into the statistics of shipping, with a view to rendering statistical record more available as data conducive to the improvement of naval architecture as respects the adaptation of the form of ships to the requirements of sea-service."

14. Mr. Atherton has already made a report showing that, by a little variation in the shape of the ship, as great a difference may be made in the freight of goods carried by her (that is, her actual mercantile value) as there is between 100 and 102. 15. In continuation of the report on shipping statistics, the author has devoted his attention to reducing the amount of capital required, by the adoption of a mercantile system of contracting, and the establishment of a system of test-trials through tabular forms, and a register of particulars of all vessels.

16. The author presented a tabular register for all the river steamers in the Indian Government, and private, railway and guaranteed companies in India. The particulars for register are obtained from three tabular forms of record, return, and report of trials. There is an abstract of correspondence with the East Indian Government, in reference to the establishing improved steam tug- and tow-boats of the 'Assam' type on the rivers of India and China, in the left column.

17. In the right-hand column is an abstract of correspondence with Sir James Melville, K.C.B., official director of Indian railways (guaranteed), with a memorandum on the test-trials of steamers, proposing to adopt a uniform mode of recording the dimensions, calculated quantities of displacement, and capability for cargo. There are also rules for testing the strength and capability.

18. An instance is given of the trial of barges that proved deficient in strength, and of a trial steamer and tow-barge of another contractor that averaged 114 miles an hour, carrying 600 tons of cargo, and a 4ft. draught, for a three hours' run, half of which time was with a throttle-valve full open, to test the efficiency of the boiler to maintain the steam at the contract pressure.

19. The tabular forms presented were as follows:-Record of steamers, form A: Construction; form of tender or certificate of dimensions and calculated quantities of displacement; area of mid-section; weight of hull, engines, and stores; showing the draught of water, resistance, and capability for cargo; also the cost or capital per ton.

20. Return, form B: The particulars of vessels and engines, with record of experimental trips and performances at sea, and consumption of coal.

21. Report, form C: The same particulars on test-trials, with diagrams to indicate horse-power.

22. These forms of return and report are similar to those used by the Admiralty, and, with the record of steamers for May, a register may be formed of the particulars of dimensions, calculated quantities of displacement, area, mid-section, weight of hull, engine, stores, and draught, such as will enable a register to be formed of all vessels, so that their coefficiency may be calculated.

Section 2.-Reproposals for a General System of Tug- and Tow-Boats of the

Native Type.

The steamer Forbes,' with engines of 120 horse-power, by Bolton and Watt, similar to the 'Soho,' was built and commanded by me, and after establishing her as a tug vessel at Calcutta in 1830, I proposed and carried out the project of towing a ship to China, 3000 miles, half of it against the monsoon, carrying a cargo of opium in advance of sailing vessels. This river-steamer was fitted for sea in one week after the arrival of the 'Jemasina,' a ship of 380 tons, which she towed; she was fitted with false sides, which increased her breadth three feet, and also with Chinese masts, and had an addition to her funnel. The photograph which accompanied the paper shows her as she arrived at Lintin, the outer anchorage of the port of Canton. In India, the first river-tug for sea-service was fitted with Chinese masts and sails, like a Chinese junk..

The lithograph plan in red, Appendix B, which also accompanied the paper, comprised comparative plans and sections of all the river-steamers, tugs, and towbarges, trains and flotillas that have been built, tried, and improved, so far as is known from the published accounts, since 1858.

The first are those of the East Indian Railway Company, on the Bengal system of tug- and tow-boats of similar size.

2ndly. The Indus Flotilla Company's steamer 'Stanley,' on the European system of spoon-ended bow and stern. Also the large steamer, 360 feet long, recommended by the Commission who visited the Rhone.

3rdly. The Oriental Inland Company's train of articulated barges (Bourne's patent), consisting of one steamer and five barges, which may be called the theoretic system of river navigation on the punt type.

4thly. The Nautilus Flotilla system of tug- and tow-boats, giving sheer and deck plans of one tug- and three tow-boats of the Assam type,' as originally tried on the Thames, and of a steamer and two tow-boats as adopted from experience, and now ready for further trials.

