The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
THE Waste or SHIPPING.
Fncta About the losses mo ng Ships Lnst Year
-sMcEish StrnIncra the IN lie. Il.

Li0vds Register keeps us informed as TO the
waste Of shipping. There are many causes
which lead 10 vessels being removed from the
register. Nest Of them arc painful TO con.
template since they involve danger to life, whlle
one gives cause for satisfaction. A certain
number OF vessels are broken w or condemned,
and it would be we'll !G this number were greatly
increased. since /. would reduce the loss under
other heads. 1t ID not oftcA that the well. found
ship appears In these returns l:ndcr tho head
ings OF "Abaniondol at Sea-" "Foundered."
Lost" or "Missins." Tho experience OF the
Atlantic companies has shown that u ship
can be rendered almost os safe rs II house on
shore by n liberal expenditure OF money. and by
increasing vigilance on the part OF the Captain
and crew. 1t is the ship on which undue
economy is exercised that usually fails L prey TO
bad weather.
The period OF July l to Sept. 30. 1897, was not
marked By any excessive amount OF casualties.
During that time l76 vessels, or l37,2sG tons.
were removed from the register in various
ways. This compares fnvorablIy with the same
period In 1896, when 2ll vessels, or lG2, ia
tons, were removed. Ii is. however, slightly
over The average Tor the past decade. There il
Improvement under every heading, as compared
with the same quartcro of last year. except under
Wrecked, and this inereas seems 10 bc duo
Augmented number OF casualties.
In the third %Gmarter OF 1896 there we're 90
Ntshclss U OSsIbb loHS, NltfhH-, against sU
vessels. or GS. Ss2 ions. in 1897.
Or vessels owned in tho United Kingdom,
there were 81 lost IN this way IN each quarter,
but in 1896 81. 900 tons. There were AZ vessels,
or 30, 325 tons. broken up, condemned. Ne, ~
the period under review, against ~ vessels, or
1890 tons, last year. The Vessels which
foundered seemed 10 have been generally OF
small size. and only two, fotal'ius 40 tons, we're
ownoi in the United Kingdom.
When we lcgin to discriminate between
steam and sailing crnft va Ind that II is The
former that account for the major portion OF tie
tonnage lost, whilct The latter swoll the numhGr
or vessels lost, the ycGsclS being: Steam. 81
vessels OF 81 .6Sl tons "Iu-s; = INNS, llD vessels
OF 80. 606 tons. net. Durin the quarter there
was not a single steamer posted aS Burned"
Lost or "Mi.sing. and only two were
abandoned at sea, As against TINS, there were
IL sailing ships nbanuOnC =, siN buTnci, one lost.
and four missing. or vos.els owned in tho
United Kingdom. Oh yer cent, OF steam were
removed, and .ObT Yer cent, OF sailing vessels, q
fact that q timid vOyaGcr may well motto. Tho
disparity of these tlgur, = voulu lie increased
stiIl further il vessels bro M were not in
cluded. II we were to judge by tho tables, tho
safest ship to 20 TO sea in is u swedish steamer,
since only on per cent. Of tho vessrls'under that
flag were lost in the quarter. This high figure
OF safety Is not always maintained. hut. never
theless, Swedish steam vessels have an excellent
record. Their sailing craft do not do so well.
but then many of them are engaged in the
timber trade. and any leaky tub Is considered
good enough for that.