MECHANICAL AND USEFUL AETS. 45 



he believed that when from wear, or any other cause, the bottom of 

 a ship had become as weak as the top, we ought to begin to consider 

 her in a dangerous state. He also considered that while it was 

 incumbent upon iron-ship builders to continually improve their 

 Systems of construction, it was their duty also to assist in putting 

 down the clamour against iron ships which had lately prevailed, and 

 to protest against the assumption that any ship ought to be, or could 

 be, built so strongly as to stand beating upon rocks in heavy seas, 

 without going to pieces. Mr. Fairbaim would never, he said, get 

 that in this world. The Britannia Bridge itself fell once only six 

 inches, and was materially damaged by the fall. Mr. Russell re- 

 commended the adoption of water-tight bulkheads, wherever prac- 

 ticable, and described various improvements in the construction of 

 iron ships, which he had from time to time introduced and found 

 to answer, and which not only attained, he said, all the objects 

 which Mr. Fairbaim had in view, but even went considerably further 

 in the direction indicated by him. 



Mr. Grantham expressed his satisfaction at learning that Lloyd's 

 Rules were not so absolutely binding as he had always believed, and as 

 the language in which they were expressed undoubtedly implied. He 

 now felt relieved of a great difficulty. He went all lengths with Mr. 

 Fairbaim. 



Mr. James Martin, another of the principal surveyors to Lloyd's, 

 contended that, as Lloyd's Committee were in the first place urged 

 to draw up and enforce rules ; and as they applied in vain to iron- 

 ship builders for assistance in the matter, persons ought not now to 

 find indiscriminate and hasty fault with the rules which the Com- 

 mittee had laid down, and which had confessedly been of very great 

 service to the country. He said that the object of Lloyd's Committee 

 and its surveyors was simply and solely the general good of the 

 public, and they would be perfectly willing to co-operate with the 

 Institution of Naval Architects in considering and carrying out such 

 improvements as they might mutually deem desirable. Mr. Martin 

 likewise spoke warmly against the use of inferior iron in ships. 



After remarks had been offered by various other speakers, Mr. 

 Fairbaim explained that he had no objection to give the bottom of 

 the ship a sufficient excess of strength over the top to provide for 

 any extra wear that might occur there, nor did he contend for the 

 adoption of any specific details by way of improvement. He was 

 only advocating general principles. He believed that some of the 

 modes of construction adopted by Mr. Scott Russell were attended 

 by great and manifest advantages. He would be most happy at 

 any time to put himself in communication with Lloyd's surveyors 

 and with the Institution of Naval Architects, to give them whatever 

 information he possessed, and do all in his power to establish sound 

 principles of construction. He believed it highly desirable, and quite 

 possible, to give the public perfect confidence in, iron ships ; and this 

 was what he wished to see realized in constructions of such vast 

 importance to the community. — Abridged and Selected from the 

 Reports in the MecJiania? Magazine. 



