The Washington times., 1907-06-02
LOSSES ON THE SEAS

That the plants Of marine underwri-
tiers In regard 70 the great number OF
casualties on the deep In the year 1906
have been by no means ill-founded Is
now demonstrated by figures issued by
the Bureau Veritas, In which II IS
shown that eighty-tWO sailing vessels
OF all nations and thirty-nine steamships
succgmbed 10 the multifarious perils
which the waters Of the seven seas pro-
vide.
Each year such recaDitulation OF dis
aster is published, and curiousiy enough
the relative proportion of the various
Kinds Of accidents appears to vary little
For instance, in cases Of total loss
stranding always claims the largest
share OF victims. both as regards sail
ing vessels and steamships while in
cases Of serious accident wind tanners
and steam-driven craft arc found to
have suffered more from collisions than
from any other cause
Last year more American sailing YES
sells were lost than sail-carrying craft
or any other nation. the count being
twenty-five. Great Britain came next
with nineteen. and then came Norway
with eleven losses. Denmark lost two
sailing craft, five French vessels were
lost, two Of Germany, three Of Greece, |
nine OF Italy, three OF Russia, and four
OF Sweden. or this total Of eighty-two
vessels lost. six sailed from ports and
were never again seen. being designated
In the Vcritas list as missing
ono American steamship was lost last
year, one Belgian. seventeen British
one Danish, two French. three German,
one italian, four Japanese. four Nor
wegian. one Portuguese. two Russian
and two Swedish. Stranding was the
main cause of loss among sailing yes
sells, as already pointed out. Forty
three sailing vessels were lost through
running ashore when they should have
stayed out to sea. four foundered I'm the
deep. and six were abandoned IN small
boats. NO serious case Of fire on board
ship propelled by wind power seems
70 have occurred last year. Eighteen
steamships were stranded, three We're
lost through collision, four were de-
strOyed by FIRE, four fOundered. and ten
were condemned and sent 10 the scrap
heap OF sailing vessels twenty-three
We're condemned and either broken UP
or made over into barges-
Collision heads the accident list this
year. as usual. Forty-seven wind-iam-
mers were seriously damaged because
oceans or harbOrs or rivers were not
wide enough for two vessels to get out
or each others way. or because OF fog
or storm. Thirty-one sail vessels were
stranded, but hauled into deep water;
two were. slightly damaged by fire.
twenty-fOur sprung leaks ffty-two were
injured In storms. One hundred and
twenty-one steamships were In collision
last year, but did not sink; sixty-seven
We're stranded. twenty-five were dam
aged by fire, seven sprung leaks. sixty
six were seriously injured through stress
or weather. and defective engines and
boilers caused Injuries 10 seventy-five
vessels
That the first months OF the present
year augur III for relief. so far as in
surance men are concerned. may be
gathered by "A glance at the list Of casll-
alties which the Maritime Register
prints for the last two weeks in Febr,I-
airy which, following the records for
the first six weeks Of the new year, are
enough TO warrant expedition in the
movements making for a radical in
crease In insurance rates. No less than
nfty-fiVe vessels have bopn seriously in
Jured since February "a. through fire
strandtng. collision. or stress of weather.
The Norwegian barque D. II. Morris
was totally lost through stranding, the
Norwegian steamship Eva was cut in
two IN New Orleans by French war
snip. the steamship HuEOna, stranded.
was total loss. as we're the sChOonors
Priscilla and Mary c. Of Maine. Five
total losses in two weeks is calculated
10 make the most phleEmdtic insurance
man nervous
Reports of wreckage. or floating huIls
In steamship lanes. OF masts and spars
and other debris. are brought in by
almost every arriving vessel. The most
curious report is that Of the steamship
hungarian, which arrived at Portland
from Glasgow last week. on Portland
Head. in a tremendous gale. according
. 10 the captain. the lookout sighted 4
thTCe-masted schooner. deserted appar-
entity, with sails neatly slowed and
wheel dashed scudding before the storm
as though she were driven by a great
gas engine. With a graceful heel. an
parently sound and dry. and ice from
trucks TO WATER line, she shot off before
the shrieking wind and disappeared in
the gloom. Such bits as these in the
brief, unpOetiC reports made by mar
lners day after day crop up from time
10 time 10 show that all romance of the
sea has not yet departed
CAUSE FOR RESENTMENT.