44 YEAK-BOOK OF FACTS. 



much less importance than the corresponding parts in the deck we 

 have considered." 



"As respects the quality of the iron used for shipbuilding, the 

 greatest care should be observed," Mr. Fairbairn remarks, "in the 

 selection. Twenty to thirty shillings a ton will make all the differ- 

 ence between good plates and worthless ones, and no plates ought to 

 be used which will not stand an average tensile strain of 20 tons per 

 square inch. The better qualities of plates vary from 22 to 25 tons 

 per square inch, but well-wrought plates, free from dross and equal 

 to an average test of 20 tons per square inch, will give to the vessel, 

 if well constructed, adequate durability and strength." 



After the reading of Mr. Fairbairn'fl paper, a very lengthy and 

 elaborate discussion took place upon it, and also upon that read on 

 the previous day by Mr. Grantham. In the course of this discussion 

 (which will here be given merely in outline), Mr. J. H. P.itchie, one 

 of the chief surveyors of Lloyd's, corrected certain misapprehensions 

 which prevailed in reference to the rules laid down for the guidance 

 of shipbuilders by Lloyd's Committee, and mentioned several impor- 

 tant instances in which those rules had been modified so as to favour 

 improvements when such were manifestly based upon sound and 

 scientific principles. He further reminded the authors of the papers 

 that Lloyd's Rules for the building of iron ships were drawn up at 

 the repeated and earnest request of persons interested in the safety 

 of our shipping, and explained that all they pretended to do was to 

 prescribe a minimum in each case, leaving builders to make the ships 

 as much stronger as they might please. 



Mr. Scott Russell said that as at former periods he had frequently 

 had occasion to oppose Lloyd's Rules, he was happy to bear testimony 

 to the wisdom of the policy which Lloyd's Committee had for some 

 time past adopted ; for while they very properly made rules for the 

 purpose of informing iron-ship builders everywhere how they might 

 build so as to ensure the registration of their ships, they did not 

 stand immovably in the way of changes for the better, but amended 

 their rules from time to time, and had even gone so far as to give 

 some ships which were not built according to their rules as good a 

 classification as if they had been, where it had been clearly proved 

 that the ships were at least as Strong and sound as they would have 

 been had the rules been followed. If Lloyd's Committee continued 

 to follow this policy they might take to themselves all the credit of 

 strictly enforcing rules for the public Bafety, and at tip' same time 

 might defy any one to say that they stood in the way of tlif progress 

 of iron ships. Mr. Russell also protested against the prew nl system 

 of loading the fine ends of Btei m-sbips with fhte, such as 



forecastles over the bows, and engines, &o., aft, as 1,. ma the most 

 erouB BTstem that could be adopted, (It was mentioned that 

 Hi" Royal Charter had a tank of 8000 gallons at her bows.) He 

 likewise objected in toto to Mr. Fairbairn's i n ike the top 



of the ship as strong and weighty as the bottom. lie pointed out 

 numerous causes which tend to deteriorate the bottoms of ships 

 which do not affect their upper parts : In. stated that, for his part, 



