828 REPORT—1857. 
riner’ gives the plans of Mr. Jeffreys and Mr. Russell the most decided pre- 
ference over those of Messrs. Lacon, Cornish, and Clifford; they all required 
some heavy and costly machinery for each pair of davits; Mr. Clifford's 
having the peculiarity, that his machinery is affixed under the midship 
thwart of the boat, for the sole purpose of allowing one man to lower both 
ends by two single ropes through threefold friction-blocks or nipping- 
sheaves, which preclude the possibility of hoisting them up by the same 
means that lower them. 
_ Attempts having been made in Parliament to force Clifford’s patent on 
the shipowners of the country, all really interested should cooperate in the 
establishment of a Ship’s Life-boat and Fittings Committee, to elicit the 
views and opinions of those whose position or nautical experience enables 
them to afford information and suggestions as to the requirements of ship- 
ping, and the means of improving the boats and davits now in use, also of 
providing efficient life-preserving apparatus in all ships, without compulsory 
acts of parliament in favour of any patent. 
The only vessels in which Government dictation would be just, are 
crowded troop-ships and emigrant-ships, to which extra life-boats, davits, 
and apparatus should be provided while so employed; and the only patent 
which would meet these requirements is the admirable invention of the 
Rev. E. J. Berthon, of an efficient collapsing life-boat, provided with patent 
davits and lowering apparatus, which can be carried in addition to the usual 
boats and davits, as shown in the annexed diagram and section (p. 325). 
As to a standard for ships’ life-boats, there are several different types 
which experience has established as efficient, such as Francis’s corrugated 
iron boats, adopted by the American Government steamers; also those 
of White of Cowes, so largely employed by the mail steamers from South- 
ampton ; and, it may be, there are others with sufficient extra buoyancy 
to float with their complement of crew and passengers when filled by a 
sea, which may be estimated at 20 cubic feet of air or cork. Considering 
this as the minimum, the exact amount depends so much on the material 
and disposition of buoyancy, that it can only be determined by careful ex- 
periments and calculations, corroborated by records of their performances at 
sea. This requires the cooperation of many commanders of vessels, who only 
need that the points of inquiry be properly put before them, as has been 
done in the case of the Compass Committee of Liverpool. 
For eliciting this information, the writer has lithographed a plan and speci- 
fication of a ship’s life-boat of 28 feet, with calculations of weight less than 
one ton, the hull and fittings having a buoyancy of about 15 hundredweight, 
and an extra buoyancy in the air-compartments and casks exceeding 50 cubic 
feet or 1} ton, sufficient to float the boat and upwards of 30 men. ‘The only 
difference from the present boats is the substitution, for the present timber, 
of angle-iron frames to which pine bulkheads are riveted, so as to form air- 
compartments in bow and stern, the sides amidships being filled with 4 to 6 
air-casks, and on the bilge and bottom 24 pairs of cork life-buoys, in place of 
the zinc tubes and cork-shavings now in use. It has been intimated that 
these boats could be built and fitted for 18s. to 20s. per foot. 
As the principal impediment to the improvement of ships’ life-boats and 
fittings is the increased expense to the shipowner, and the difficulty in obtain- 
ing boats and davits efficient and ready when required, it is to be hoped 
that some shipbuilders may be induced to build and forge a few such standard 
life-boats and davits as may be recommended by the Committee, or that 
subscriptions may be raised for the first or experimental boats. 500 copies 
of this plan and specification have been gratuitously circulated. 
