Marine losses on the Great Lakes 1854

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Marine Losses on the Lakes in 1854.

The following tables show the cause of disaster, amount of loss, and character of vessel, in 1854,

The disasters for the several months compare in number as follows:

months.	No. In 1852	No. in 1853	No. in 1854	Amount in 1854
April	7	19	48	$320,900
May	19	30	27	217,000
June	24	17	11	40,900
July	15	11	13	58,921
August	16	28	21	68,000
September	21	30	40	129,000
October	27	39	66	408,000
November	85	so	84	456,000
December	15	12	68	490,000
Total	229	268	384	$2,186,921

	Steam Vessels.		Sail Vessels.		Total.
Causes.	No.	Loss.	No.	Loss,	No.	Loss.
Wrecked and sunk.	9	$480,000	51	$509,626	60	$787,626
Fire	4	240,000	2	22,500	6	262,500
Stranded	2	110,000	51	507,626	53	617,626 [1]
Damaged, &c	54	140,800	198	321,875	252	461,675
Jettison	8	72,000	22	36 , 770	30	108,770
Collisions	10	100,700	18	155,650	34	256,350
Total	93	$1,143,000	291	$1,043,991	384	$2,186,921

RECAPITULATION.

	No.	Loss.
Steamers	41	$463,400
Propellers	52	679,500
Barks	17	148,000
Brigs	55	184,125
Schooners, &c	219	711,796
Total loss		$2,186,921

The proportion of losses on each of the four large Lakes traversed by the shipping is shown by the following figures for the past three years:

Lake:	1852.	1853.	1854.
Ontario	$ 78,939	$288,077	$ 246,300
Erie	741,800	250,512	1,113,271
Huron	89,600	161,338	411,500
Michigan	78,820	212,316	397,950

The proportion of steam to sail craft by which losses occurred during the last seven years is shown by the annexed table.

Years.	Steam.	Sail.	Total.
1848	$140,000	$280,512	$420,512
1849	185,900	182,271	868,171
1850	281,700	277,126	558,826
1851	348,700	881,837	730,537
1852	635,620	359,039	994,669
1853	461,800	412,343	874,143
1854	1,143,000	1,043,991	2,186,921

The loss of life attending the disasters of 1854, is stated at 119, of which 18 were on Lake Ontario, 40 on Lake Erie, 12 on Lake Huron, and 49 on Lake Michigan. The loss of life for the series of seven years, compare as shown by the figures below:

1848	55
1849	34
1850	395
1851	79
1852	296
1853	81
1854	119

The nature and causes of the disasters which resulted in these losses, during the last three years, compare as follows

Causes.	1852.	1853.	1854.
Wrecked and sunk	$730,709	$608,871	$987,626
Fire		132,055	262,500
Stranded.			110,000
Damaged			461,675
Jettison			108,770
Collisions	261,950	55,823	256,350
Explosions		77,394

Refs: The Canadian Journal, a repertory of Industry Science and Art. September 1855.

[1] [Back] typoed as $110,000 in the original

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