The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-30
ACCIDENTS IN THE NAVY.

The Army and Navy Journal says:
There has been so much newspaper
criticism of the Navy in connection
with the terrible accident on the Benz
nington, that special interest attaches
to a communication published in the
New York Sun, in which the writer
summarizes the accidents which have
occurred in the British navy in recent
years. The latest available returns of
casualties to British warships cover the
years 1902 and 1903, and during that
period fifty-two casualties occurred
and thirty-two inquiries were held,
with the result that in eighteen cases
the officer or other person responsible
was cautioned, reprimanded, or other
wise punished. while in the remaining
thirty-four cases no blame was at
tributable. Out of forty-three acct
dents, twenty-six were cases of collision
and five were wrecks, the latter being
those of the Sybille. cruiser; the Viper,
torpedo-boat destroyer; the Cobra, tor
pedo-boat destroyer; and the Flora and
Active, coast-guard tenders. One death
was caused by the wreck of the Sybille;
two by the bursting of a boiler in the
Daring. torpedo-boat destroyer one by
the bursting, of hose in the Racer,
sloop; sixty-seven, including twenty
three civilians, by the loss of the
Cobra. torpedo-boat destroyer; three by
accidents to a boat of the Forth; six
by a gun accident on board the Royal
Sovereign: twenty by the wreck of the
Active, and two by the collision be-
tween the Salmon, torpedo-boat de-
stroyer, and the steamship Cambridge.
The annual return for 1903 showing
casualties to ships in the British navy,
with the nature of the accident, the
number of persons injured and killed
and the time required for repairs, has
been issued as a Parliamentary paper.
In all, during the year under con-
sideration seventy accidents occurred,
resulting in personal injury in twenty
two cases and death in twenty-seven.
The percentage of deaths was increased
by the Orwell disaster in which fifteen
men lost their lives by the vessel being
cut in two and the fore part sinking
during night maneuvers off Corfu. This
was the most serious accident of the
twelve months in every respect, and
the repairs to the destroyer occupied
ten months. which is longer than the
time required by any of the other YES
sells damag ed during 1908. The total of
accidents was made up as follows: Bat
tleships, three: armored cruisers, three;
protected cruisers, twelve; torpedo
boat destroyers. twenty-eight; torpedo
boats, ten; submarines, two; miscel-
laneous craft (ineluding torpedo gum
boats and special service vessels).
twelve. The main causes of accidents
were collision and grounding, the for
mer accounting. for thirty-four cases
and the latter for seventeen. Mishaps
in the engine-room accounted for four
more, and of gun and boiler explosions
there were three.
DREDGER PARTIES THE THING.
The waterfront does not often break
into society, but the establishment OF
the big dredger Governor on the new
Alakea street slip, has started a new
social vogue. Now society folk ask each
other: Are you going down to the
dretlger this evening"
And there you will find many society
folk of an evening, in autos and bug
gies. fascinated with the wonderful
work performed by the great dredger
scoop There is, in reality, hardly a
place in town which has more attrac-
ton at present than the scene of the
dredging operations. 1t is feature in
he