There are shown also the East Indian Railway Company's vessels, the 'Ganges' and 'Excelsior,' two large vessels built in Calcutta, and provided with locomotive engines, with some particulars of their capability and fittings. Also the midship sections of four steamers built on my lines and fittings, the last of which, the 'Sir James Melville,' sailed out to India with a false bottom, as proposed by me. As to small boats, there are plans of the 'Surprise,' 85 feet long, towing two barges of similar dimensions alongside. She has been extremely useful, and affords also a fair contrast with the 'Assam Nautilus,' the one being 90 and the other 20 horsepower.

Reference to Appendix B gives particulars of the East Indian Railway Company's fleet of ten steamers and barges; also the result of the trial of Messrs. Vernon and Sons' barges as to strength, which necessitated an additional strength of girder equivalent to one-fifth, the vessel being reduced in length 25 feet, and the weight added to the girders; two of the spoon-ended barges being reduced to 200 feet, the bow of the fifth forming the stern of the sixth, with new bows of the 'Assam' type fitted to each, on plans furnished by me.

Of the test-trials of Messrs. Stevenson's trial steamer and barge, the result is given in a tabular form, at a light draught of steamer, at medium, and load draught; of steamer and barge loaded to four feet, carrying 600 tons of cargo, with engines of 596 I.H.P., at a speed of 113 miles per hour.

The East Indian Railway Company's fleet consists of ten large steamers and towbarges, employing a capital of about £250,000, with a boat establishment of three small steamers, twelve large barges, 150 iron flats and cargo boats, averaging 90 feet, and 200 or 300 iron and timber boats and oulacs, built in Bengal, besides the 50 sailing boats or iron oulacs, built on the Thames, on my plan of Nautilus Flotilla system and 'Assam' type, at a cost of £29,925, or £600 each, completed in Calcutta. Thus £600,000, a capital guaranteed for railway purposes, has been invested by the East Indian Railway Company in a fleet of large steamers and barges and small steamers and boats, established for the conveyance of materials during the construction of the line.

The Indus Flotilla Company.-The 'Stanley' experimental steamer (a sheer plan of which is shown in the Plate, Appendix B, No. 1 and 2) gives the results of her trials on the Thames in 1838, as shown in tabular form: she required nearly 10 indicated horse-power to one square foot, mid section, to attain a speed of thirteen miles an hour, without cargo or tow-boat, while the East Indian Railway Company's trial steamer and barge, tried in June 1859, with only 3 horse-power, attained a speed of 11 miles an hour, carrying 600 tons of cargo-a practical test of relative efficiency as to speed and capability for cargo of the Stanley." difficulty of steering and towing on the Thames induced the addition of 12 feet to the stern as a fender to the rudder, with a stage for steering as shown in plan.

The

The flotilla of steamers, barges, tugs, and cargo boats were contracted for in this country in 1858, besides the Stanley,' six other passenger steamers, seven accommodation flats, also thirty-three cargo barges, and six tug steamers 100 feet long, with engines 30 horse-power, built of corrugated iron. I find by an extract from The Engineer' of the 23rd of August, that the 'Stanley,' after a great many alterations in engines and paddles, is still inefficient, and is now (July 1861) laid up awaiting a new cylinder. Of the six passenger steamers it was stated that only one had been partially tried, when it was found that the tubular boilers were inefficient, owing to priming; and of the small tug-boats only two were in use, and were unable to tow the number of barges built for them. The above facts prove the necessity for having thorough test-trials and improvements in this country before sending

vessels to India; and it may be fairly estimated that it would require 10 per cent. of the capital of £50,000 to place the seven large steamers and barges in an efficient state for service. If £10,000 had been spent in this country on trials, it would have saved this expense and delay.

With respect to the six small tug and thirty-three corrugated tow-boats, some experiments were made on the Mersey in 1859, when I expressed to Sir James Melville great doubt as to their power of tugging strength and durability, and which has been verified by the accounts received in 1861. On that occasion I strongly urged test-trials of the Assam Nautilus,' to test the capability of the small boats; and there can be no doubt that if 10 per cent. had been spent in trials in this country, they would have had efficient vessels as feeders to their line early in 1860.

The capital invested is £500,000, the interest guaranteed by the Government of India to the Indus Flotilla Company, which has constructed its vessels on the European system and spoon-ended type of build, contracted for on the railway or speculative system adverted to in my review and letters to the Council in 1859. From the experience of the last three years, it is a matter of consideration whether the revenues of India will not be burdened with the interest of the capital for many years to come.

