RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 225, 19 June 1931, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events LOCAL AND GENERAL (By Kickshaws.) Kllblrnle and Hataltal residents am at least thankful that their closed tunnel la still an open question. * • • Capone Is charged with defrauding the American Government of Incometax to the value of £50,000. He justly complains that there should be at least a little honour among thieves. K • • • The English Foreign Secretary says that until things settle down in China it Is undesirable to publish a report on negotiations with the Chinese Government. This is the prettiest w’• of saying the word “never” so far invented by any statesman. 4 4 4 Two rival warships are steaming at full speed to lay claim to two specks of land just found in the middle of the South Atlantic. It is further stated that a third nation may be inte: 'red in the discovery on account of air ’nail Interests to Brazil. Islands these days have taken on a new importance, however insignificant they may be. At one time an insignificant island was handy for pirates and buccaneers. To-day a nicely-sited little island makes a useful stepping-stone for aeroplanes. The two newly-discovered Islands are situated right in the middle of the South Atlantic almost exactly between Brazil and Senegal at the narrowest portion of the ocean. ♦ 4 4 If it were found that the volcanic forces that probably produced these dots of land in the South Atlantic had kindly levelled them into a "•ood-slzed aerodrome competition to own U em. would be keen. Their pricelessness so far as aeroplanes are concerned is somewhat set off by the neighbouring collection of islets called St. Paul Rocks. In size they cover an area about 1400 feet by 700 feet During the war these were a popular rendezvous for New Zealand shipping. These rocks are situated some 600 miles from the South American coast and about 800 miles from Africa. - Nature has thoughtfully provided another steppingstone across the Atlantic at its narrowest part in the shape of the Island of Fernando Noronha, half-way between the newly-discovered islands and Brazil. If some navigator could only raise some hidden Isle or even rocklet on the African half of the route the stepping-stones would be complete.

Until science gives us either a new fuel or better engines, aeroplanes will be forced to hop from one island to another across our oceans. Pioneers have already blazed the trail. Not long ago Chichester baptised the stepping-stones to Sydney. A few vears ago Smith and Ulm were hopping across the Pacific, using islands as stepping-stones, at 1500-mile intervals. The P value of the otherwise useless Aleutian Islands has taken on a new significance since the coming of the aeroplane. It only remains to erect a bowser or so on them and someone to live there. The air route to Australia has long ago seized upon the liberal sprinkling of tropical islands that luckily connects Australla -Tn India. As time goes on we shall less make use of other nicely-sited Islands. Thoughtfully arranged step-ping-stones, for example, connect both Australia and New Zealand with the two Americas. One may go to San Francisco after the manner of Kingsford Smith, only in the reverse direction. A trip to South America could be made via the Kermadecs, Austral Islands Pitcairn, Ducle, Easter Island, “-Gomez, and St. Felix. In only one case does any one I ” ter 7^®^ d stepping-stones exceed about a thousand miles.

The announcement that the death roll in the lost French excursion steamer is expected to reach 500 places this ester among the worst in the annals of sb toning On an average to-day only SWtea day Is lost at sea This coinnnrpq very favourably with tne preradfo years of last century, when anything bebveen 3000 and 1000 were regularly lost at sea every year, •Lnrecent excursion disaster will ■ y mar the low average loss of life Joi: this year. For even in these days of radio In some years ill-fortune has swoUen the total many hundreds per cent For example, the worst years In the present century, if we Ignore the war, have been 1912 and 1914. In 1912 the abnormal total of 2335 lives lost included 673 of the crew and 825 of the passengers of the Titanic. The I® l * total of 1778 was mainly made up of 171 of the crew and 840 of the passengers of the Empress of Ireland.

It must be for ever a tribute to the science and seamanship that to-day, despite the huge Increase in shipping,-we have reduced the loss of life to a figure lower than it was over a century ago. An Idea of the way a storm could once decimate shipping may be seen in 1780, when 15 men-o’-war were completely lost In the West Indies .as a result of one short local storm. Until comparatively modern days, when man be„an to build, not ships, but high speed islands, the highest death roll does not seem to have risen much above 600 for individual ships. When the Royal George sank in 1872 COO lives were lost. When the Prince of Wales packet ana the Rochdale were lost on Dunleajy Point, near Dublin, 300 lives were lost, all told. Possibly the greatest catastrophe of last century may be found In the loss of the St. George (not to be confused with the Royal George), the Hero, and the Defence. These three vessels were stranded on the coast of Jutland at the same time. Nearly «0O lives per vessel were lost. The much-discussed loss of the'Birkenliead accounted for 454 persons. This total was nearly equalled by the Royal Charter, wrecked off the Anglesea coast In the middle of last century, with a loss of 446 lives. Poets, sentiment, and publicity often confuse a true appreciation of shipping disasters, especially in the nineteenth century. While we all know about the Royal George and the Birkenhead, few of ns can recall the greater losses of the Utopia and the Bourgogne. The former rammed H.M.a. Anson, anchored in Gibraltar harbour, with a resultant loss of 564 souls. The latter sank in collision with the Cromartyshire off Sabie Island, with a loss of nearly 550 lives. Know, ye sons of melancholy, To be young and wise is folly. Tls the weak Fear to wreak On this clay of life their fancies. Shaping battles, shaping dances. wnMarsaret I*. Wootto,