The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-07

were of 100 tons or over The youngest
 of these craft was years old, While
 the patriarch of this floundered fleet had
 see no less than 69 years of active ser
 vice, while half of the 34 vessels listed
 were over 20 years of age. The signific-
 ance of these figures is still more strlk-
 ing when the average age is worked out
 --the figure being just on 221s years. It
 will be urged. of course, that there is
 nothing startling or unusual in these
 figures. 1t is only the expected that
 those vessels which have stood the
 strain of ocean voyaging for consider
 able length of time should be more liable
 to the risk of laundering. or being re-
 ported as missing" than newer craft.
 But granted all this, the question will
 suggest itself: If old ships are liable
 to founder or go a missing, is proper
 care exercised to withdraw them from
 the active list when, by reason of their
 age frallties, there is likelihood of their
 coming to grief?" The query is a per-
 tinent and serious one, and we have
 owners and underwriters to answer 1t
 from their more special knowledge of
 such matters. Admitting, however, that
 1t IS to some extent to be expected that
 older and partially worn-out craft should succumb to stress of weather, 1t
 is interesting to inquire whether there is any connection between age, and, dis
 asters of other types than laundering
 or missing. s@
 No fewer than 106 vessels of twenty years of age and upward were totally lost. It is only fair to point out that many of these craft were foreigners. Thus, quite dozen Norwegian-o ships came to grief, mainly on the East Coast of Great Britain, during the month of March, 1898, and of these the most juvenile was craft that had seen twenty years of service. The veteran was the Hannah. sailer of ninety seven tons. She was bound from Sea- nam to Great Yarmouth with coal. and she came to grief like worn-out steed not far from her destination stranding on the Norfolk coast. It is an interest," ing and legitimate query as to whether the age of vessel should in any shape or form conduce to her going ashore. It Is quite possible that an old ship has less power of beating off a lee shore than ayounger and consequently statch- CT craft; or it may be that these worn- out vessels, when overtaken by bad weather run for the nearest port, and get ashore in so doing, whereas strong CT boat would adopt the wiser policy of giving the land a wide berth. These may be possible explanations. The un- believer in the integrity of the ship owner might make another suggestion to the effect that an old and obsolete craft | is past work and that the best thing to do with her Is to pile her up and realize her insurance. This Is somewhat cynical view to take of the matter but | the figures we have given are so alarm | ing and point to such connection be- | tween age and disaster, that there is | certainly occasion for uncharitable | speculation Of course, it will be urged ! built of wood, and are thus necessarily | longer lived than iron or steel ships. | And 1t will be further contended that | many of the craft, particularly of which | we have given, are owned abroad. All | this, we admit, but at the same time the facts we have mentioned have significance which cannot be ignored. Why should vessels be allowed to sail | he seas, until there is probability that hey will founder" or be missing" if ,vertaken by abnormal severe weather? )r if we take the case of total losses through strandine, what is the explana- ion of the fact that so many of the yessels tabulated have long passed the lllotted average period of ships life? The London Syren and Shipping