The Oriental Inland Steam Company, on Bourne's Patent Train of Articulated Barges on the Punt Type.-The plan, and page 1 of Appendix B, show the deck plan of the Train Indus' steamer, 200 feet long and 100 HI. P., towing four barges 300 feet long, built and tried at Kurrachee, realizing a speed of 5.23 miles with four barges, and 8.56 miles with one. Passing to the Indus, the steamer was sunk, by collision with the 40-feet barge; the experimental trials costing £15,000 in India. The steamer Sutlej' and one barge were lengthened 30 feet, and provided with rudders, and are now employed towing astern in the usual way.

TheJumna' (No. 4 plan) shows the alterations resulting from an expenditure of £34,000 on trials in India and England, which consist of the addition of two side rudders to the steamer, and four barges additional to the length of stern; for the adoption of balanced rudder, and finer lines to bow; with an engine and screw to act as bow rudder.

At a preliminary trial of the barges made on the Clyde, 26th September, the speed varied from 6 knots, with five barges articulated together, to 93 knots with one barge, towed by the Clyde steamer 'Ruby,' of 100 N.H.P., working up to nearly 800 Ind. H. P.

At the request of the Directors, I was present at that trial, and made some experiments with the dynamometer, of which a copy will be furnished. I then visited the Jumna,' at Liverpool, at their request, and there obtained much information from the engineer and late officers of the steamer Ganges,' which had foundered on the voyage to Calcutta, and will be referred to afterwards.

[The author also presented other papers under the following heads :—“ A Statistical Record and Return of Experimental Trials here, and Performance in India."-"On Contracting for Building and Fitting River Steamers for India; with Observations and Improvements." -"Observations on Steering and Towing, with Improvements resulting from Trials and Practical Experiments."-"On the Fitting and Rigging of River Steamers for Sea Service, and of Vessels suitable for both."

On a Sledge Railway Break. By JAMES HIGGIN.

The author referred to the imperfect action of the ordinary railway breaks for checking a train on the first warning of danger. His plan consisted not of merely stopping the revolution of the wheels, but of placing under the carriages, over the rails, a lattice framework of iron, whose under surface, for a foot in breadth, resembled a sledge. This sledge plate (about 16 ft. long on each side) reached down to within about 4 inches of the rails, and by half a turn of an eccentric actuated by a rod stretching under the carriages from the locomotive and worked by steam, the carriages were instantly lowered and began to slide. In the case of axles breaking, the "sledge" arrangement would also afford support. The main advantage claimed for the sledge break was, that the increased length of surface presented to the rails

obviates the jarring, dislocating and shaking which ensue when the wheels are suddenly locked at a high rate of speed. Its application by steam power and complete control by the engineer also ensure its instant application when needed; and the wheels will last longer from being spared the friction of the breaks and rails. But the result of these advantages combined being to enable a train to be brought to a stop in a much shorter distance than is now effected, was the most striking benefit anticipated from its introduction.

On Photozincography, by means of which Photographic Copies of the Ordnance Maps are chiefly multiplied, either on their original or on a reduced or enlarged scale. By Colonel Sir HENRY JAMES, R.E., F.R.S.

The process is applicable to the reproduction of old manuscripts and old printed books, and any line engraving. A copy of Domesday Book (the part relating to Cornwall taken by this means) was exhibited to the Meeting. The process consists in taking a photographic collodion negative, which is intensified by means of bichloride of mercury and hydrosulphuret of ammonia. Paper, deprived of its size, is saturated with a solution of gelatine and bichromate of potash. The paper thus prepared is exposed to the light beneath the negative, the result of which is that the parts which have been exposed to the light become insoluble. The whole is then inked with a greasy ink and afterwards washed in water, which removes the ink from all the parts except those on which the light has acted. A transfer to stone or zinc is then taken in the ordinary way, and copies are printed. The author then described an improvement which had lately been made in the process, by means of which a reduced copy of a map or plan could be made, in which the minor details (which would be useless on a reduced scale) could be omitted, and the names of places and other features of the plan given in full-sized legible characters,

On the Application of the Direct-Action Principle. By W. B. JOHNSON. The author said that whilst immense improvements had been made in almost every other class of machinery, the stationary beam-engine remained almost in the same state as when it left the hands of the earliest makers, and may consequently be regarded as one of the most imperfect pieces of mechanism of the present day. Comparing the beam with the direct-action engine, he said the latter are superior in the following points: viz., they are independent of the foundation and engineroom walls for strength and support; they are less liable to derangement and breakage, and such cases are attended with less serious results; offering also great advantages in the accessibility to the condensing apparatus and all other working parts of the engine.

