A YEARS WRECKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10575, 16 October 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

A YEARS WRECKS.

"THE SEA AND ITS SORROWS." It is to be regretted that we have no more up-to-date information on the subject, but any statistics dealing with the shipping casualties that ocour round our rock bound shores in the course of a year are (says a London paper) always welcome, even when they be a year late,, For it is only natural that a people like ourselves should take a deep interest in the story of the sea, particularly in. its , sorrows, a fact one might have expeoted the Board of Trade—which has recently issued' its summary of the "shipping casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the year ending.' June 30, 1896"—t0 have taken notice of without such a delay. From the report it would seem that our coast, is still ono of the most dangerous in the world, though an increasing number of lightships and houses and additional ! facilities" for saving life are rapidly reducing the number of accidents in home seas. During the year mentioned—lß9s6—the total number of shipping casualties from gales,' fogs, collisions, accidents, etc., "on or near" bur' shores 1 was'462o, a decrease of 297 as compared With the preceding year ; the total ■ '•"' '" <: NUMBER OF LIVES tOSt '

falling from 740 (daring 1894-5) to 458. Of the .4620 casualties, however, it is important, to note that only 140 resulted in loss of life: ' As is always the case, the col-' lisions represent a very large proportion of the total, though, contrary to what would do generally; expected, they occur more frequently' by day than ,by night. ' The East Coast easily heads tie list. Here, exclusive ■ of' collisions, 804 accidents hap- 1 pened, yet still 95 lees'' than the previous year j on,' tHe North Coast there were 543,! Wdeorease of twelve! on the West Coast of 'England and Scotland and the West Coast of' Ireland,'' 1176 occurred, a falling off of ,Biitw,n on the,pr«sedfa£ year; North Coast of Scotland 116, a loss of twenty-two; 'Bast Coast 181, a reduction of one only ; other parts 254, or a decrease ortwenty. Of the 1 458 persons who perished in the year 18954 ' 74 were lost in foundered vessels; 116 in collisions, 127 Miv; stranded vessels, 44 in missing';" vessels, and ' '97." In'.' explosions ; washed etc, • Of the' total number only 43 were passengers, the wmaulia 415 bjeing.pfß-eri and ttcmbejriot tie am U,uJ..r,«. K.I M J « i'-M'.-ij.-! ?iii3