480 Loss of Life at Sea. (October, 
motions, is erroneous, and in proportion as it is raised it is 
dangerous. 
No doubt the other proposition, that of increasing the 
moments of inertia by distributing the weights laterally, if 
it gives the wave, so to speak, more to do to lift this weight, 
on the one side, it must be remembered that there is, besides, 
an accumulation of water on that side which overcomes these 
moments; but there is a withdrawal of water support from 
the other side, and that side tends to fall in search of 
support, and, the more the weights are extended out on that 
side, the greater is the force from that cause to rotate the 
ship. 
Obviously, their lateral distribution of weight increases and 
renders a ship’s motions in a sea-way dangerous in propor- 
tion as the waves are larger and more steep, the cure for 
which is concentration of weight laterally and distribution 
of weight downwards. 
This has been immemorially the wise practice in bad 
weather, to send small yards and masts on deck, to fill empty 
tanks, and get the guns well in from the sides, and notoriously 
the ships rolled less and were easier, and yet the stability 
was increased by two causes, viz., lowering the centre of 
gravity, and increasing the surface stability by reducing the 
weight of the sides, increasing their buoyant power. Con- 
sequently, the only distribution of weight that is safe in bad 
weather is that which is downwards, and therefore raising 
weights off the bottom, and concentrating them vertically, is 
wrong on their own principle, as that reduces the inertia, 
and doubly wrong on the principle we contend for, viz., the 
propriety of lowering the centre of gravity and distributing 
the weights vertically. 
The proposition to get rid of the difficulties arising out of 
the adoption of a wrong principle by increasing the breadth 
and endeavouring to limit the motions this will entail, by 
deep keels, will be a failure— 
First, it will not effect the object intended. We have 
passed the limit of practicable depth for useful ships, and 
any increase of breadth will increase the disparity between 
depth and half breadth, and occasion, as the ship rolls over 
and rolls back, a greater rise and fall of the centre of gravity, 
this action will occasion, so to speak, rolls, independent of 
those produced dire¢tly by the wave by which the total are 
of roll will be increased, together with an increase of rapidity 
of roll, which keels cannot prevent if they will mitigate. 
This rise and fall it was that caused the frightful rolling 
of Sir William Symond’s ships. 
