The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-28
WRECK STATISTICS.
Over Twelve Hundred Vessels End
ed Their Careers Last Year.

Over Twelve Hundred Vessels End
ed Their Careers Last Year.
London Times.
The statistical summary of vessels
totally lost, condemned, ETC., now pub
lished by Lloyd's Register shows that
during 1896 the gross reduction In the
effective mercantile marine of the
world amounted to 1887 vessels, of
SO6,27S tons, excluding all vessels of
less than 100 tons Of this total, $40
vessels of 372,463 tons were steamers,
and 927. OF 433,815 tons, were sailing
vessels. These figures exceed the aver
age of the preceding four years by
81 steamers, of 81,519 tons, and by 55
sailing vessels, Of 42.94O tons.
AS regards steamers owned in the
United Kingdom, the return is also
above the average, while as regards
sailing vessels it is somewhat below.
The increase in the case of the former
is due, not to actual wrecks, but to the
large tonnage broken up, condemned,
etc. Apart from such cases, the
United Kingdom steam tonnage lost
during 1895 is only equal to the average
OF the last four years, notwithstand-
ing that since 1891 the tonnage owned
has Increased by 100000 tons.
The summary exhibits interesting
data as to the relative frequency of
the different kinds of casualty. ETC..
winch conclude the existence Of YES
sells. STANDINGS and kindred casual
Ties, which are comprised under the
term wrecked" are much the most
ploIlhc cause Of disaster To such
casualties are attributable about 40
per cent of the losses of both steamers
and sailing vessels. The next most
frequent termination of a vessels ca
reer is by condemnation, dismantling.
etc.; ~ per cent of the vessels removed
Ifom the merchant fleets of the world
are accounted for in this manner
or the remaining causes of loss, col
llslon Is the most general for steamers
10 per cent?, and abandonment at sea
for sailing vessels Us per cent?. Cases
or abandoned, foundered and missing
vessels may, perhaps, be regarded as
frequently more or less similar in the
circumstances Of loss. If these be
taken collectively, they comprehend 18
per cent of the losses of steamers, and
nearly 80 per cent of the losses of sail
ing vessels. The percentages here Civ
en- are based on the present return
alone, but the order of frequency of
the several classes of casualty appears
to be normal
The return has been complied in
such a manner as to enable a COMPARE
son to be made between the percent
ages of loss suffered by each of the
principal merchant navies of the world
Great as the absolute annual loss Of
vessels belonging to the United King
dom appears to be, it is seen to form
very moderate percentage of the
mercantile marine Of the country, and
to compare fayorably with the losses
sustained by other leading maritime
countries. The merchant navies which
exceed a total of 900 900 tons are those
of the United Kingdom, the British
colonies, the United States of America
France, Germany and Norway OF
these countries the United Kingdom
shows the smallest percentage of loss
viz, per cent of the vessels and "a
per cent of the tonnage owned; the
British colonies follow, with 3.4 per
cent Of the vessels and 27 per cent
tonnage, and Norway is the highest,
with IA per cent Of vessels and 6.5
per cent of tom age. AS regards steam
ers. the percentage of loss for the six
countries is rs while the percentage
for the United Kingdom stands at 233
For sailing vessels the six countries
give a percentage Of 6.3, as compared
with AS per cent for the United King
dom.