YEAR after year the Board of Trade publishes a register of the wrecks occur- ring on the rocky and dangerotis shores of the British Isles. This register silently places before us, in carefully arranged tables, a terrible tale of disaster and loss of life, and were it not for the indis- putable figures which give such painful prominence to the sad details, we should find it difficult to believe that our happy and " right little, tight little island " could be the centre of, not to say responsible for, so much evil.

On reference to the latest statistics, we find that during the year 1881-82 there were no less than 3,660 shipping disasters immediately around and OB the coasts of the United Kingdom, exceeding the total of the previous year by 85, and resulting in the lamentable loss of 1,097 lives, the corresponding number for the year 1880-81 being 984.

This total of 3,660 wrecks includes all sorts and classes of maritime accidents, viz., wrecks involving total loss, partial loss, collisions, &c., aad it is a matter for satisfaction to know that the cases of total loss declined from 705 to 60S, and those resulting in loss of life, from 238 to 235, so that the remaining 3,054 casualties may be looked upon as less serious.

Notwithstanding all the improvements which have been made in navigation, and the increased care which is taken both at sea and on land to guard against and pre- vent accidents, there is little doubt that there must always be an immense destruc- tion of ships an4 property on our coasts, accompanied by a corresponding loss of life. No pains should therefore be spared to reduce such casualties to, a minimum.

The latest published statement of naviga- tion and shipping shows that the total number of vessels entering and leaving our ports, including the Isle of Man and the Channel Isles, last year, was 1676,358, representing a tonnage of 1139,443,791, and carrying on board not | far short of 4,000,000 people.

j It may be interesting to our readers j to study the following concise statement, showing the annual totals of the ship- wrecks which have occurred on our coasts since 1854:— | 1854 (last six months), 458; 1855, j 1,141; 1856,1,153; 1857, 1,143; 1858, j 1,170; 1859,1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861, !l,494; 1862,1,488; 1863, 1,664; 1864, ' 1,390; 1865, 1,656 j 1866, 1,860; 1867, 2,090; 1868,1,747; 1869, 2,114; 1870, 1,502; 1871, 1,575; 1872, 1,958; 1873 (first sis months), 967; 1873-4, 1,803; 210 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[NOVEMBER 1,1883.

1874-5, 3,590; 18T5-6, 3,757; 1876-7, 4,164; 1877-8, 3,641; 1878-9, 3,002; 1879-80, 2,510; 1880-81, 3,575; and 1881-2, 3,660.

From this it will be observed that, in rather more than a quarter of a century, there have been 59,076 wrecks, involving the sad loss of 20,631 lives. This is the dark side of the page; but it is a matter for great thankfulness to' God that we can record that, during the same period, through its 274 Life-boats and other means, the NATIONAL LITE-BOAT INSTITU- TION has been the means of saving no less than 13,456 lives, and that since its establishment this great Institution has assisted in rescuing from a watery grave Thirty thousand two hundred and seventy- one persons, all of whom must otherwise have inevitably perished.

Notwithstanding so many have been saved by the Life-boats, it must be borne in mind that these are far outnumbered by the lost. Again and again, during the winter months especially, rockets are thrown up, and signals of distress show- ing the urgent need, are observed by those on shore: in immediate response the Life- boat is launched, manned by brave hearts and strong arms, and hours, sometimes a livelong night, spent in the fruitless search for "those in peril on the sea," but aE to no purpose; the great waters have done their worst, and all is over.

During the year 1882-3, 450 lives were saved by means of the Eocket Apparatus belonging to the Board of Trade, being 190 more than the number saved by the same means during the previous year. The number of life-saving apparatus stations was increased, in the same period, from 298 to 298.

The 8,660 shipping disasters which occurred off the coasts of the United Kingdom during the year 1881-2, com- prised 4,367 vessels. Unfortunately the number of ships is larger than the total of the previous year by 70; it exceeds the casualties reported, because ia cases of collision two or more ships are neces- sarily involved in one casualty. Thus 686 were collisions, and 2,974 were wrecks and casualties other than collisions. 526 of these latter disasters were wrecks, &c., resulting in total loss; 719 were casualties resulting in serious damage, and 1,729 were minor accidents. In the previous year, 1880-81, the wrecks and casualties other than collisions on and near our coasts numbered 2,862, or 112 less than the number reported during the year 1881-2. We observe that out of the 2,974 casualties, other than collisions, 2,623 occurred to vessels belonging to this country and its dependencies, and 851 happened to foreign ships. Of these 2,623 British vessels, 1,668 were employed in our own coasting trade; 720 in the (oversea) foreign and home trade, and 240 as fishing vessels. There were 8 casualties to ships belonging to foreign countries and states employed ia the British coasting trade, and 275 to foreign vessels which, although not engaged in our coasting trade, were bound to or from British ports; while there were 68 casualties to foreign ships which were not trading to or from the United Kingdom, Excluding collisions, the localities of the wrecks are thus given:—east coast of England, 809; south coast, 586; west coasts of England and Scotland, and east coast of Ireland, 1,046; north coast of Scotland, 99; east coast of Scotland, 161; and other parts, 278. Total, 2,974.

The loss of life, collision cases now being included, was as follows:—east coast of England, 289; south coast, 129; west coasts of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland, 286; north coast of Scotland, 82; east coast of Scotland, 239; other parts of the coast, 72. Total, 1,097.

