57- 



NA TURE 



[April 12, 1906 



On the second day of the meeting the proceedings 

 opened by Mr. R. E. Froude reading a paper on yacht 

 tent rules, and the late International Conference 

 on Yacht Rating. Delegates from different countries 

 attended this conference, but America did not send any 

 representatives, a matter which was to be regretted. The 

 French delegates abandoned the position they originally 

 took up, the formula they had brought forward not being 

 pressed. The formula ultimately agreed upon by the con- 

 ference was 



L +B+|G + 3<Z+|VS^F , 

 2 

 where L = length, B = beam, G = chain girth, d = girth 

 difference {i.e. skin girth minus chain girth), S = sail area, 

 and F = freeboard. The reasons on which the formula was 

 based were set forth in Mr. Froude's paper, and were also 

 dealt with in the discussion by which it was followed. 



Two papers on motor-boats followed. The first was by 

 Mr. Linton Hope, and dealt with the speed of motor- 

 In iats and their rating for motor purposes, and the second 

 was by Mr. James A. Smith, and was on the design and 

 construction of high-speed motor-boats. These papers were 

 read consecutively, and discussed together. The Marine 

 Motor Association has adopted a formula for rating motor- 

 boats for racing purposes. It is as follows : — 



(P2/A)+ vT. = rating, 

 where P = motor-power, A = immersed sectional area at the 

 point of greatest beam, and L = length. Motor-power 

 is obtained by the following formula : — 



AX ^ R =MP, 



where A is the total piston area of all cylinders in square 

 inches, S = stroke in feet, R = maximum revolutions per 

 minute, and C is a constant equalling iooo for 4-cycle 

 and 600 for 2-cycle motors. Mr. Hope gave particulars 

 of a large number of existing motor-boats, and the lines 

 of several of the best known. The most interesting part 

 of his paper, however, was a diagram giving curves of 

 speeds and ratings of a large number of existing boats, 

 the data being obtained either from racing records or trials 

 made specially. Mr. Smith, in his paper, also referred to 

 the methods of handicapping motor-boats by a rating rule, 

 and gave particulars of certain of the best known recent 

 craft of this type. A discussion followed, in the course of 

 which Mr. Froude objected to the formula adopted because 

 it was not homogeneous, as it included as factors both 

 length and area. 



At the evening meeting on Thursday an interesting 

 paper was read by Mr. J. E. Thornycroft on gas engines 

 for ship propulsion. Particulars of different types of pro- 

 ducers were described and illustrated. A large part of the 

 paper was taken up by a description of the Capitaine system. 

 This consists of a suction producer and a gas engine. It 

 had been fitted into a yacht which took part in the 

 reliability trials at Southampton last year. It had also 

 been fitted in a canal barge which recently made a trip 

 from the Thames through the canal system of England 

 to Birmingham, Manchester, and back to London by way 

 of Oxford. These practical illustrations are considered 

 sufficient proof that the system can be applied to marine 

 propulsion. In the discussion which followed the reading 

 of the paper, the chief point raised was whether bituminous 

 coal could be used in a suction producer. Up to the 

 present anthracite has been the fuel employed, the bitumin- 

 ous coal being subjected to caking in the producer, and thus 

 stopping the working. Mr. Thornycroft stated that Mr. 

 Capitaine was endeavouring to solve this problem, and had 

 already constructed a producer which appeared to answer 

 the purpose. 



