Ship Disasters | AdventAI

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 19, 1915

Ship Disasters.

NOTWITHSTANDING all the inventions for saving life made during recent years, ship disasters seem to be on the increase. The following list appeared in the New York Times, July 25, but has been rearranged chronologically:—

	LIVES LOST
“Lady Elgin,” Sept. 8, 1860	287
“Princess Alice,” Sept. 3, 1878	700
“State of Florida,” April 18, 1884	128
“Utopia,” March 17, 1891	574
“Norge,” June 25, 1894	600
“Kapunda,” March 29, 1897	289
“Bourgogne,” July 4, 1898	871
“General Slocum,” June 15, 1904	959
“Larchmont,” Feb. 12, 1907	183
“Matsu Maru,” March 23, 1908	300
“Libau,” June 7, 1908	100
Excursion steamer (at Montevideo), April 24, 1909	200
Nile River steamer, April 8, 1912	200
“Titanic,” April 14, 1912	1,595
“Volturno,” Oct. 11, 1913	135
“Empress of Ireland,” May 29, 1914	1,024
“Lusitania,” May 15, 1915	1,100
“Eastland,” July 24, 1915	1,300

Of these disasters only one, the “Lusitania,” has been due to war. Many of the other disasters could have been prevented if the ships had been suitably built and adequately provided with life-saving apparatus, and if due caution had been used in managing the ships. It is well that false economy of ship companies and carelessness of ship employees should be punished by legal statute, but we cannot expect these causes of accidents to be entirely eliminated as long as human nature remains unchanged.