ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF EFFICIENT LIFE-BOATS. 331 
Brest. The fate of her crew is unknown ; they are supposed to have attempted 
to escape in their boats, of which none remained with the wreck, and which 
of course were not life-boats. 
April 29. A collision occurred in the Channel, off the Start, between a 
Bremen emigrant ship, the Favorite, for Baltimore, with 200 passengers, and 
an American vessel, the Hesper, bound to Antwerp. The collision took 
place between one and two in the morning. It rained, and there was a 
heavy sea running. The captain and five men sprang on board the Hesper 
the momeut the collision touk place; but the heavy sea separated the vessels, 
and the Favorite went down with 200 emigrants on board I 
The City of Glasgow steamer was lost at sea about the same time. No 
intelligence has been received of her passengers or crew, 480 in Humber. 
April 24. The Italian steamer the Krcolano, in consequence of the care¬ 
lessness of her captain, was run into by the Sicilia. Almost all on board 
were lost. Sir Robert Peel escaped with difficulty, but considers that many 
on board the Ercolano might have been saved if proper means had been 
taken. 
These calamities., however numerous they may seem, are but a small part 
of those which have occurred during the last four years. According to the 
casualties compiled from Lloyds list, and laid before* Parliament, there have 
happened at sea during that period 12,360 disasters, varying in magnitude 
from a total shipwreck to a alight collision. Of these, 204 ships left our 
ports, and were never heard of again; 5117 were driven ashore, and, with 
their cargoes, either totally or partially lost; 2665 were collisions, which 
drove them into port in a sinking state; 2295 were wrecked ; 883 foundered ; 
679 were abandoned by their crews; 87 burnt by accident; 51 damaged by 
ice, &c. The casualties of steam-vessels during the same period of four 
years were,—103 driven ashore, but afterwards Boated again ; 146 cases of 
collisions at sea; 17 wrecked; 30 foundered; 15 burnt.; 2 abandoned at 
sea; 1 capsized; 1 never heard of; 7 returned to port in a sinking state. 
But it should bo observed, that, with the exception of 64- large vessels 
above 700 tons, these losses fell chiefly on the smaller vessels, from 90 to 
500 tons, and which were economically sailed ! often weak-handed and badly 
commanded. As an approximative loss, founded on the scale of four men 
and a hoy to every hundred tons, it would seem tlmt the annual loss of life 
reported at Lloyd s, averages about 1250, the gross amount for the last four 
years being 4298. The tonnage, supposing the vessels to average 250 tons 
each, will give 100,000 tons of shipping lost, which, at £10 per ton, would 
he ten millions sterling lost during four years. 
Hie fewer accidents to steam-vessels during the same period speaks in 
•avour of their safety as compared with sailing vessels. 
There cannot be a reasonable doubt, that if the California, the Lady 
h< v riyn, the Tayleur, and many others, had been provided with good life¬ 
boats, such a.» the one now about to be described, which cannot be swamped 
under any circumstances, even when sent over the ship’s side so as to enter the 
water in a perpendicular instead of a horizontal position, there would have 
h p cn an immense saving of life. If, therefore, as in the case of the tubular 
construction, a safer boat has been or can be contrived, and that by means 
o a better organized system, life may be largely preserved, the means of 
feting this humane object deserves, and it is to be hoped will command, 
®®Brnest efforts of the British Association. 
Hitherto, public bodies, such as the Trinity Board, the National Institution 
or preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the Shipwrecked Fishermen 
and Mariners’ Royal Benevoleut Society, have acted, and continue to act 
