The Evolution of Floating and Other Dry Docks. 75 



Professor Fitzgerald remarked that whatever was done in 

 the matter of Dock Extension in Belfast should be done not 

 necessarily with a view to the minimum of cost but the 

 maximum of efficiency taking everything into consideration. 



I'he Floating Dock which Mr. Maxton referred to at 

 NicholaiefF was a very valuable one at the time, because it was 

 the only Dock that would take up the circular Ironclads which 

 were too large to come into an ordinary dock. All the subse- 

 quent docks that have been made there, however, have been 

 regular Graving Docks, although the situation would have been 

 very suitable for gridirons. 



With regard to extensibility, he thought that where land 

 was available there was very little difficulty in extending a 

 Graving Dock. 



Mr. Brown in responding to the request of the President, 

 said that he came to learn rather than to criticise, and had 

 listened with great interest to the paper. Whether Mr. Maxton 

 was dealing with some brilliant inspiration of his own like his 

 Submerged Buoyant Bridge, or whether he took up the work 

 of others, the audience felt it was listening to an enthusiast, and 

 enthusiasm is always attractive and creates a sympathetic 

 interest even in a subject of a somewhat technical and unfamiliar 

 nature like that of this eveuing. 



Although unable to criticise the details of the paper, it would 

 seem to him (Mr. Brown) from broad general considerations 

 that in recommending the Floating Dock of iron or steel in 

 preference to the fixed masonry Dock, Mr. Maxton was abreast, 

 if not probably ahead of the march of progress. The change 

 from stone to iron in several engineering works was very marked. 

 In roads, bridges, aqueducts, even in fences is seen this change. 

 He rather thought Mr. Maxton aad a covert contempt for the 

 ways and means of the ''stone and lime Engineer." Be that as it 

 may the many advantages which he has pointed out as specially 

 pertaining to the Floating Dock would seem to indicate that its 

 adoption only waits a better acquaintance with it. 



He was much struck by the remarks of Mr. Maxton respecting 



