OX THE STEEIUXG OF VESSELS. 



201 



" These results were so contrary to the expectation of some of the nautical 

 party on hoard, that they made a third mod- collision trial (a second one with 

 the helm hard aport) ; but on this occasion the orders to reverse the engines 

 and to port the helm were given simultaneously. The result was similar to 

 the first trial, the head turning a long way to port ; but I was not on the 

 bridge to note the angle through which her head moved before head-way was 

 lost. 



" Mr. Currie, one of the owners of the ship, most of the nautical men and 

 visitors on board learned, I think, something regarding the steering of screw- 

 steamers, and a cause of some, if not of many, collisions which they did not 

 know before. The Captain of the ship, however, when asked before the 

 trials what would be the result of the sudden reversal of the engines, with 

 the helm aport or starboard, stated the direction in which the ship's head 

 would turn as it actually happened." 



The Committee wish to thank Mr. Currie for allowing them the use of his 

 ship for the experiments. 



It will be seen, from Mr. Napier's report, that the 'Melrose' behaved in 

 precisely the same way as did the vessels last year, except that the effect of 

 the reversed screw on the action of the rudder was even more apparent than 

 in the previous trials. This was obviously owing to the greater size of the 

 ship, and the consequently greater time taken by the reversed screw in bring- 

 ing her to rest, and the result led the Committee to conclude that with still 

 larger ships the result would be yet more pronounced. 



This conclusion has been verified in a somewhat unexpected although in a 

 most satisfactory manner; for, after arriving at Plymouth, the Secretary 

 received the following account of trials made in the s.s. ' Hankow,' of London, 

 3594 tons, by Captain Symmington, the commander, in response to the 

 circular issued by the Committee last year, but otherwise at his own 



instance. 



Capt. Symmington's Report. 



" S.s. ' Ilankow,' of London, 

 "8th March, 1877. 



« Gross tonnage 3594 12 , net 2331 75 tons. 



"Length 389 feet, breadth 42-1, depth 28-8. 



"Some experiments were conducted this forenoon from 9.20 a.m. to 

 11.20 a.m., in lat. 8° 50' S., long. 153° 58' E., in order to determine how 

 the ship's head turned on reversing the engines suddenly when going full 

 speed ahead with the helm amidships, port, and starboard : also the time 

 and diameter of the circles made when going slow and full speed ahead on 

 the port helm. 



" Sea smooth or between No. 1 and 2 of the Beaufort scale ; ship drawing, 

 on leaving Svdney on the 28th ult., 26 feet forward and 24 feet 3 inches aft ; 

 today the probable draft will be 24 feet 8 inches forward and 23 feet 8 inches 

 aft, mean 24-2. 



"First Experiment. 



" Ship going ahead full speed, engines were suddenly reversed, helm put 

 hard aport ; immediately the engines started, time noted and bearing of ship's 

 head by standard (Admiralty compass) noted, and the bearing of the ship's 

 head also noted at every 15 seconds until the ship came to a dead stop. 



