THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2006, 9 June 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1875.

In referring to the wreck of the Cospafcrick, which lately caused so much excitement, the Newcastle Chronicle (England) gives a list of the wrecka in connection with • British shipping during the lait century—those, that is, of the greatest importance. Prom February 6, 1S05; to November 20, 1874, the total number of steam and sailing vessels lost was 66, the loas of human J'fo being 15 218 souls. These figures do not, of course, include the Gothenburg, lost on the Barrier Beef, with 103 live*; the Cos-

patriot and the Schiller, the combined loss in the two latter being about 700. These would make the grand totals stand thus— vessels, 69; lives, 15,918. And the number of smaller wrecks, such as are only heard of in those parts of the, world in. which they happen to occur, may be safely estimated to hare occasioned loss of life to the extent of over one-third of the above amount. The list gives the names of vessels, the services in which they were employed, and the date of their destruction. The largest number of lives lost at one time occurred in the wreck of the St. George, Defence, and Hero war "ships, 2000 souls being lost. This occurred on the 24th of December, 1811. The steamship Atlantic went down with 700 souls on April Ist, 1873. Numerous other instances of large loss of life are given, the lowest number occurring in the wreck of the Carnatic, a P, and O. steamer, which caused the death of 25 persons. Among the names of the vessels are some, familiar to all, such for instance, as the Northileot, emigrant ship, with a freight of 303 souls ; the Royal Charter, the harrowing details in connection with the loss of which, off the coast of Wales, caused such distress in ;aIL partsi of the United ;,Kiugdom, in the 'year ;' and; others. These statistics disclose melancholy facts, and to the imaginative reader will call up many - painful recollections; but, as* before stated, there are many cases which it would be next to impossible . to collect in a table of this kindj 'and which, are little less fearful, if any, than those larger cases of maritime disaster; the only practical difference being that the effect, of'the loss ; ia ;proportioned to its extent. The table does not afford any information as, to the. probable amount of property lost, but it must have been enormous. East Indiamen, ships laden with wealth from goldproducing countries, and. China traders are among. those enumerated. It is worthy of notices however, that there is no appreciable 'increase iti:: shipwreck during the latter part of the present century, though tho development of ocean traffic during the seventy-five years past must have been very great. The in "the merchant shipping service has been very considerable, much of which is due to tho spread of-British rule in various parts of the 1 globe; But, to whatever extent the improvement in our ships and efficiency in their management may have kept pace with the progress ?of ithe traffic;'recerit disasters have awakened the English Press and philanthropists to the necessity of >• making greater provision for the security of-sea-going vessels. The great argument in favor of a general reform is the practice ; np,W! prevalent; of _. building ships for speed with little regard to their seaworthiness, to say nothing of the absence of a proper inspection:of^vesselsj before, leaving port. The subject is claiming earnest consideration at the present time, and ia not likely to be shelved before some practical results in the shape of reform, have been secured.