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whole number; and that during the first six months of the year 1878, 94 wrecks and casualties happened to nearly new ships, and 209 to ships from 3 to 7 years of age. Then there are wrecks and casualties to 263 ships from 7 to 14 years old, and to 338 from 15 to 30 years old. Then follow 179 old ships from 30 to 50 years old. Having passed the service of half a century, we come to the very old ships-viz., 19, between 50 and 60 years old; 13, from 60 to 70; 8, from 70 to 80; 2, from 80 to 90; and 2, upwards of 100. The ages of 84 are unknown. Of the 1,206 vessels lost or damaged on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the first six months of 1873, 60 were rigged as ships, 169 were steamships, 310 schooners, 146 brigs, 185 barques, 128 brigantines, and 62 smacks; the remainder were small vessels rigged in various ways. Of the 1,206 vessels referred to, 473 did not exceed 100 tons burden; 383 were from 100 to 300 tons, 211 were from 300 to 600 tons, and 139 only were above 600 tons burden. Of the 169 steamships, 142 were built of iron; and of the 1,037 sailing vessels, 25 were built of iron. From Table 8, showing the parts of the coasts on which the wrecks and casualties on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom happened during the year 1872-3, it will be seen that, as usual, the greatest number occurred on the East Coast. The numbers are as follow:-East Coast, 988; South Coast, 325; West Coast, 616; N. and W. Coast of Scotland, 41; Irish Coast, 184; Isle of Man, 25; Lundy Island, 10; Scilly Isles, 15. The winds appear from the wreck reports to have been destructive to shipping on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the ten years ended 1872-3, in the proportions following :-N., 635; N.N.E., 617; N.E., 944; E.N.E., 615; E., 686; E.S.E., 590; S.E., 971; S.S.E., 700; S., 918; S.S.W., 1,309; S.W., 1,985; W.S.W., 1,233; W., 1,051; W.N.W., 1,009; N.W., 1,144; N.N.W., 579-total, 14,286. The above table shows that westerly winds are far more destructive than easterly winds the most destructive being from south-west. It should, however, be remembered that westerly winds are far more common than easterly winds. It will be seen from Table 10, distinguishing the wrecks, &c., on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom, according to the force of the wind at the time at which they happened, that in 1872-3, 1,019 happened when the wind was at force 6, or under-that is to say, when the force of the wind did not exceed a strong breeze, in which the ship could carry single reefs and topgallant sails; that 437 happened with the wind at forces 7 and 8, or a moderate to fresh gale, when a ship, if properly found, manned, and navigated, can keep the sea with safety; and that 688 happened with the wind at force 9 and upwardsthat is to say, from a strong gale to a hurricane. In other words, 1,019 happened when the wind was such that a ship could carry her

topgallant sails; 437 when a ship ought to be well able to hold her course; and 688 with the wind at and above a strong gale. The numbers for the last ten years are shown in the following table:219, calm; 337, light air-just sufficient to give steerage way; 948, light breeze; 367, gentle breeze; 1,603, moderate breeze; 2,087, fresh breeze; 2,281, strong breeze; 795, moderate gale; 1,004 fresh gale; 4,383, strong gale; 1963, whole gale; 416, storm-under storm staysail; 842, hurricane-bare poles; 36, variable; 691, unknown-total, 17,922. As regards casualties in rivers-in the present abstract will be found a table of the casualties reported as having occurred to sea-going vessels in the rivers and harbours of the United Kingdom during the first six months of the year 1873. (See Appendix to Part 1.) As receivers of wreck and other officers on the coast are not empowered by the Merchant Shipping Act to report such casualties, the number must, necessarily, be incomplete. The total number of such casualties reported was 152, of which 16 were total losses. Of these casualties, collisions numbered 79, founderings 6, strandings 52, and miscellaneous 15. In the 152 casualties, 121 were to British sailing vessels, 96 to British steam vessels, 20 to foreign sailing vessels, and 4 to foreign steam vessels. The number of lives reported to have been lost is 3. As regards collisions off the coasts, during the first six months of 1873, 8 of the 233 collisions off the coasts of the United were between 2 steamships, both under weigh, and 10 of the 79 in harbours and rivers were also between 2 steamships, both under weigh; as shown in the following table.* There were also reported to the Board of Trade, during the first six months of the year 1873, the following accidents to the machinery of British steamships :-Accidents to machinery which caused damage to the vessel, 7; lives lost, 8. Accidents to machinery which caused no damage to the vessel, 127; lives lost, 2.

Loss of Life. (Part II.)

As regards the loss of life, the returns show that the number of lives lost from wrecks, casualties, and collisions, on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom, during the first six months of 1873, is 728. This is 138 more than the number lost in the whole year 1872. The lives lost during the first six months of 1873 were lost in 98 ships; 78 of them were laden vessels, 11 were vessels in ballast, and in 9 cases it is not known whether the vessels were laden or light. Eighty-two of these ships were entirely lost, and 16 sustained partial damage. Of the 728 lives lost

As no lives were lost in these 18 collisions, we have not inserted the table. W may state that two only of the collisions between 2 steamers happened at sea, 6 in the narrow channels at the entrance of rivers, and 6 in rivers or harbours. Thi conclusively shows that a "narrow channel" or "river rule" is wanted.-ED.]

