Final "a" Bad For Ships

Insurance underwriters look askance at vessels whieh have a final "a" in their ñames. The first letter of the alphabet is considered a hoodoo when Lt ends the name of a deep sea ship. Many of the most serious wrecks of the last year have been of vessels carrying the hoodoo letter. One day lately, says the San Francisco Examiner, the telegraph announced that the British ship Androsa, from that port fox Liverpool with one of the most va.lua.ble cargoes that was ever carried out of that harbor, ;vas ost within a few leagues of her destination. The next day word was received that the Orealla, bound from Victoria for Liverpool, had been swept by heavy seas and badly damaged. Her mate andonesailor weredrowned. The wires told on the saine day of the total oss of the British siiip Villanta and the drowningf of her master xieatr Freemautle, and a few days later the papers g-ave the news of the loss of thesteamer Wnllapa and of the beaching of the Dora in Alaska waters. During the last two or three years :he most serious wrecks on the coast wcre of vessels who.se names ended with the hoodoo letter. The wreek of the Colima was the most horrif3-ing of all. [hen carne the loss of the steamer Couinbia, and a few weeks later the passenger steamer Umatilla ran ashore and narrowly escaped destruction.