WILLIAM SIEMENS, F.R.S. l6l 



addressed them in London he congratulated their Society upon 

 possessing a Secretary who had worked for and with the Institute 

 since its beginning. He little thought at that time that on this 

 occasion he would have to express regret at his loss a loss which 

 was in many respects irreparable. An address would be presented, 

 and certain suggestions would be made to show their sympathy 

 and their appreciation of his past services. Meantime, as the 

 world could not stand still, they had to turn their attention to the 

 filling up of his place. That was no easy task. A committee of 

 the Council was formed to make suggestions, and that committee, 

 after very mature consideration, and after weighing carefully the 

 merits of several of the candidates who had applied for the post 

 candidates who were very meritorious as regards their scientific 

 and literary knowledge arrived at the unanimous conclusion to 

 suggest to the Council the nomination and the appointment of 

 Mr. Jeans, as the successor of Mr. Jones. Other candidates had, 

 perhaps, greater claims than Mr. Jeans as scientific men, and as 

 men who had produced work of scientific importance ; but the 

 committee and the Council thought that in a Secretary a com- 

 bination of qualities was required not often found in one 

 person ; and without going into the particulars of a case of such 

 delicacy, he could only communicate the broad fact that they 

 decided to recommend the appointment of Mr. Jeans, as a 

 gentleman who was not a stranger to that Institution, who knew 

 a great deal of its past working, and who, by his experience and 

 knowledge seemed well fitted to and no doubt would fulfil the 

 duties of the office with great satisfaction to the members. Before 

 he called upon them to commence the discussion of the papers, he 

 had been requested to correct an impression produced by the 

 address he delivered last spring with regard to Lloyds' Registry 

 for Shipping. He said in that address and with justice, he 

 thought that Lloyds' Registry had refused to give to steel a 

 position as a shipbuilding material superior to that of iron. They 

 had since, however, sanctioned the construction of ships to be 

 made of steel, and boilers for those ships, with an allowance of '25 

 per cent, in the scantling, and it was a firm in that town (New- 

 castle) that had first undertaken to construct shipping under those 

 amended rules ; and thus one of the difficulties which stood in the 

 way of the application of that new material had been removed. 



VOL. III. M 



