( 104 ) [Jan.., 



6. ENGINEERING— CIVIL AND MECHANICAL. 



The subject which has generally attracted the most interest during 

 the past quarter has been the trial of H.M.S. ' Waterwitch,' which 

 has been fitted with a Ruthven's hydraulic propeller. The results 

 as to speed proved, however, anything but satisfactory. With an 

 indicated engine power of 750 horses, scarcely more than one-third 

 of that power was ascertained to have acted effectively in propelling 

 the vessel, and the speed attained was but nine knots an hour. 

 The mode of propulsion is by the ejection of jets from the sides of 

 the vessel, a short distance above water line, the reaction of which 

 upon the water causes the ship to be propelled forward in a direc- 

 tion opposite to that in which the jets act. 



The great question of guns versus armour-plates, is still unde- 

 cided ; for whilst, on the one hand, guns can now be made that will 

 pierce any thickness of metal hitherto employed as armour for ships, 

 it is still possible to increase that thickness to 15 or even 20 

 inches, if necessary, which would defy the largest guns yet manu- 

 factured. Two iron-clads are at present under construction for the 

 British Navy, namely, the ' Hercules ' and the ' Monarch,' and 

 their armour-plates' will vary from four to nine inches in thickness. 



Recent experiments at Shoeburyness have sealed the fate of 

 steel shot and shells, and resulted in the final approval of Major 

 Palliser's projectiles for battering purposes ; and chilled-iron pro- 

 jectiles will henceforth be exclusively employed by sea and land for 

 penetrating iron-plated defences. 



The Armstrong Gun would appear to have had its day, for land 

 purposes at least, and the Royal Gun Factories at Woolwich are 

 now principally employed in the manufacture of large numbers of 

 the Eraser guns. The Ordnance Select Committee has recently 

 recommended that we should revert to muzzle-loading guns for 

 field use, and that the existing store of breech-loading Armstrongs 

 should be converted, if possible, into muzzle-loaders on the Wool- 

 wich principle. With regard to small arms, the Sneider principle 

 of converting our Enfields into breech-loaders, does not, appa- 

 rently, quite satisfy our military authorities. The Secretary of 

 State for War has invited proposals for breech-loaders to replace 

 the present service rifles, offering four prizes for the best guns 

 and cartridges, and a sum of 300Z. is to be allowed to each accepted 

 competitor for expenses. 



Constant improvements are now taking place in the construction 

 of locomotives. Attempts are being made to roll locomotive boilers 

 in one single tube, which would have neither seam nor joint, and 

 several patents have recently been taken out with that object. 

 Should the attempt prove successful, we may count upon a consider- 



