The failure of ships at sea and at dockside during World War II brought the problem of brittle fracture into sharp focus.Data from ship failures have been well correlated, and as a result, much has been learned from research stimulated thereby.No similar correlation on non-ship failure data exists, and this survey was therefore undertaken in order to supplement the study of ship failures.A total of 64 structural failures, plus failures in gas transmission lines, was studied.These failures occurred in both riveted and welded structures such as tanks bridges, pressure vessels, a smoke stack, a penstock, power shovels, as well as gas transmission lines.It is shown that the history of brittle failure extends back at least to 1879.