It will thus be seen that the greatest loss of life happened, as usual, on the east coast of England.

The annexed wreck chart will give at a glaace a good idea of the disasters which have occurred OB our coast during the year gone by, and at the same time suggest to us that notwithstanding the valuable services of the Life-boats and the rocket apparatus, very little can really NOVEMBEB 1, 1883.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

211 be done to prevent shipwrecks, or to diminish them to any great extent.

In twenty-one years—between 1861 and 1882—the number of British and foreign ships that came to grief on our coasts, and from which life was lost, was 3,582, resulting in the loss of 16,792 lives.

It is very satisfactory to find that, ex- cluding collisions, the number of total wrecks on our shores of English ships, caused either by the vessels being unsea- worthy, or by the officers, pilots, or crews being ignorant or careless, has fallen dur- ing the last twelve months, in the first case from 34 to 20, and in the second case from 92 to 55, while the total losses occasioned by stress of weather have in the same period decreased from 319 to 276, and those arising from unknown causes from 95 to 93.

The number of casualties arising from the same causes during the year, and resulting in serious damage, is as fol- lows :—Through defects, 24 ; errors, 116; stress of weather, 344; break down of machinery and explosions, 65 ; other causes, 66; and the cases of minor damage were, through defects, 104 ; errors, 182; break down of machinery and explosion, 79 ;• stress of weather, 1,022; and other causes, 177.

Excluding foreign ships and collision cases, 198 disasters happened to nearly new ships, and 400 to ships from 3 to 7 years of age. Then there were 502 to ships from 7 to 14 years old, and 919 to ships from 15 to 30 years old. Then follow 437 old ships from 30 to 50 years old. After passing the service of half a century, we come to the very old ships, viz., 40 between 50 and 60 years old, 26 from 60 to 70, 16 from 70 to 80, 5 from 80 to 90, 7 from 90 to 100, and 3 upwards of 100 years old; while the ages of 70 are unknown.

Without reckoning the collisions, 611 steamships, and 2,363 sailing vessels, were lost or damaged on our coasts last year.

With regard to the 2,623 British ships which met with disaster, still excluding collisions, 1,399 did not exceed 100 tons burthen, 725 were from 100 to 300 tons, 169 were from 300 to 500 tons, and 330 were above 500 tons burthen. Of the 444 British vessels totally lost irrespective of collisions, 43 are known to have been built of iron ; and of this number, 36 were steamships, and 7 were sailing vessels.

The Wreck Eegister only gives the force and direction of the winds in 1,568 out of the 3,660 cases of the year; and in those cases we find that the winds that have been most fatal to shipping on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the year were as follows:—N. to E.

inclusive, 234; E. by S. to S. inclusive, 257 ; S. by W. to W. inclusive, 739 ; and W. by N. to N. by W. inclusive, 338.

Total, 1,568.

As regards the force of the wind at the time at which the disaster occurred, 432 happened with the wind at forces 7 and 8, or a moderate to fresh gale, when a ship, if properly found, manned, and navigated, ought surely to be able to keep the sea •with safety; while as many as 1,136 dis- asters happened when the force of the wind was 9 and upwards—that is to say, from a strong gale to a hurricane.

The accidents to ships in our harbours and rivers alarmingly increased last year, although, curiously enough, the number of total losses decreased by one-third.

The numbers are as follows:—Accidents, 1,003, or 182 more than the previous year; total losses, 21, or 10 less than the previous year. Of these accidents 690 were occasioned by collision, 18 byfound- erings, 222 by strandings, and miscel- laneous, 73.

The 1,003 casualties caused the loss of or damage to 1,761 vessels, of which 933 were British sailing vessels, 687 British steam vessels, 106 foreign sailing vessels, and 35 foreign steam vessels. The lives lost in these casualties were, happily, only 19.

As regards the collisions on or near our shores during the year, 44 out of the 686 were between steamers under way; 160 between steam and sailing vessels both being under way; and 76 between steam 212 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[NOVEMBER 1, 1883.

ships under way, and steam or sailing ves- sels at anchor. Careful attention should be paid to these figures, because it is hard to imagine a more fearful catastrophe than a collision at sea between two large vessels.

The Wreck Abstract again shows a very considerable increase in the number of lives lost during the year. Last year we recorded 984, now we have to report, 1,097. Of these, 319 were lost in vessels that foundered, 77 through vessels in col- lision, 302 in ships stranded or cast ashore, and 300 in missing vessels. The remaining 99 lives were lost from various causes, such as through being washed over- board in heavy seas, explosions, &c. Of the 235 ships from which the 1,097 lives were lost, 215 were British, involving the loss of 1,021 lives, and 20 were foreign, causing the loss of 76 lives.

After looking through this terrible tale of disaster and woe, it is most pleasing to consider the great work carried on by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, whose 274 Life-boats, even during the month of September last, saved 165 lives. It thus unobtrusively presses forward on its grand mission of mercy, more active, if possible, now than at any previous part of its history, and consequently more than ever dependent on the aid and co- operation of the British public. We feel assured that as long as there are ship- wrecks on our coasts, and lives to be saved, this noble Institution will not be per- mitted to lack the help it undoubtedly requires and demands..