The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-23
THE WASTE OF SHIPPING.

Lloyds Register keeps us informed as
to the waste OF shipping. There are
many causes which lead to vessels being
removed from the register. Most OF them
are painful to contemplate since they in
volve danger tn life while ore gives
cause for satisfaction. A certain number
Of vessels are broken up or condemned,
and 1t would be we'll II this number were
greatly increased. since IL would reduce
the loss under other heads. 1t Is not Of
ten that the well-found ship appears in
these returns under the heading Of
Abandoned at Sea-" "Foundered,
Lost" or "Missing.'' The experience
Of tho Atlantic companies has shown that
. ship oan be rendered almost as safe as
house on shore by literal expenditure
of money, and by Increasing Wig GLANCE on
the part If the captain and crew. 1t ID
the scip ON which undue economy Is ex-
srcissd that usually tails a prey to bad
weather.
The period Of July to September 30.
1897. was not marhed by any excessive
amount Of casualtlss. During that time
176 vessels, or 1877, 2S6 tons. weIe removed
from the register In various ways. This
com psres fa.orably with the same period
in 1895. whsn vi vessels. or 162. 72t tons.
were removed. It is, however, slightly
over the average for the past decade.
There Is Improvement under every head
ing rs compared with the same euaFter
Of last year. except under "Wrecked,
and this increase seems TO he due to the
larger size of the vesssls and not to an
auGmentsd number Of casualties.
In the third quarter Of 1893 there were
96 vessels, or 82, 763 tone. wrecked,
against SO vessels, or os, sS2 tons in 1897.
or vessels owned In the United King
dom, there were 81 lost in this way In
each quarter, but in 1895 81 0O0 tons.
There were ~ vessela or 80, $50 tons
broken up condemned. etc., In the
psriod- under review against 80 vessels.
or AZ. 400 tons, last year. The vessels
which foundered seemed to have been
generally of small size. and only two.
totaling 4s4 tons, were owned in the
United Kingdom.
When We begin to discriminate between
steam and sailing craft we find that IL Is
the former that account for the major
portion Of the tonnage lost while the
latter swell the number Of vessels lost,
tire vessels bsing: Steam, 81 vessels of
81, 6si tons gross; sailing. ll9 vessels of
g., 6Q6 net. During the quarter there was
not single steamer posted % Burned, -
Lost" or Missing" and only two
were abandoned at sea. As against this,
there were IL sailing ships abandoned,
six burned, one lest and four missing
or vessels owned IN the United King
dom, .0&4 per cent uf steam were re-
moved. and .057 per cent Of sailing ves-
sells, fact that timid voyagsr may well
note. The disparity of these ngnrss
would re incress I'd still further il vessels
broken up were not included. II we were
to Judge by the tat les, the safest ship to
20 60 sea in is q Swedish steamer, Stree
only SIS PER cent Of tho vessels under
tnat flag were lost in the quarter This
high figure Of safety Is not always main
tnined, but nevertheless Sv edish steam
vessels have sn excellent record. Their
sailing craft do not do 80 well. bat then
many Of them are engaged In the timber
trade. and any lsnky tnb IL considered
good enough for thnt. The sun.