The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-09
The WORLDS sAIPwRAOKs.
How the Great Ocean Monarchs Pass
Out of Sight.
Erom london Enntnesrinn.

From London Engineering.
We hear much Of the many finely modelled
ships that are built from time to time, but
little of the many vessels that are lost. Oc-
casionally public interest is excited by
heroism displayed in ssvin a ship
wrecked crew, but in many cases
the, loss OF good ship is only
indicated by lire or two in the list of cas-
ualties In the daily papers. Who, for in
stance, would think that last year sixty
eight vessels, the larger proportion ships,
sailed from some port or other, and accord
ing 20 Lloyd's annual return, never again
we're heard Of, and these, too, were fairly
good-siEed crafta What Of the ere VISA
TIE story can never be completed, the
sufferings may be but guessed at. And
Britain and her colonies have more than
their fair share, for while we make up
a half of the total losses, we con-
tribute $4,000 out OF the 10, 100 tons
which have thus passed out OF record.
The total OF wrecks, too. seem large
LOSS vessels of 649, 946 tons-buu it must ba
remembered that there are probably always
afoat on the high seas over 20, 600, 600 tons of
shipping, which fact, although it increases
the surprise that so many vessels should be
lost without any news, indicates generally
fairly low ratio Of less to per cent OF
tonnage.
1t may be accepted as O testimony in IA
vor Of steel that of the total tonnage lost,
only IL per cent. was constructed out of
this metal, while Al per cent. was of iron
and Al per cent. was of wood and composite
vessels. But 1t should also be noted that
the iron and wooden vessels are older, so
that age as well as material may have con-
tributed to the result. Again, ships
bnlk more largely than steamers,
the latter making 43 per cont and ships 81
per cent. of the total; but age again must
be considered, for large number Q24 YES
sells of $3.50 tons were condemned and
broken up against only 1866 tons of
steamers. A ship is more readily ADAM
doned at sea than steamer, because when
the masts "go by the board" in q storm the
ships is often helpless.
We have, therefore, 80, $40 tons of ships
thus abandoned against only 5000 of steam
ers, which, latter, In itself is a large num-
Der; they are all Of large size. too. aver.
aging 200 tons. It is Interesting to note
further, that steamers collide more fire.
quently than ships or the results
are more disastrous. Thus we find that
while 45,076 tons of steamers were
lost by collision, only ~ $40 tons OF shin
losses are so accounted for. The number of
vessels does not show the same DISPARITY. az
of the former against AZ of the latter, which
would indicate that small ships more readily
collide, and one may be pardoned the
assumption that these are mostly in home
channels, rather than on the high seas.
OF course the hidden rock, the fog be-
dimmed, rugged headland and the over
powering tempest, are as disastrous Co the
steamer as Co the ship, and we find that in
each case about a half OF the losses are at.
trihuted to these more or less unavoidable
causes. AS to nationality. we find that the
death rate" of tonnage OF
Britains feet is 267 per cent, and
Of the colonies 8. l3 per cent. The hiqhest
rate is attained by Norway, with ). "A per
cent, Russia being next With $40 per cent =,
and Sweden with g. 25 per cent. while the
lowest rate is Spain, with Los per cent.
The ship-owning states comes higher.
Britain has a heavier loss in ships than
steamers-3.90 per cent. Of the former
against $50 per cent. Of the latter, her total
losses for the year being 315 vessels Of 2s2,~
9I2 tons.