ON STEAM-SHIP PERFORMANCE. 195 



here observe that experience has shown me that in machinery, as in animal 

 power, it is essential that it should be considerably above its ordinary work. 



The want of this extra power was a defect of the early locomotive engines, 

 whose cost of working per mile was very considerably higher than that of 

 the engines now in use. 



This defect, which is that of boiler-power, prevails largely in steam-vessels, 

 and especially in the Queen's ships. 



It would be easy to show how system must tend to economy; and the 

 saving of coal is apparent from the returns, and of course all the engine stores 

 are commensurate. 



But the repairs — the wear and tear — involve a much more important ele- 

 ment of economy than even a reduced consumption of coal. 



The Return for 1860 is accompanied by a check account of the consumption 

 of coal. (Appendix, Table 7.) 



The City of Dublin Steam Packet Company have obligingly furnished 

 returns of the consumption of coal and average time of passages of their mail 

 boats ' Prince Arthur,' ' Llewellyn,' ' Eblana,' and ' St. Coluraba,' from Janu- 

 ary 1st to December 30th, 1860, the last quarter embracing the fast vessels 

 ' Leinster ' and ' Ulster.' (Appendix, Tables 8 and 9.) 



Your Committee were invited to attend a trial of the latter vessels between 

 Holyhead and Kingstown, and a deputation, consisting of Admiral Moorsom, 

 the Duke of Sutherland, Lord Alfred Paget, Mr. Wm. Smith, C.E., Mr. J. 

 E. M'^Connell, and Mr. H. Wright, attended. They were kindly assisted by 

 Mr. "Watson, the Managing Director of the Company, in obtaining informa- 

 tion connected with these vessels and their performances. The particulars 

 of these trials will be found in Appendix, Table 5. 



A deputation from your Committee, consisting of Mr. W. Smith and Mr. 

 Wright, also at the invitation of the London and North- Western Railway 

 Company, attended the trial of the ' Admiral Moorsom,' a new cargo boat 

 built expressly for the conveyance of live stock. The particulars are given 

 in Appendix, Table 5, to which your Committee would direct attention, as 

 the speed obtained, and the steadiness exhibited by the vessel in a very heavy 

 sea, excited considerable surprise. They have received numerous invitations 

 from other companies and shipowners to attend the trials of their vessels. 



Your Committee have been in correspondence with the Imperial naval 

 authorities of France and of the United States. 



The latter have already published various trials conducted with admirable 

 skill and precision, and embracing most of the particulars asked for by the 

 Committee. 



In France, the Company of the Messageries Imperiales have for some time 

 ■given annual averages of the results of the navigation of the vessels in their 

 service, for private use only ; but on the application of your Committee to be 

 supplied with such returns, copies were at once forwarded, with a letter from 

 the President stating that, although it was not the usual custom of private 

 companies to make public the information requested, and although the Report 

 transmitted to them (the Committee's 2nd Report) contained no analogous 

 comparison of the state of the great English companies who perform similar 

 service, nevertheless they have not hesitated to accede to the Committee's 

 wish, by contributing as much as lay in their power, — thus proving their cor- 

 dial sympathy with the useful object the British Association have in view. 

 • The Tables of Results of their vessels, 50 in number, for the years 1859 

 and 1860, are given in Appendix, Tables 10 and 11, constituting, with the 

 one given in the last Report, a valuable series extending over three consecu- 

 tive years. 



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