638 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 
The foregoing are the record speeds so far obtained of mechanical 
locomotion, and it will be interesting to see what are the record’speeds 
attained in the other elements. Until the other day, as Mr. Parsons 
told us in his lecture, the speed on water which has never been ex- 
ceeded was that of the ill-fated turbine boats, Viper and Cobra, of 
about 43 miles an hour. The ship which at present holds the record 
for speed is the torpedo destroyer Tartar, built by Messrs. John Thorny- 
croft; this, under Admiralty tests, giving a speed of 41 miles an hour. 
The diagram (fig. 4) shows in an interesting manner what the 
progress in speed has been for this class of boats during the last few 
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1870 1880 1890 1300 1310 
YEAR 
Fic. 4.—Speed records for Thornycroft warships and motor boats. 
years, and may be taken as typical, and about which curves Sir John 
Thornycroft writes as follows: 
I do not think the curve would be materially altered if vessels of other builders were 
brought in, although there would naturally be more points on it. 
I am able, however, to give you the results to-night of something 
which has altogether put in the shade even the speeds of the two first- 
mentioned boats. This has been attained by a boat which, though 
corresponding in some respects with previous hydroplane boats, has 
been designed by Sir John Thornycroft to possess a certain amount 
