46 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



perilous still is the calling of the fishermen around our 

 coasts, despite the advances that have been made 

 towards securing safety ; but in one direction at least 

 there has been an enormous improvement, and that is 

 in connection with the boarding of fish. Under the 

 heading, " Boat Accidents when Fish Ferrying," the total 

 number of deaths for the year was only four, and these 

 related to steamboats, there being no casualties for 

 sailing vessels. This is a wondrous change from the 

 days of smacks, when often enough there would be four 

 or more men lost in a single morning in one fleet. 

 Heavy seas carried overboard or killed thirteen men 

 three from sailing, and ten from steam, vessels ; and 

 miscellaneous accidents accounted for twenty-five lives 

 twenty-one in steamboats and four in sailing vessels. 

 There were four suicides all in steam vessels and three 

 cases of supposed suicide, three out of the total of 

 seven being firemen and trimmers. Disease accounted 

 for twenty deaths seventeen in steam, and three in 

 sailing, vessels no fewer than five skippers of steam- 

 boats being amongst this number. The total included 

 eleven deaths from heart disease, which is strong indica- 

 tion of the severe and prolonged bodily strain to which 

 fishermen are subjected. Of the total number of deaths 

 twelve were directly or indirectly attributed to drink. 



