The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-04
WRECKS IN 1897.
Hoyds Report Regarding Disasters
During the Year.

During the Year.
The statistical summary of vessels to-
tally lost, condemned, etc. Just published
by Lloyd's Register, shows that during
1897 the gross reduction in the effective
mercantile marine of the world amounted
to 1,405 vessels. of 726,sOO tons, excluding
all vessels OF less than 100 tons. OF this
total, 293 vessels, of 39s, 2O7 tons. were
steamers, and 1872. of S28, 500 tons, were sail
ing vessels. As regards steamers, the
present return exceeds the average of the
preceding six years by thirty-one vessels
and 81, 927 tons; as regards sailing vessels
1t is below the average by ia vessels and
670lG tons. Similarly, the figures relating
to steam tonnage owned in the United
Kingdom are above the average while
those relating to sailing vessels are be-
low. The excess in the case of the for
mer IS largely due not TO actual wrecks
but to the increasing amount Of tonnage
annually broken up, condemned etc
Apart from such cases, the United King
dom's steam tonnage loss during 1897 ex-
ceeds the average of the preceding six
years by about 25,000 tons, while the tonnage
owned has increased during that period by
more than 100000 tons.
STANDINGS and kindred casualties,
which are comprised under the term
wrecked" are much the most prolific
cause Of disaster. To such casualties are
attributable 48 per cent. of the losses Of
steamers, and As per cent. of the losses Of
sailing vessels. The next most frequent
termination Of vessels career is by con
demnatiou. dismantling, etc. % per cent
of the vessels removed from the merchant
fleets of the world are accounted for in
this manner OF the remaining causes Of
loss, collision is the most general for
steamers Q3 per cent?, and abandonment
al sea for sailing vessels 90 per cent?.
The percentages just given are based on
the present return alone, but the order
of frequency of the several classes of cas-
ualty appears to be normal Cases of
abandoned foundered and missing vessels
may perhaps be regarded frequently
more or less similar in the circumstances
of loss If these be taken collectively,
they comprehend Is per cent. of the losses
of steamers. and q per cent. of the losses
of sailing vessels.
Great as the absolute loss of vessels be-
longing TO the United Kingdom appears to
be, 1t is seen to form a very moderate
percentage of the mercantile marine of
the country, and TO compare faVOrably
with the losses sustained by other leading
maritime countries. The merchant navies
which exceed a total of 100000 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: "a per
cent. of the vessels owned; the colonies
follow with 2.9 per cent, and Norway
is the highest with per cent. AS regards
steamers while the percentage for the
United Kingdom stands at 215, the aver
age Of the percentage of loss for the other
five countries is 2.39 For sailing vessels
the other five countries show an average
percentage of 5 90. as cOnDared with "a
per cent. for the United Kingdom. The
comparison would be still more favorable
to the United Kingdom If the percentages
excluded cases of dismantlins up, break
ing up, etc.
Steamers have a much greater immu-
nifty from disaster than have sailing YES
sells While the losses of steamers amount
only to rather more than per cent of
the number and tonnage owned, the losses
of sailing vessels reach about s per cent.
of the number and Al per cent. of the
tonnage owned.
OF the .045 vessels lost during the year
only 3l4 were British. but the tonnage
they represented, roughly speaking, equal
cd that lost by all the steam and sailing
vessels of other countries combined
Charleston, S. G., Oct. S.-The barl1en-
tine Wandering Jew, Capt. J. s. Little,
from Philadelphia for Galveston, with
cargo Of coal, lies in six fathoms of wa
ter off Long Island. Bad weather began
on Friday. The vessel sprang a leak in
the hurricane on Saturday. and the crew
were kept constantly at the pumps. She
tried TO come to Charleston, but was
forced ashore. The captain and crew took
TO the rigging, and remained in perious
position until rescued this morning by the
Charleston tug, John Harlin, Capt. Flat
ley, and brought here