Perils of the Sea

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 5, 1874

Perils of the Sea.

In noticing, last week, the loss of the steamship Europe, the New York Tribune referred as follows to the lost steamers of a year past:—

The year which the loss of the Europe may be said to close, has been unusually disastrous in the annals of ocean travel. Never in a single twelvemonth have so many American travelers crossed the ocean; and no single year in time of peace has yielded so terrible a record in loss of property, human suffering, and loss of life.

The first and most terrible disaster of the period mentioned was announced in the New York papers of April 2, 1873. The magnificent steamship Atlantic, of the White Star Line, was wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia, April 1, 1873, at 2 o'clock A. M., and 546 lives were lost.

Scarcely three months had passed when tidings came of the wreck of another ocean steamer on the dangerous Nova Scotia coast. The Inman steamship City of Washington sailed from Liverpool for New York, June 24. Soon after leaving Liverpool, she entered a dense fog, and at 2 P. M. of July 5, she struck on Gull Rock bar, Port Le Bear, 70 miles west of Sambro Light, and within 50 miles of the point where the Atlantic was wrecked. The City of Washington had on board 28 cabin and 481 steerage passengers, all of whom were saved. The crew also escaped, but the steamer and cargo were a total loss. The vessel was one of the least valuable of the Inman fleet. She had been built about 18 years.

The steamship Ismailia, belonging to the Anchor Line Steamship Company, sailed from New York for Glasgow on Sept. 29, 1873, and has never since been heard from. She was employed as a freight steamer, and never carried passengers. She was one of the oldest vessels belonging to the company, and had for many years been employed in freight service between New York and Glasgow. She was insured for a portion of her value, and the pecuniary loss was comparatively slight.

The French steamer Ville du Havre sailed from New York for Havre, Nov. 15, 1873. Soon after leaving the American coast, she entered a thick fog, through which she forced her way for about five days. The night of Nov. 21 was clear, however, and at 2 A. M. of the 22d she was struck amidships by the English ship Loch Earn and sank in twelve minutes. 226 lives were lost. Among the passengers of the Ville du Havre were several delegates to the Evangelical Alliance returning to their homes, and of these some of the most distinguished were drowned.

The Europe is therefore the fifth steamship plowing between New York and European ports lost within a year.

The loss of life on these steamers has amounted to 772 souls, and of property to many millions of dollars.