THE British Public is much indebted to the BOARD OF TKADE for the carefully prepared tables and statistics which it provides year by year in connection with the shipping disasters which occur on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom.

The Blue Book most recently issued on this subject contains the information and figures for the year ended the 30th June, 1903, and is well worth careful examination and study, more especially by those who take an interest in the great national life-saving work carried on by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. The result is ta show how absolutely necessary in the interests of life-saving is the efficient and proper maintenance of the Life-boat service.

In a concise form we give the more important statistics and information which are to be found in the "Wreck Abstracts," and in doing so cannot but feel that they speak volumes in support of any appeal which is made on behalf of the Institution and its gallant Life- boat crews.

The number of shipping casualties occurring on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland in the year 1902-3 totalled 4,357, an increase, although not a very large one, of 233.

as compared with the year 1901-2, The number of lives lost as the result of the casualties numbered 339, a very large decrease of 288, as compared with the corresponding figures of the preceding year, when the number of those who perished reached the sad total of 627.

The 4,357 casualties in question in- cluded every description of accident which befell vessels of any class—col- lisions, founderings, strandings, missing vessels, &c., and are classified as follows : —(1) Total loss; (2) serious casualties; (3) minor casualties. It is unfortunate that there was an increase, although ' happily not a large one, in the number ! of cases of total loss and serious casual- j ties, the numbers reaching 1,290, or an i increase of 81 as compared with 1901-2.

The minor casualties were also on the up-grade, the total of these being 3,067, or 152 more than during the preceding twelve months. It is very gratifying, however, to note that notwithstanding the increase in the various classes of casualties, life was lost as a result in only 94 cases, a falling off of 35 as com- pared with the year 1901-2.

As is generally the case, collisions represented a very considerable propor- tion of the casualties during the year under consideration, the totals being 1,452, but this total was smaller by 121 cases than that of the year 1901-2.

The cases of total loss, excluding col- lisions, ran up from 257, the number for the preceding year, to 270,- and the number of serious casualties increased from 605 to 668. The total of minor casualties, also excluding collisions, increased from 1,689 to 1,967.

Of the 4,357 casualties, 3,906 befell British and Colonial vessels, and 451 Foreign vessels, the British and Colonial casualties showing a considerable in- crease of 246 as against the preceding year, whilst on the other hand there was a decrease of 13 in the Foreign casualties.

The various localities of the casualties, excluding collisions, were as follows :—• East, coast of England, 682, or 35 less than in the year 1901—2; south coast, 414, or 18 more than the previous twelve months ; west coast of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland, 1216, or 220 more than the preceding year ; north coast of Scotland, 147, a rise of 46 ; east coast of Scotland, 157, an increase of 30 ; other parts, 289, an increase of 75 ; total, 2,905, or 354 more than the year 1901-2.The loss of Ufa resulting from the •1,357 casualties, every description of casualty being included and allocated to the various districts previously mentioned, was as follows: — East coast of England, 68, or 205 less than in 1901-2; south coast of England, 44, or 21 more than the preceding year; west coast of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland, 101, an increase of 11 as compared with the previous twelve months ', north coast of Scotland, 14, the same number as in 1901-2; east coast of Scotland, 17, a large decrease of 38 ; other parts, 95 : total, 339.

On reference to the chart of the United Kingdom, issued every year, it will be noticed that a black dot has been placed against each spot on the coast whore any serious shipping casualty occurred in the year ended the 30th June, 1903, as well as an indication of the precise position of each of the 286 Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. Any intelligent reader will be able to see at a glance that great care has been taken to station the Life-boats where their services are most likely to be needed.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th June, 1903, 6,436 British, Foreign, and Colonial vessels were wrecked on or near the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, in every case involving loss of life, the total number of lives perishing as the result being 27,771. Of the 339 lives lost during the year 1902-3, 232 were from British and Colonial vessels, and 107 from Foreign vessels. These figures, as compared with those for the previous year, show a very large decrease of 251 in connection with British and Colonial vessels, and 37 from Foreign vessels.

Of the total of 339 lives lost, 78 were lost in foundered vessels, 65 in collisions, 114 in stranded vessels (a decrease of 123), 57 in missing vessels (a large decrease of 77 as compared with the year 1901-2), 25 in explosions, washed overboard, &c. It is important as well as remarkable that of the 339 persons drowned during the year 1902-3, only 9 were passengers, the great bulk (330) of those who perished 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'must necessarily vary from year to year. The following table furnishes the statistics for the last 50 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, 4,259; 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, 4,001; 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; 1901-2, 4,124; 1902-3, 4,357. Total, 161,520.

It is found on examination of the " Abstracts" of the BOARD OF TRADE for the last half-century that during that period no less than 31,610 persons perished from shipwreck on or near the coasts of . the United Kingdom ; but notwithstanding this terrible sacrifice of human life, it is very satisfactory to note that had it not been for the saving, during the same total of years, of 34,575 lives by the Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION and the other means used and recognised by the Institution, the number of those perishing would have been more than doubled, whereas, as a fact, those rescued exceeded the total of lives lost by 2,965.The BOARD ov TRADE continues to carry on its admirable and most useful •work with tho rocket apparatus, its 315 life-saving stations being ably manned by H.M. Coastguard and by rocket brigades. The number of lives saved by this means during the year 1903—1 was 142, a decrease of 9o as compared with the previous twelve months.

The Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION : confidently and earnestly appeal to the ' public for further and increased support i to enable them to carry on efficiently ! the great national life-saving work en- trusted to them. They feel that the ! fullest justification for their appeal is afforded by the Institution's splendid record of rescue which ha.s been added to annually during the last four-score years..