81 were lost in vessels that foundered, 346 through vessels in collision, and 122 in vessels stranded or cast ashore. The remaining number of lives lost (179) were lost from various causes, such as through being washed overboard in heavy seas, explosions, and in missing vessels. One hundred and nineteen of these lives were lost in wrecks or casualties which, although they happened before 1873, are included in these returns, the reports having been received too late for them to form part of the statistics of their respective years; these 119 lives lost, and the 293 lost through the sinking of the ship Northfleet,* will account for the enormous increase in the loss of life in so short a period. From Table 23, showing the parts of the coast of the United Kingdom on which loss of life happened, it will be seen that, whilst the greatest number of wrecks, &c., happened on the East coast, the greatest loss of life during the nine and a half years ended June, 1873, occurred in the Irish Sea. Table 24 shows the number of lives lost on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom in fishing vessels and boats, sailing vessels, and steam vessels, during the last nine and a half years, distinguishing those lost through founderings, strandings, collisions, and casualties from other causes.

Wrecks Abroad. (Parts III. and IV.)

The statistics of wrecks abroad are comprised in three divisions, viz.: -Part III., relating to those which occurred on and near the coasts of the Channel Islands and the British Possessions abroad to British and

Foreign vessels. Part IV., relating to those which occurred to

British vessels elsewhere than on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom, and of British Possessions abroad. Part V., relating to the lives so lost. It is perhaps scarcely necessary to observe that wrecks, &c., of Foreign ships happening elsewhere than on the coasts of Her Majesty's dominions are not dealt with in the tables of these returns. It is, however, satisfactory to be able to state that many countries now publish wreck returns of their own. Part IV. (with the exception of Tables 36, 37, 38, and 39) excludes the wrecks of British vessels on the coasts of British Possessions abroad, which have already been enumerated in Part III. At the beginning of these returns, will be found two charts of the world in hemispheres, and a chart of Europe; these charts show all the wrecks, &c., included in Parts III. and IV., each wreck being marked, as far as practicable, on the exact spot where it happened. With regard to the tables of statistics, it may be remarked that the total number of wrecks, &c., included in Parts III. and IV. for the first six months of the year 1873 is 1,193. The following table shows the number of wrecks, &c., abroad, reported since 1867 :

[The Northfleet was at anchor in Dungeness Roads, and was run into, sunk, and immediately abandoned, by the Spanish steamer, Murillo.-ED.]

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The number of these wrecks, &c., abroad, involving loss of life reported during the first six months of 1873, was 164, and the number of lives so lost was 1,850.

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195 158 185 174 212 248 1,671 1,426 1,682 2,255 1,659 1,892 1,813

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162 186 178 216 254 164 1,677 1,504 1,685 2,271 1,670 1,980 1,850

The large total for the half year January to June, 1878, is to be accounted for by the great number of lives (545) lost in the steamship Atlantic; in 1870, the total was swelled by the lives lost in H.M.S. Captain and the steamship City of Boston.

British Ships not heard of after Sailing.

It will be seen from Tables 21 and 41 that 88 vessels were not heard of after sailing or being spoken at sea, in which 1,025 lives are supposed to have been lost. Of these missing vessels, 78 belonged to the United Kingdom, involving the loss of 944 lives, and 5 belonged to British Possessions Abroad, involving the loss of 81 lives; 14 were steamships involving the loss of 341 lives. Fifty-two of these vessels sailed from ports in the United Kingdom, 14 from ports in British Possessions Abroad and 17 from Foreign ports. Seventy-one were laden vessels, four wer vessels in ballast, one was a fishing vessel, and in 7 cases it is unknowi whether the vessels were laden or in ballast. It may be observed tha many of the missing vessels sailed previously to 1873, but were no reported until that year.

Salvage of Life. (Part VIL)

As regards saving life, the following table shows the expenses incurre since 1855, in providing apparatus for saving life on the coasts of th

United Kingdom. These sums have been paid by the Board of Trade out of the Mercantile Marine Fund-(abridged from table) :

...

Amount paid by the Board of Trade to the funds of
the Royal National Lifeboat Institution...
Amount paid by the Board of Trade for Rewards, &c.
Expenses of rocket and mortar apparatus
Expenses of life-belts

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43,305 17 7

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12,325 16 11 86,704 14 10

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* 1,325 6 5

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The following table shows the number of lives saved and the number of lives lost, on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom, during the same period (abridged from table) :

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The Board of Trade from March 1868 till January 1870 paid an annual sum of £2,500 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution towards the maintenance of their boats, in lieu of paying a subsidy in respect of certain boats. At a special meeting of the Committee of the Institution, held on the 2nd December, 1869, the following resolution was, however, passed:-"That the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, owing to the large and extended support of the British public, having attained a truly national position, it no longer requires the assistance it has, since the year 1854, received from the Board of Trade." The Board of Trade, therefore, no longer make any contributions to the funds of the Institu

A similar amount has been paid by the Admiralty.

[As this goodly amount has come almost entirely out of the pockets of shipowners, it is not true that they are careless as to the life of the sailor, as has often been said by agitators.-ED.]

The number of lives lost during the first six months of 1873 is 728.

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