A paper was next read by Prof. R. S. Weighton, of 

 Newcastle, the subject being the efficiency of surface con- 

 densers. In this paper the author described a new form of 

 condenser which was presented to the engineering laboratory 

 of University College, Newcastle, by Messrs. Richardson, 

 Westgarth and Co. Very exhaustive tests had been made, 

 there having been 400 full experiments in all. The results 

 of these were plotted, and given in tables and diagrams 

 accompanying the paper. The condenser is of the surface 

 type, fitted with tubes on the general principle adopted in 



NO. I902, VOL. 73I 



marine condensers. The tubes are divided into three 

 nests, each nest being placed in a separate compart- 

 ment. Water circulates through the tubes and the steam 

 amongst them. On entering the first compartment a large 

 part of the steam is condensed in the usual way. In place, 

 however, of allowing the resultant water to flow over all 

 the remaining tubes, it is trapped by means of a diaphragm, 

 and flows at once to a receptacle at the bottom of the con- 

 denser. The steam that remains uncondensed flows into 

 the next compartment, and circulates amongst the second 

 nest of tubes ; here a further quantity is condensed, and 

 the water again trapped off. Any remaining steam is 

 then condensed in the third compartment. From the 

 voluminous tables attached to the paper it was to be 

 gathered that for a given size of condenser and a given 

 volume of cooling water a much larger quantity of steam 

 could be dealt with in the form of condenser described. 



On the last day of the meeting, Friday, April 6, the 

 proceedings commenced with a paper on freeboard rules, 

 the author being Mr. J. Foster King. The paper explained 

 the difference between the British and the German rules 

 in regard to freeboard, the latter allowing a deeper 

 lading than in the case of vessels belonging to this country. 

 For some time past the Board of Trade has been giving 

 attention to this question, and amendments of the load- 

 line tables have been under consideration. The President 

 of the Board of Trade has given his sanction to amended 

 rules and tables, such as are shown by the author in his 

 paper, so as to bring the practice of this country more in 

 conformity with the German rules, thus removing certain 

 disabilities under which ships flying the British flag 

 labour in comparison with German competitors. 



A paper by Mr. J. L. Twaddell on the overhead wire 

 cableway as applied to shipbuilding was next read. This 

 system of transporting material on the building slip has 

 been installed at Newcastle under the superintendence of 

 Mr. Twaddell. It takes the place of the more elaborate 

 overhead gantries and electric travelling cranes which have 

 been a marked feature in some of our best equipped ship- 

 yards. In some respects the cableway is more flexible 

 and convenient, but the durability of the cables was a 

 point raised during the discussion which followed the 

 reading of the paper. Experience will show how far this 

 may prove a defect in the new system. 



A paper by Mr. Alex. .Murray on the introduction of 

 cranes in shipyards dealt with a subject of a similar 

 nature, and served to illustrate how enterprising German 

 shipbuilders have proved themselves to be in the equip- 

 ment of their yards. The cantilever cranes and tower 

 cranes erected in one German yard, and illustrated in the 

 paper, are of the most elaborate, and must be also of the 

 most costly, description. 



A paper by Mr. Herbert Rowell on oil-tight work in 

 ships of light construction gave particulars of riveting 

 and other details of strengthening surfaces necessary to 

 make steel-plated vessels oil-tight. 



The last paper read was by Mr. J. R. Barnett. and gave 

 particulars of a number of steam yachts built within the 

 last twenty-five years. 



PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERS 

 OF HUFF. 



A T a recent dinner of the Royal Society Club, Major 

 MacMahon, who represents the Royal Society on the 

 governing body of Winchester College, was so good as to 

 present to the club a quantity of huff — a variety of ale for 

 which the college has long been famous. It is brewed 

 (from malt and hops only) in March of every other year, 

 and is the " duplex visia " or " double beer " of Shakes- 

 peare, called " huff cap " in Greene's " Looking Glass for 

 London and England, a.d. 1594," "because," according to 

 the editor, " it inspirited those who drank it to set their 

 caps in a huffing manner." The sample offered to the club 

 was stated to have been ten years in bottle. In appearance 

 it was clear and bright, and of a deep brown colour. Its 

 taste was that of a well-hopped ale of high alcoholic 

 strength. 



As several members of the club expressed a desire to 

 know something of the composition of this fine old ale, 

 and in particular as to how it compared in character with 



