SINCE the publication of the last number of The Life-Boat Journal, the Board of Trade has issued its annual Blue Book —so deeply interesting to all taking an interest in sailors and shipping—giving in many admirably arranged tables the statistics of the shipping casualties on or near the coasts of the United King- dom during the year which ended on the 30th June, 1901. We cordially recommend those who can afford the time to examine for themselves these important "Abstracts," but inasmuch as the majority of our people have neither the time nor the opportunity for such pur- poses we propose, as usual, to place this important "Blue Book," containing 173 pages, before the supporters of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in a compact and reduced form, merely draw- ing special attention to those facts and figures which are more particularly con- nected with the work of our Life-boat service, a service which during the last 78 years has done so much to minimise the terrible loss of life from shipwreck which has ever taken place, and must continue to do so, on the rock-bound shores of our island home.

The shipping casualties which occurred on or near our coasts in the year 1900-1 totalled 4,008, a decrease of 59 as com- pared with the previous year, and, which is more satisfactory still, the number of lives lost as a result of the casualties dropped from 432 to 422, a decrease of 10 as compared with the year 1899- I 1900.

The total casualties under considera- tion included all descriptions of accidents I befalling every class of vessel—collisions, | founderings, strandings, missing vessels, I etc. They are all classified as follows:— i (1) total loss; (2) serious casualties; i (3) minor casualties. Unfortunately there is an increase shown under the first two of tho.-e headings, the number of the cases of total loss and serious casualties running up from 1,116 (the total for the year 1899-1900) to 1,259, a substantial increase of 143. On the other hand the cases of minor casualties ! dropped from 2,951 to 2,749, a decrease j of 202. The most satisfactory item of j all is, however, that life was lost in only 111 cases, a decrease of 17 cases as compared with the corresponding figure of the previous year.

The cases of collision represented, as is almost always the case, a very con- siderable proportion of the casualties, the total being 1,526, or 70 less than in the year 1899-1900, and the casualties involving total loss—collisions not being included—fell from 281 to 223. The total of serious casualties increased from 520 to 664, the number of the minor casualties falling from 1,670 to 1,595.

2ND FEBRUARY, 1903.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

581 Of the total casualties (4,008) 3,487 befell British and Colonial vessels and 521 Foreign vessels. It is well to note, however, that the total of the British and Colonial casualties was 98 less than that of the year 1899-1900. The total of Foreign casualties showed, unfor- tunately, an increase of 39 cases.

The various localities of the casualties, excluding collisions, were as follows:— East coast of England 621, or 30 less than the preceding year; south coast 375, or 32 more than in the previous year; west coast of England and Scot- land and east coast of Ireland 1,003, or 86 more than in the year 1899-1900; north coast of Scotland 93, a decrease of 62; east coast of Scotland 149, a decrease of 20; other parts 241, an increase of o—total, 2,482, or 11 more than the preceding year.

The loss of life occasioned by the casualties is, of course, by far the most important matter for consideration, and the numbers in the various districts as previously described, were as follows:— East coast of England 85, or 44 more (double) than in 1899-1900; south coast of England 38, or 45 less (less than half), than the preceding year; west coast of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland 199, a serious increase of 122 on the number of the previous year; north coast of Scotland 35, or 3 more than in 1899 and 1900; east coast of Scotland only 3, as compared with 34 in the preceding twelve months; other parts 62; total, 422.

On reference to the chart of the United Kingdom, issued each year, a black dot will be found entered against each spot on the coast where any serious shipping casualty occurred daring the year ended the 30th June, 1901, as well as the precise position of each of the 288 Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION. It will thus be understood at a glance that the boats have been stationed where they are likely to prove of the most use.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th June, 1901, no less than 6,213 British, Colonial and Foreign vessels were wrecked on or near our coast, involving in every case loss of life; the total number of lives which were thus so sadly sacrificed being 26,805. Of the 422 lives lost during the year 1900-1, 352 were from British and Colonial vessels and 70 from Foreign vessels- These figures, when compared with the corresponding totals for the preceding year, show an increase of 6 lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, and a decrease of 14 from Foreign vessels.

Of the 422 lives lost in the year 1900-1,67 were lost in foundered vessels, 130 in collisions, 125 in stranded vessels, an increase of 41; 36 in missing vessels, a large falling off of 92, as compared with the year 1899-1900; 64 in ex- plosions, washed overboard, etc. Only 27 out of the 422 persons drowned were passengers, the great majority of them—• 395—being officers or members of the crews of the vessels.

The number of vessels meeting with casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom necessarily vary from year to year, sometimes increasing and sometimes, happily, decreasing. The following table furnishes the statistics for the last 48 years:—1854 (last six months), 458 ; 1855, 1,141; 1856,1,153; 1857, 1,143; 1858,1,170; 1859, 1,416; 1860,1,379 ; 1861, 1,494 ; 1862, 1,827; 1863, 2,001 ; 1864, 1,741 ; 1865, 2,012; 1866, 2,289; 1867, 2,513; 1868, 2,131; 1869, 2,594; 1870, 1,865; 1871, 1,927; 1872, 2,381; 1873 (first six months), 1,206; 1873-4, 2,191; 1874-5, 4,250; 1875-6, 4,554 ; 1876-7, 5,017; 1877-8, 4,436; 1878-9, 3,716; 1879-80, 3,138; 1880-1, 4,297; 1881-2, 4,367 ; 1882-3, 4,363; 1883-4, 4,405; 1884-5, 3,764; 1885-6, 3,596; 1886-7, 4,224; 1887-8, 4,004 ; 1888-9, 4,272 ; 1889-90, 4,344; 1890-1, 4,198; 1891-2, 4,710; 1892-3, 3,499 ; 1893-4, 4,951; 1894-5, 4,917 ; 1895-6, 4,620 ; 1896-7, 5,277 ; 1897-8, 4,964 ; 1898-9, 5,040; 1899-1900, 4,067 ; 1900-1, 4,008. TotaJ, 153,039.

582 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[2ND FEBBOARY, 1903.

On reference to the Board of Trade's "Abstracts " for the last 48 years we are shocked to find that during that period alone no less than 30,644 persons perished from shipwrecks on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom, the popu- lation of 'a fair-sized town. It is con- soling to know, however, that had it not been for the grand work done by the Life-boats and crews of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION and the means used and rewarded by it, that number would have been more than doubled, for the total number of lives saved by these means in the same number of years was 33,389, the saved exceeding the lost by 2,745.

The Board of Trade is to be con- gratulated on the excellent work done by their 314 rocket apparatus stations, so well manned by the Coastguard and rocket brigades. These during the year 1900-1 were instrumental in saving 152 lives, a decrease of 217 as compared with the previous year.

The Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- TION, in drawing special attention to the statistics given by the Board of Trade in the authoritative " Wreck Register," clearly demonstrating the absolute necessity -which still exists for maintain- ing a thoroughly efficient fleet of Life- boats on the coast of the United King- dom, earnestly appeal to the British Public for increased financial support, without which it will be impossible to properly sustain the great national work of life-saving which has been carried on without a break since 1824. The total number of lives for which the Institution has granted rewards has exceeded 43,500..