MISSING STEAMERS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 211, 3 April 1868, Page 3

MISSING STEAMERS.

(from Mitchell's steam shipping journal, december 27.)

The supposed foundering at sea of the missing screw steamships Ivauhoe and Vienna has raised ence more the question of deck freights during winter months. The Ivauhoe was an ironbult vessel of 26 tons gross register, and was propelled by engines of 70horse power. She was built 1850, and cleared out from Leith to Hamburg on the last day of November, sailing early on Sunday, Ist December. Her master, Caption Cairns, was acknowledged to be a good seaman : and although the length of the ship was eight times her breath, she was safe to be a fairsea boat of her build Our Leith corresspondent informs us that, unluckily on this occasion, she was deeply loaded, carried deck cargo, and in consequence, some of the crew declined to proceed with her. Some machinery, in compliance with a protest from the crew; was taken from the deck, and a number of casks of oil were subsequently placed on deck instead. The attention of the Lord Advocate having been called to this alledged unsafe loading, and to statement that most of her crew refused to proceed to sea in her on account of the deckload, his Lordship has placed himself in communication with the Board of Trade, with a view of instirutituting such an investigation as the circumstances of the case may appear to call for. In the absence of the master and crew of this ill-fated steamer, any enquiry must be of an imperfect character ; but if she was sent from tho Firth of Forth to encounter the heavy storm which burst ovea the sea on the day of her sailing, improperly laden and topheavy, or in unfit condition to ride out the gale, there may be forthcoming proofs to confirm the fact. On the contrary, if her deck freight was of such a description that it might have been easily thrown overboard, and was not dangerous, evidence to this effect may possibly beadduced. Her load at sailing is perhaps, known and also her ordinary trim in leaving port. Her designers and builders can speak as to her computed draught, both at a deep and light load line. This was the kind of evidence taken at Newcastle, before the Court of Inquiry ordered by the Board of Trade, to report on the loss of the Lifeguard, steamer. On that occasion the master of the missing stamer was held to have contributed directly to the foundering of the shp in a gale, inasmuch as the loading was left to him. The inquiry led to the mgistrates stating in their report that the Sentinel, steamer, belonging to the sane owners, had been relieved of part of her deck load, from. the crew refusing to go to sea in her so deeply immersed, and not from any authority. Commenting on this case on the 3rd April, 1863, we said: —" If a ship is laden beyond her deep-draught bearings, either the master or owner should be responsible for the loss of life and property thence resulting. If it is felt optional with a master, on him must lie the onus ; but if the agent or owner should decide as te the freight, on him, or them, shonld rest the moral and legal responsiblity." The Newcastle Bench of Magistrates appended to their report a recomenendation to the effect that the load-line of all vessels should be marked, and that some person ought to be charged with the duty of seeing that a ship was not overloaded. Shipmasters are not always allowed to decide upon the holding of their vessels. Managers and brokers frequently insist upon goods being taken in contrary to the masters opinion. In a matter, however, which may engage the time and attention of judges and juries, and whereon issues may not have been guilty of manslaughter, it is advisable to note the draught of a vessel to ascertain if she is heavily or fully laden.

Steamers are often dispatched very deep because the hourly consumption of coal lessens their displacement. Again, a vessel may take deck freight, but this does not necessarily imply that she is unsafely laden. Any

master, to save his ship, may cast into sea not only the cargo on deck, but even that in the holds also. In blowing weather, when a vessel is shipping seas, the hatches cannot be taken off to get at the cargo below ; but if casks are placed on deck where, by unlashing they can be rolled cverboard by the action of the ship, they can be got rid of quickly. "With machinery, or large pieees of iron or iron work, it is different; these have to be lifted by a purchase, and, if they are not near the time lost_ in getting them over the side may costitute positive danger, and involve actual loss of vessel with all hands. Cargo, we should remark, 'is' often placed on deck for convenience, and not in consequence of the holds being full. It is unwise, however, except on short coasting voyages, to take anything on deck during winter months which cannot be summarily disposed of on an emergency. Cattle are taken on deck; if they are led to the gangway they will fall overboard- It is not altogether what is dangerous to to carry in fine weather, but what has to be kept in storms.

The Vienna (s.s.) Captain Seater, left Hamburg for Leith a few hours before the Ivanhoe sailed from the Firth of Forth, and she must have encountered the' same gale. The Vienna was a ship of 617 tons gross register, and 120 horse-power. As she has been unheard of for about four, weeks, and several vessels 'sailing after her have completed several voyages since we fear that all hopes of her appearance may be abandoned. Nothing is said of her being overloaded or carrying a deck freight, so that we may conclude that she Was overpowered by the violence of the wind and the seas. In 1861 the cause of the loss of seaven steamers chiefly trading to the Baltic, Was directly traceable to the water pouring down the engine-room skylight and putting out the fires. They then became unmanageable, broached to, and were swept by sea after sea until! they foundered. The owners of tho, Hull steamers resolved to find a means of preventing these casualties, so far as human foresight could go, and they altered the bulwarks of their vessels, and boxed in their skylights,by carrying ; up a framework to the bridge. This has afforded great protection to the machinery department, and been the means of keeping ships afloat and under command which in all probability would otherwise have shared the fate of so many others. These improvements were first suggested in the columns of this journal ; we, iherefore, take more than ordinary interest in hearing of their general adoption.