On Patents considered Internationally. By R. A. MACFIE.

On the Resistance of Ships. By Professor W. J. MACQUORN RANKINE, F.R.S. The author states that the investigation to which this paper relates was founded originally on experimental data supplied to him by Mr. James R. Napier in 1857, and that its results were successfully applied to practice in 1858 and subsequently, to calculate beforehand the engine-power required to drive at given speeds ships built by Mr. J. R. Napier. He refers to previous investigations of the effect of friction in resisting the motion of a ship through the water; but remarks that those investigations could not be expected to yield definite results, because in them the velocity of sliding of the particles of water over the ship's bottom was treated as sensibly equal to the speed of the ship; whereas that velocity must vary at different points of the ship's bottom, in a manner depending on the positions of those points and the figure of the ship, being on an average greater than the speed of the ship in a proportion increasing with the fulness of the ship's lines. He then explains the general nature of the mathematical processes by which the friction can

be determined. Their results, in the exact form, are very complex; but they can be expressed approximately, for practical purposes, by comparatively simple rules. Examples are given of the application of those rules to experiments by Mr. J. R. Napier, the author, and others, on steam-ships of very various sizes, forms, and speed.

The principal conclusions arrived at are:-that friction constitutes the most important part, if not the whole, of the resistance to the motion of ships that are well formed for speed; that its amount can be deduced with great precision from the form of the ship, by proper mathematical processes; that the engine-power required to overcome it varies nearly as the cube of the speed, and as a quantity called the "augmented surface," which is the quantity to be considered in fixing the dimensions of propellers; that the friction consists of two parts, one increasing and the other diminishing with the length of the vessel; that the least resistance for a given displacement and speed is given by a proportion of length to breadth which is somewhere about seven to one, and that excess of length is the best side to err on. The author states as limitations to his theory, that it does not give the entire resistance of vessels that are so bluff as to push before them or drag behind them masses of "dead water," nor of vessels so small for their speed as to raise waves that bury a considerable part of their bows; and from the latter limitation he deduces precautions to be observed in making experiments on models, in order that the results may be applicable to large ships.

66

Appendix to a Paper " On the Resistance of Ships."

By Professor W. J. MACQUORN RANKINE, F.R.S.

This appendix contains a comparison between the sailing yachts Themis' (formerly Titania ') and 'America,' founded on their published plans. The author shows, that although, from the greater size of the America,' and especially from the greater area and breadth of her load water-line, her capacity for carrying sail must be greater than that of the Themis,' the "augmented surfaces" of those two vessels are almost exactly equal; so that, according to the theory set forth in the paper, the America' ought to be the more speedy vessel-a result agreeing with that of the well-known trial of speed. The "augmented surface" of the 'Themis' is increased by the very hollow form of her cross-sections, so as to be greater than it might have been, if those sections had been nearly triangular, as they are in the 'America.'

On the Application of Workshop Tools to the Construction of Steam-Engines and other Machinery. By J. ROBINSON.

The author made some observations upon the planing machine, the slide-lathe, the screw-cutting lathe, giving any range of motion; the radial drill, the slot drill, the key grooving machine, the shaping machine, the bolt and nut cutting machine, &c. The steam-hammer, the punching machine, the riveting machine, were also dilated upon. The last-named was worked by hydraulic power, by Sir William Armstrong. The export of machinery, from 1856 to 1860, amounted to £17,000,000. No such quantity of machinery could have been made and exported, he submitted, had it not been for the important tools enumerated.

On a System of Telegraphic Communication adopted in Berlin in case of Fires. By C. W. SIEMENS, F.R.S.

By means of this arrangement, immediately after a fire occurred the police at every station in the town could be informed of the occurrence, and of the district in which the fire had occurred. He said it was found by the adoption of this system that the fire-engine was generally on the ground five minutes after the alarm had been given. He also explained and exhibited a system of railway signalling extensively adopted on the Continent, which rendered collisions almost impossible. This system of fire-alarm telegraph was first established at Berlin in 1849, by the firm of Siemens and Halske, and has since been adopted at several other continental cities, including St. Petersburg.