeetuous and the great eXpor-
tat,op of breadstulis has brought into employ
ment large number of extra steamers 0i the
class in which disasters of this sort seem to DE
most common but in fact not a year passes
without the sinking of at least hVe or SIX
steamers in the voyage between America ana
Fnoland from causes which cannot fairly he
called accidental. They go down simply be-
cause either from imperfect construction or
improper loading they are unfit TO stand the
weather which they must expect to encounter
in these seas and at this time OF the year.
of tbe regular Transatlantic steam lines are
never materially disturbed by the most violent
storms. A little delay is all they have to fear
from the fury of the Atlantic gales or per-
! hans a little damage to their upper works an"
tbe loss OF a few yards of canvas. When they
are wrecked, it is always by stranding' burn
| ing. or collision; they never founder. II a
considerable proportion of the vessels oi an
other class, on the same routes, SILK every
season, il is evident that the cause Is not IN
the angry forces Of nature, but In the
! infeIiority or mismanagement OF the ShlpS :;
and the matter Is one winch calls ior
q searching examination. We have alr'anY
pointed out that majority OF the lost steam
rrs are grain vessels. They are OF small SH'
and comparativcIy light cnginc-power, being
calculated for low speed and small consump-
ton of fuel II is not improbable that they
are also insuflicicntly manned. Mr.. PilmNoH,
to whose self-sacrilicmg cxcrtions the BlltiSh
| seaman owes the arrest OF the nVctcIatc
habit Of sending out overloaded and otherwise
unseoworthy vessels, has entered with his
characteristic courage aud energy into the IN
vestigation of abuses which, II Is evident,
! still exist In the shipping trade. ana the pro
orrss of his movement win be watched with
concern on both sides of the Atlantic. Lccs-
lation here can do nothing for the measure
of reform now proposed, because the vessels
are owned in Europe but American under
writer's can perhaps bring some pressure 30
bear upou the owners. aud can insist upon a
change in the present method OF carrying
or,in. to which large part at least of the
disasters seem to be generally attributed.
The liability OF grain in bulk to shift and
DESTROY the equilibrium Of the vessel is well
understood, but there are many practical din
culties I'm applying a remedy. The u~t oi
/ bqgs Is objectionable on account OF ,helf cost
and the great increase - hich they involve in
the expense Of handling the cargo. Compcu-
tjou is 50 sharp that il this country would
| keen the lead in supplying the Old World wilh
! fond. which mas to be carried a'y0s, three
thousand miles of sea and from five hundred
to a thousand miles of land before il REACHES
its market, the cost OF carriage must oc kept
down TO the lowest possible point. An Article
in another part Of this paper describes some
Of the objections to the old methods OF load
ING grain ships and some OF the new device,
which are relied upon to prevent the shifting
of cargo without resort to bags. They are
very simple. and the only trouble III regard to
thc,r use is likely to arise from the Tact that
their adoption will make II necessary for
grain ships to be specially fitted for that par
tcular business. But this is Il requirement
upon which insurers and boards Of trade viii
probably have to insist If the shipping OF
Grain in bulk is to be- allowed mt al.