MACHINES FOR ROPE-MAKING. 



329 



The three strains of No. 20 broke at an average of 1 34lbs., 

 this is 36 in favour of Dickson's patent. 

 The best three-inch rope, made from retted 



Petersburgh hemp, No. 25 yarn, broke tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



at a strain of 4 7 2 



Whilst three-inch rope made from unretted 



Italian green hemp, No. 25 yarn, would 



not break at a less strain than . . 5 3 2 10 



Looking at the result in favour of the Italian hemp 

 prepared by MACHINERY ALONE (without the expense and 

 loss by RETTING or STEEPING in water) as it is pulled 

 and carried from the field, at a saving of 25 per cent., and 

 a gain in strength of 20 per cent., surely the Lords of the 

 Admiralty will not continue the use of the less strong 

 Russian retted, or rather rotted material, for the outfit 

 of the British navy, when better and stronger material can 

 be had from India, Canada, and other of our colonies, 

 which, if prepared by Dickson's machines alone, will not only 

 be more economical, but will make stronger ROPES and 

 RIGGING for our ships, and on which depends the safety of the 

 national property as much as it does on the necessity for safety 

 in using sound timber in building our ships of war. In a 

 word — if the lives of our brave fellows who have to stand 

 the battle and the breeze, are to be cared for, surely they 

 should have ropes and canvass, such as will stand a gale and 

 carry them through a storm; or stand the sharper tug of 

 war, in battle. 



As parties interested in matters connected with the dock- 

 yard management will naturally say, how was it that 

 Dickson's patent method of preparing and producing the 

 stronger material dropped off, or never got introduced at 

 Chatham, I am obliged, in self-defence, to repeat a few facts 

 that came to my knowledge on my second visit to the dock- 

 yards at Chatham. 



