The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-12-17
WRECKS IN 1907.


The statistical summary of vessel,
totally condemned, etc.. just published
by Lloyds Register, shows that during
1897 the gross reduction in the effect.
i've mercantile marine of the world
amounted 10 laos vessels, of 726. SOC
TONS excluding all vessels Of less than
100 tons. Of this total 293 sessels. OF
S9S,2o7 tons, were steamers, and 752
OF 32s,539 tons, were sailing vessels,
AS regards steamers, the present re-
turn exceeds the average of the pre-
ceding six years by 81 vessels and ST.
s27 tons; as regards sailing vessels, IL
is below the average by ia vessels an d
67,o16 tons. Similarly, the figures re-
Iating to steam tonnage owned in the
United Kingdom are above the aver.
age, while those relating to sailing YES
sells are below. The excess in the case
OF the former is largely due not to &C.
tuai wrecks, but to the increasing
amount of tonnage annually broken
uRs condemned, etc. Apart from such
cases, the United Kingdoms steam
tonnage loss during 1897 exceeds the
average of the preceding six years by
about $4,000 tons, while the tonnage
owned has increased during that pe-
Rod by more than 100000 tons.
STANDINGS and kindred casualties,
which are comprised under the term
wrecked" are much the most pro-
Iific cause of disaster. To such cas-
ualties are attributable 4S per cent.
OF the losses of steamers and 46 per
cent. OF the losses of sailing vessels.
The next most frequent termination
OF a vessels career is by condemna-
ton, dismantling, etc.; % per cent. of
the vessels removed from the mer-,
chant fleets of the world are account
ed for In this manner. OF the remain
ing causes of loss, collision is the most
general for steamers (13 per cent?
and abandonment at sea for sailing
vessels 10 per cent?. The percent
ages just given are based on the pres
ent return alone, but the order of fire.
quency OF the several classes of cas-
uaity appears to be normal. Cases of
abandoned, foundered and missing YES
sells may perhaps be regarded as fire.
quently more or less similar in the
of loss. If these be !
taken collectively. they comprehend
10 per cent. of the losses of steamers
and 81 per cent. of the losses of sailing |
vessels.
Great as the absolute loss of ves-
'els belonging to the United. Kingdom
appears to be, ii is seen to form a
very moderate percentage of the mer-
rantile marine of the country. and to
compare favorably with the losses sus-
tained by other leading maritime
countries. The merchant navies which
exceed total of 100000 tons are
hose of the United Kingdom, the Brit
sh colonies, the United States of
America, France, Germany and Nor
way. OF these countries the United
Kingdom shows the smallest percent
lge OF loss, viz, 81 per cent. of the
essels owned; the colonies follow
With 80 per cent, and Norway is the
highest, with per cent. AS regards
steamers. while the percentage for
he United Kingdom stands at 2.15, the
yerage of the percentage of loss for
he other five countries is 2.39. For
ailing vessels the other five countries
how an average percentage of 5.93,
. compared with 4.44 per cent. for
he United Kingdom. The COMPARE
on would be still more favorable to
he United Kingdom If the percent
ges excluded cases Of dismantling up.
reaking up, etc.
Steamers have much greater inn
lunfty from disaster than have sail
1g vessels While the losses of steam ,
RS amount only to rather more than /
or cent. of the number and tonnage 1
wned. the losses of sailing vessels j
Zach about 6 per cent. of the number
nd ~ per cent. of the tonnage owned. I
OF the 1,045 vessels lost during the s
ear only 314 were British, but the I
image they represented. roughly |
equaled that lost BY ali the $
cam and niling vessels Of other
'uptries combined. IN. z. Tmaa IL