May 8, 1884] 



NA TURE 



33 



and the difficulty of reading without affecting their record ; but 

 this I completely got over as explained in my "Visit to South 

 America," 187S, by using a simple whirling table, on which the 

 thermometers were fixed, the reading being effected by bringing 

 them in succession under a plate of glass covering part of the 

 circumference of the table. Nothing can exceed the simplicity of 

 such an arrrangement, which is almost independent of position, 

 and with small thermometers affords a uniformity and accuracy 

 impossible of attainment with a fixed thermometer, as it becomes 

 a repeating instrument by a few extra turns of the table, thus 

 insuring freedom from error of observation. I have used this 

 system for many years with most satisfactory results. 



Edwin Clark 



Science and the Public Service 

 Whilst sincerely regretting the new scheme of openly cutting 

 down the science marks in the army examinations, I think it is 

 not so much the low maximum of marks supposed to be attain- 

 able which is discouraging the science subjects, as the low 

 marks actually given at all Government examinations (excepting 

 the Indian Woods and Forests) to any one who is so unwise as 

 to take up natural science. To take, as an example, the Indian 

 Civil Service marks of last year. While in French and German, 

 each of which is a 500 subject, more than 30 per cent, of the 

 candidates obtained over 200 marks ; in chemistry, which is 

 also a 500 subject, only two out of thirty-two, or 6 per cent., 

 scored over 200. The marks in the other subjects included in 

 the fatal column of natural science are equally low. Now I do 

 not think that any one will maintain that science is not properly 

 taught at Clifton, Dulwich, &c, yet in French and German a 

 boy has every chance of obtaining 100 marks more than in 

 chemistry (the highest marks last year were — chemistry 229, 

 French 325, German 347). Two possibilities present them- 

 ■selves : either the clever boys will not take up science subjects 

 at all owing to the low marks persistently given, or the ex- 

 aminers expect more chemical knowledge from a boy of eighteen 

 i(who must take mathematics or classics, English, &c. , in addi- 

 tion to chemistry) than he can possibly acquire. I trust that 

 examiners may be induced to seriously consider the last possi- 

 bility. F. C. S. 



THE ROYAL CO EPS OF NAVAL 

 CONSTRUCTORS 



TD Y an Order in Council of August last this corps was 

 -'-' established ; an Admiralty Circular of November 

 last published the details of the new arrangements ; and 

 the result of the first examination for the grade of 

 " Students in Naval Construction " has recently been 

 announced. An important change has thus been made 

 in the entry, training, and promotion of the professional 

 officers upon whom devolve the responsibilities connected 

 with the design and construction of ships for the Royal 

 Navy : yet little public interest has been evinced. There 

 can be no dispute, of course, as to the great im- 

 portance attaching to the maintenance in the highest 

 state of efficiency of the constructive department of the 

 navy. Shipbuilding is making such rapid strides that all 

 who have to take part in its developments, whether for 

 war or for commerce, require a highly scientific as well as 

 a thoroughly practical education, if they desire to keep in 

 the forefront of progress. And for modern war-ships 

 with their high speeds, heavy burdens of armour and 

 armament, and liability to damage in action, specially 

 difficult problems continually present themselves, the 

 solution of which is only possible by means of scientific 

 procedure. Recognising these facts, it may be well to 

 make a brief statement respecting the new Constructive 

 Corps, and to indicate the manner in which its creation 

 may be beneficial not merely to the public service but to 

 the mercantile marine. 



It is only proper to remark at the outset that the Lords 

 Commissioners of the Admiralty have hitherto been the 

 chief patrons of the scientific education of shipbuilders in 

 England ; and to their generosity has been due the exist- 

 ence of the only establishments in which the higher train- 



ing of naval architects was provided for. Early in the 

 present century (181 1) the first School of Naval Archi- 

 tecture was established in Portsmouth Dockyard, and 

 continued at work for more than twenty years. It was 

 established in consequence of the absolute necessity for 

 opposing to the well-trained French naval architects men 

 of equal education and ability, who could not be found 

 at that time in our naval service. Ship-designing was 

 clearly in a very inferior position here, when no shame 

 was felt in building servile imitations of vessels captured 

 from the French. In 1832 this school was abolished, and 

 for sixteen years there was no training establishment of the 

 kind open for English students. But during that interval 

 men educated at Portsmouth occupied important positions 

 both in the Royal Naval service and in private establish- 

 ments, helping to maintain our national reputation. In 

 1848 a second school was opened at Portsmouth, on a 

 much more modest scale, and destined to have a shorter 

 life, for it lasted only five years. That brief period 

 sufficed, however, to produce a number of men still hold- 

 ing some of the highest positions in the profession. 

 Another interval of ten years elapsed, and then the Royal 

 School of Naval Architecture was opened at South Ken- 

 sington, the Admiralty giving it large support, although it 

 aimed at educating other than Admiralty students. Since 

 1864 there has been no interruption in the good work, 

 although in 1S73 the establishment at Kensington was 

 broken up, and the Admiralty section of it transferred to 

 the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. There, as at 

 Kensington, all comers are welcomed if they possess 

 sufficient preliminary training, and private English stu- 

 dents, as well as foreigners, have opportunities for instruc- 

 tion afforded them as good as those which the Admiralty 

 provide for their own students. By the munificence of 

 Mrs. John Elder the University of Glasgow has had a 

 Professorship of Naval Architecture recently established, 

 and the classes will, it is understood, commence work 

 this year. But up to the present time the Royal Naval 

 College affords unrivalled opportunities for instruction, 

 and may challenge comparison with any similar institu- 

 tion in Europe. 



By means of the very excellent training schools in the 

 Royal dockyards, and the large field of selection from 

 among the apprentices, the Admiralty have been able to 

 secure a continuous supply of well-prepared students for 

 the higher training at Kensington or Greenwich ; and thus 

 have obtained the educated naval architects required for 

 the public service. Nor is this all that has been done. A 

 very considerable number of the trained men have passed 

 from Admiralty employment into private establishments, 

 where they have done and are doing good work. 



It may be asked, in view of these results, why change a 

 system which has worked so well ? The answer is two- 

 fold. First, there were grave objections to the continuance 

 of the restrictions imposed by the regulations for first 

 entry into the service. Second, there was not proper recog- 

 nition of the special training which a student had received 

 when he passed out into actual work, nor any guarantee 

 of a subsequent career. These points require brief 

 explanation. 



Although the Admiralty so fully recognised the value of 

 scientific training for its naval architects, and made pro- 

 vision for it, yet for half a century they maintained regula- 

 tions which necessitated the first entry into the service 

 being made either as an apprentice or as a working man. 

 A few exceptions may be quoted : but the general rule 

 was as stated. The result of this arrangement was that, 

 with few exceptions, candidates for entry came from the 

 working classes ; and there was no attraction into the 

 service of the sons of persons in good social positions, such 

 as very commonly become pupils of civil or mechanical 

 engineers. This was obviously a matter which required 

 alteration. The competition for entry was absolutely free, 

 no doubt ; but it was surrounded by conditions which 



