r, the captain's
reply was: "We were lucky, my man, that we didn't all go to the bottom
in an ice box."

DOZENS OF SHIPS PERISH

But to the one wounded ship that survives collision with a berg, a dozen
perish. Presumably, when the shock comes, it loosens their bulkheads and
they fill and founder, or the crash may injure the boilers or engines,
which explode and tear out the sides, and the ship goes down like a
plummet. As long ago as 1841, the steamer President, with 120 people
aboard, crossing from New York to Liverpool in March, vanished from
human ken. In 1854, in the same month, the City of Glasgow left
Liverpool for Philadelphia with 480 souls, and was never again heard of.
In February, 1856, the Pacific, from Liverpool for New York, carrying
185 persons, passed away down to a sunless sea. In May, 1870, the City
of Boston, from that port for Liverpool, mustering 191 souls, met a
similar fate. It has always been thought that these ships were sunk by
collision with icebergs or floes. As shipping traffic has expanded, the
losses have been more frequent. In February, 1892, the Naronic, from
Liverpool for New York; in the same month in 1896, the State of Georgia,
from Aberdeen for Boston; in February, 1899, the Alleghany, from New
York for Dover; and once more in February, 1902, the Huronian, from
Liverpool for St. John's--all disappeared without leaving a trace.
Between February and May, the Grand Banks are most infested with ice,
and collision therewith is' the most likely explanation of the loss of
these steamers, all well manned and in splendid trim, and meeting only
the storms which scores of other ships have braved without a scathe.

TOLL OF THE SEA

Among the important marine disasters recorded since 1866 are the
following:

1866, Jan. 11.--Steamer London, on her way to Melbourne, foundered in
the Bay of Biscay; 220 lives lost.

1866, Oct. 3.--Steamer Evening Star, from New York to New Orleans,
foundered; about 250 lives lost.

1867, Oct. 29.--Royal Mail steamers Rhone and Wye and about fifty
other vessels driven ashore and wrecked at St Thomas, West Indies, by a
hurricane; about 1,000 lives lost.

1873, Jan. 22.--British steamer Northfleet sunk in collision off
Dungeness; 300 lives lost

1873, Nov. 23.--White Star liner Atlantic wrecked off Nova Scotia; 547
lives lost.

1873, Nov. 23.--French line Ville du Havre, from New York to Havre, in
collision with ship Locharn and sunk in sixteen minutes