654 EEPOET— 1882. 



The British Act of 1854, the Acts of Parliament relating to boats and buoys, 

 are now quite powerless, and of little use for saving life in wrecks. The number 

 and conditions of the boats, and the number and conditions of the buoys, can 

 only offer saving to one fraction of the human life shipped. What will be the sure 

 fate of the majority of the travellers in each one of two modern iron steamers, 

 with 400 or 500 lives, with boats only for 100 hands, coming in collision in the 

 ocean at the speed of 14 or more miles per hour ? Remember the recent collision 

 at full speed of the Douro and Yiu-ac Bat on a bright night. Neither the National 

 and Mercantile Marine nor the G overnment has done what is required to avoid those 

 sorrowful casualties. We must demand of science to fight against those enormous 

 losses of life and wealth by promoting a special International Congress to in- 

 vestigate the means to diminish the casualties at sea. This congress will ask for 

 the co-operation of meteorology, telegraphy, the building industry, and navi- 

 gation. Meteorology can improve, extend, and make more perfect the system of 

 storm-warning and meteorological reports. It is now an undoubted fact that the 

 warnings of storms from the Meteorological Othces in Europe and in America have 

 diminished the casualties at sea. 



From the 1st of this month until August 31, next year, in pursuance of a 

 circular from the British Meteorological Office, the masters of ships crossing the 

 ocean will be taking daily observations, to be sent to the London Meteorological 

 Office, to know twice daily the state of the sea and of the atmosphere. These 

 observations will give important knowledge to establish more perfect warnings, 

 and in any case will deserve great interest to prepare more valuable inquiries. 



It is most important to improve oceanic telegraphy. At the present time the 

 ships alone keep the almost primitive system of flag and rocket signals •, and now it 

 is possible to introduce one of electrical, acoustical, and optical telegraphy to com- 

 municate between the ships themselves, and with the coasts. The efl'ect of this more 

 perfect maritime telegraph)' will be to avoid, or, at least, to diminish collisions ; and 

 the ships will have the knowledge of the state of the seas, and of the atmosphere 

 wherever they go or call b}' the telegrams sent to and from tlie coast, or from the 

 ships which proceed from those seas. The ships with that more perfect telegraphic 

 system wiU be able to demand more easily saving appliances from the coast or from 

 the other ships. 



In regard to the building industry it has been remarked that the modern iron 

 steamers offer smaller floating sections, and smaller floating bulk, than the old 

 wooden ships. The painful history of the last wreck gave an illustration of how 

 rapidly the iron steamers have been sunk. The ever-increasing speed of modern 

 navigation means certainly increased and more frequent danger and more tre- 

 mendous shocks, that is to say, increased loss of life and property. Therefore great 

 reform is needed in the building system, in order to diminish the number of 

 collisions and all casualties, and to supply at the same time more rapid and 

 powerful implements to save life and cargo. 



Finally, as regai'ds navigation, the 'track' or road at sea must be fixed by police 

 rules, as on the railway it is neeessarj' to make a compiilsory difl'erent track for 

 each ditt'erent direction. This principle is observed for the translantic steamers of 

 the Cunard Line to avoid collisions, either with icebergs or with vessels from 

 an opposite direction. Specially, in the most frequented passages, as are for 

 instance the crossing points of the lines from England to Gibraltar, and from 

 Europe to America, must be established police rules of navigation bj- international 

 conventions. 



In view of studying the practical means to diminish the maritime casualties, 

 an International Congress is intended to be held in Spain. The author desired that 

 the British Association should make some suggestions, so as to bring to a good 

 result the proposed Congress. 



