Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-06-18
E LOSS OF THE PARIS AND MOHEGAN.

pending for her course in dangerous
waters wholly upon the accuracy Of
one man. that man might at critical
moment have some alteration. or by
slip of the tongue give wrong order.
and wreck the ship before any one
could realize that for once the captain
had made mistake. The more ex-
perienced and careful the captain, the
| less likely would any one be to ques-
| ton his orders
Both at Trinity House and the
| Board Of Trade it was apparently the
idea that "one-man' navigation ex-
planned. as far as it went, the mystery
OF many of these surprising wrecks.
| and it may be that the investigation
into the mishap to the Paris will re-
suit in report that will lead to the
adoption of the remedy suggested.
discovered that the British govern
ment was aching to hold that invests
CATION itself, but as the Paris was an
American vessel. would of course, wait
/
/ for an American investigation.
/ APPALLING NUMBER Or WRECKS.
OF all the extraordinary number of
dots shown on the accompanying chart
a large number indicate vessels wreck
ed through human error, for Of the yes
sells that came to grief on or near the
coasts of the United Kingdom in the
year ending June 80. 1S97--the latest
year for which the figures are available
the reports show that 526 cases were
due to the error of some one on board.
Although. goodness knows, there are
dots enough on the chart, it omits all
record of casualties on the coast Of the
United Kingdom. If they, too, had
been included, the coast line of Eng
land would have practically been OBJ
scured. The southern coast line in
particular would have been nothing
but mass of dots, two or three deep.
in map of such small scale.
The total number of sea casualties,
large and small to British vessels in
the year mentioned was S,203, of which
702 were total losses. The total loss OF
| life in these casualties was 1.247, as
| compared with an average annual lossl
for the last twenty-one years of 1,T95.V
According to the figures supplied by
the Board of Trade, the number d
ships wrecked and the loss x life al
slowly decreasing while. owing to tn
increase in the size of VESSELS, the ton
mage loss is steadily increasing.
An appallingly large percentage OF Il
! losses among the tramp steamers is trac
able directly to the desire of owners to
! crease the carrying capjcity and decrea
the draught and baildinE expenses. viii
/ results in fiat-bottomed vessels that pit
and pound frightfully lid heavy sea, a
are thus subjected to a ftrain they are
| equal to bear. After striving for years
get photograph takenI on board OF one
! these vessels under suc( II adverse conditi
the Shipmasters' Society Of London fin
secured the aoconffSs ing pfcrrT-,, Vrc51o5
~ the only one of its kind. for sucNeasfut
photography in gale when vesNel is
rolling at such an angle is rather rnIAual.
AT TRINITY HOUSE.
The Trinity House officials laughed lat
the idea OF magnetic attraction IN tho
rocks around the Manacles being respon-
sble for the wrecks OF the Mohegan and
the Paris, and were not much In favor OF
putting up light there for fear OF cons
fusing mariners. Aside from this question
of lights and buoys on the Manacles Trim
ity House has little direct concern with tho
wrecks discussed here, although ii seems
to be supposed generally by the laity that
this quaint and ancient corporation is the
all-around boss OF British shipping. BUT
It's chief duties aside from the control OF
the lights, Is in the appointment OF pilots.
1t lives in it's own house. an attractive
stone structure built for II IN 1893 close be-
hind the Tower. Originally It was a pri-
vate corporation formed 10 foster the inter-
ests Of British shipping, and the building
1t occupies is yet the property OF Tie
Master, Wardens and Assistants OF tho
Guild Fraternity. or Brotherhood of the
Most Glorious and Undivided Trinity