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Victor if a. Sessional Papei,; (No. 8.) A.1873 Phis Return exhibits a total of 47 3 steamers classified thus *3 Ontario Huron and Superior; trust...........................| Dntorio.......................! jfers. Irnnswitsk and NovaSeotia. 140 77 60 42 75 473 37 51 32 40 51 43 254 109 20 28 • 2 24 30 219 60 40 31 22 42 29 230 62 32 18 19 26 35 18 5 11 1 7 9 1S2 51 Eighteen steamers have been reported lost or broken up during the year 1872, a itatement of which is appended. Seventy-one steamers were added to the Dominion during the year, viz :â€" t» i 9 <0 â-º' I it V 5 bis p % u Sj M Ph Kfl H fe £ H 10 5 6 5 4 0 4 5 4 0 2 0 6 700 55 448 00 2 9 ;i2 o 3 0 3 29 0 4 16 1 3 12 1 2 4 604 00 1 664 00 6 055 00 13 5 8 7 IS 1 1 977 00 71 27 44 36 25 10 18 048 55 The following statement from the Inspectors have reference to accidents that have | occurred on board steam vessels in the Dominion during the year, whereby life has been it or endangered. They also have reference to cases of neglect of duty or drunkenness | mug engineers. Two cases only of drunkenness were reported, the delinquents in both [whichpaid the penalty by the loss of their certificates. The record of lives lost number i most serious that has occurred for several years past. Eight of these were lost on ie propeller Mary Ward, late in November, in a gale of wind off Collingwood. The men urelost in trying to make shore in a small boat. The attention of the Department has I directed'by the Board to the insufficient number of boats provided on passenger earners under the provisions of the Steamboat Inspection Act. In the^ case of the mer Emperor, lost between Portland, United States, and Yarmouth, Nora Scotia, my lives were endangered for want of sufficient boats. Had the weather been otherwise icalm, great loss of life would doubtless have resulted. It is thought that the provisions of the 31st section of the Steamboat Inspection t, by which the Governor in Council may, by Order in Council, prescribe and regulate â- amber of passengers carried on steamboats, might apply in such case that by limiting 195