2 74 



NA TURE 



V/nly 



1880 



vessel, the fine lines must be the vertical sections, whereas 

 the fine lines of the ordinary steamer are the water lines 

 or horizontal sections. Such change has been brought 

 about by passing from long, narrow, and deep forms of 

 ordinary vessels to the proportions of short, broad, and 

 shallow ones ; and, as has been demonstrated by experi- 

 ments with paraffin models, the sharpening of buttock 

 lines is more essential in this case than sharpening of 

 water lines. In other words, if the motion of an ordinary 

 vessel may be compared with that of a wedge propelled 

 vertically, the motion of the yacht ought to be compared 

 w ith the same wedge propelled through the water hori- 

 zontally. On looking at the stern of the actual vessel 

 you will observe that the w-hole motion of the water 

 between the stern tubes will be effected solely in the 

 direction of the vertical sections, or the buttock lines." 



It is needless for our purpose to consider the minor 

 details of a vessel so fraught with features of extraor- 

 dinary interest. It may be well to point to the fact that 

 the ship is to be steered, not by rudders, but by her screw 

 propellers only, of which she has three of equal diameter 

 (16 feet), as illustrated in our engravings. These screws 

 are spaced l8j feet apart, the central one being in the 

 line of keel. Each screw has its own engine of ■^,?oo 

 I.H.P. 



We need hardly say we shall watch the trials of this 

 ship when her machinery is completed, and report the 

 results to our readers. Meanwhile we join in the tribute 

 of praise which is being freely accorded in this country 

 alike to her bold and adventurous designers, and to His 

 Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Constantine of 

 Russia, a highly scientific and accomplished naval officer, 

 by whose influence, and under whose personal care, some 

 of the greatest problems in steam navigation are being 

 developed. 



NOTES 



The ceremonies at Mancliester in connection with the 

 Victoria University last week were as successful as the mo- 

 mentous event deserved. The conversazione on Tuesday 

 evening was brilliant and crowded. The meeting oa Wednes- 

 day for the transaction of the business of the University 

 was harmonious and satisfactory, while the banquet that 

 succeeded was quite wordiy of the Corporation, who acted 

 as hosts. The address of that body to the Duke of Devonshire 

 seemed to us to breathe the proper spirit, and to show that Man. 

 Chester is quite alive to the importance of the great event which has 

 been celebrated. But indeed we did not require any such evidence 

 of the 'importance attributed to high education in Manchester ; 

 as Earl Spencer pointed out, the Manchester grammar and other 

 schools are among the best in the kingdom, and the existence of 

 Owens College itself is proof enough that Manchester thinks 

 of something else besides the most effective way of loading 

 ■C5tton goods. The speeches were all good and appropriate; 

 the Bishop of Manchester was as liberal and fair as he always 

 is, and his claim for freedom of research and belief in his own 

 line was heartily endorsed by Prof. Huxley, who repUed to the 

 toast proposed by the Bishop. Prof. Huxley hoped the time 

 would come when such an institution as Owens would be found 

 in every important centre — a hope we heartily echo. Mr. Free- 

 man was forcible and sensible, and of course took occasion to 

 correct the historical inaccuracy of some one who cherishes the 

 belief that the University of Oxford was "inaugurated" in a 

 desert instead of what was at the time a busy industrial centre. 



It is comforting to receive the assurance given by Mr. Mun- 

 della at the opening of the Central Schools of SheflSeld last 

 week, that as long as he has the honour to occupy the place he 

 does in her Majesty's Government the quality of education and 

 ■the standard of education should not be lowered. The State, 



lie maintains, having decided thit the children of the country 

 should receive education according to their needs and capacities 

 and prospects in life, ought to give that education not only 

 thoroughly, but generously and with an unstinting hand. With 

 such a sentiment actuating the Vice-President of the Council, we 

 feel that elementary education is safe from the rr.ids of Lord 

 Norton and his friends. 



A SOMEWHAT laboured and diffuse article on "Scientific 

 Arrogance " in Monday's Fall Mall Gazette comes to the follow- 

 ing very sensible conclusion :— " It would appear that scientific 

 arrogance, in so far as it has any reality, is but the obverse of 

 popular ignorance. Let the ignorance be dispelled, and the 

 mystery bred of it will vanish. Let some rudiments of exact 

 knowledge, some grounding in the methods of scientific reason- 

 ing, and some notions of the nature and ends of scientific work, 

 be made part of our general scheme of instruction, and scientific 

 dogmatism wiU be impossible. Let the mind be trained betimes 

 to walk modesdy and warily, as all true leaders of knowledge 

 liave walked, by the light of diligent and patient inquiry, and 

 the spectre of scientific arrogance will disappear." One more 

 argument for the retention of the Fourth Schedule. Perhaps 

 even Lord Norton might put himself to school to some advantage 

 after this recipe. 



The new Matriculation list of the London University bears 

 ample evidence to the success of the step recently taken by the 

 Council in admitting women to its degrees. In the Honours 

 Division the third place is occupied by Edith Sophia Callet, 

 from the North London Collegiate School. Altogether about 

 one-sixth of the names on this Division are those of girls, and 

 the proportion on the other Divisions is quite as great. 



The New South Wales Government have done a creditable 

 thing in erecting an obelisk on the spot occupied by the Transit 

 instrument in the old observatory at Parramatta, established by 

 .Sir Thomas MakDougall Brisbane in 1S22. The building has 

 long been swept away ; many valuable observations were made 

 in it by Mr. Charles RUmker and Mr. James Dunlop, and it was 

 only right that the exact position of the Transit instrument should 

 be permanently marked, so that, if necessary, future verification 

 might be made. The first suggestion of the obelisk was made 

 by Mr. Tebbutt so long ago as 1S70, and it is gratifying that the 

 New South Wales Government has so much regard for science 

 as to act on Mr. Tebbutt's suggestion. 



We have a note from General Myer, dated July i , stating that 

 at the request of Prof. Wild, of St. Petersburg, the date fixed in 

 his letter of May 4 changing the time of taking the International 

 Simultaneous Meteorological Observations to a time thirty-five 

 minutes earlier than at present, or to oh. 8m. p.m., Greenwich 

 time, is changed from September i, 18S0, to January I, 1881, 

 a change with which the numerous observers over the world who 

 make the observations from which the U.S. Weather Maps are 

 constructed will doubtless concur. 



We regret to announce the death of Mr. W. A. Lloyd, wh3 

 has done so much for the improvement of marine aquaria. Mr. 

 Lloyd, it will be remembered, was for long connected with the 

 Crystal Palace Aquarium. 



From the Gardeners' Chronicle we learn that a committee, 

 comprising some of the leading botanists and horticulturists of 

 Berlin, has set on foot a project to erect a memorial stone on the 

 grave of the late Karl Koch, and appeals through the press to 

 his friends and admirers for subscriptions wherewith to carry out 

 the project in a manner worthy of him whose memory it is 

 desired to perpemate. Subscriptions may be sent to Herrn 

 Spath, Baumschulbesitzer, 154, Kbpeuickerstrasse, BerUn, S.O., 

 and will be publicly acknowledged. 



