DANGEROUS FREIGHTS. 123 



to pieces, and from its condition likely to explode, were stored in the same compartment 

 with thirty tons of ordinary black gunpowder. 



Compulsory survey and no overloading' were Mr. Plimsoll's main remedies for the 

 prevention of the terrible loss of life in the mercantile marine. lie cites two cases of 

 great firms the first engaged in the coal carrying, and the second in the guano trade who 

 do not permit overloading, and the first, in fifteen years had not, out of a large fleet of 

 steamers, lost a single vessel, although they made from fifty to seventy double trips per 

 annum. And yet the voyage from the Thames to the Tyne is more dangerous than an 

 over-sea voyage. There are a whole crowd of dangerous shoals off the Essex coast alone, 

 to be avoided or steered between, as the case may be, as soon as the ship leaves the Thames, 

 followed by equal dangers on the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts. The latter sands are all under 

 water even when the tide is at ebb, but there is not water enough on them to float a ship; 

 hence the losses when ill-found, overloaded, and undermanned vessels get on them. Further 

 north there are others, and then come the dangerous rocky coasts of Yorkshire and Durham. 

 The second case deserves particular mention. About the year 1860, the firm of Anthony 

 Gibbs and Co., of London, took a contract from the Peruvian Government to charter and 

 load ships from the Chincha Islands with guano, and as many as three or four hundred 

 ships left those islands annually for different parts of the world. At first they were allowed 

 to load and proceed to sea without inspection or surveying, and were permitted to load as 

 deeply as the masters thought fit. What was the result ? Accidents and losses were 

 reported every few days, and many of their ships foundered at sea, some with all hands on 

 board. When 'che head of the house at Lima, Peru, introduced proper surveying before 

 loading, to discover what repairs were needed, &c., allowing no overloading, and not 

 permitting the ships to go to sea without full inspection of her pumps and gear, a sudden 

 und wonderful change took place, and for years after not one of these ships foundered at sea. 



We often hear and read of " unclassed " ships ; does the reader understand the term ? 

 Nearly all new ships are fit to take valuable merchandise silks, tea, provisions, cloth, or 

 what not ; and if " tight/' i.e., not leaky, would be classed A 1 by Lloyd's Committee. 

 The letter refers to the ship proper; the numeral to its equipment, rigging, boats, cables, 

 anchors, &c. The term or period for which she is classed varies with the quality and kind 

 of timber employed, and the quality of the workmanship is also taken into account. A 

 ship built mainly of hemlock, yellow pine, beech, or fir, will generally be classed A 1 for 

 four or five years; of elm or ash five to seven years; and so on through various grades, 

 until, if built of English oak or teak, she may be rated nine to twelve years. All are 

 subject to the " half-time " survey of a strict character; thus a ship classed Al for eight 

 years is examined by Lloyd's surveyors at the end of four years. " She may again, at 

 the request of the owner, be examined for continuation, i.e., to be continued A 1 for a 

 further term ; usually two-thirds of that originally granted. She may again and again be 

 re-examined for continuation, or, if she have meantime gone into a lower class, be examined 

 for restoration to the character A, but each of these surveys is increased in thoroughness 

 and stringency as the age of the ship increases. When from age she ceases to be entitled 

 to the character A in the opinion of Lloyd's surveyor, but is still tight enough and 

 strong enough to carry valuable merchandise to any part of the world, she is classed 



