<>0 
THE FIELD. 
[Saturday, 
Combo. — What ! after you Itavo nearly murdered her? No; 
you must suffer six months’ hard labour in the House of Correc- 
tion before you can bo nllowed to talk of any such arrangement. 
The Defendant. — I hope you will not send me there, your wor- 
ship; what will become of my children '! Mr. Combe.— You are 
a worthless, cowardly fellow, and I sentence you to six months' 
hard labour. Your wife and children will be takon caro of. The 
defendant was then removed by the gaoler. 
WORSHIP-STREET. 
Assaults on the Policb. — James Jones, a costermonger, 
was charged before Mr. D’Eyncourt with outrageous assaults. 
Brown, a constable of the G division, stated that, in consequence 
of a very serious disturbance in a place called Pear-tree-court, 
Shoreditch, on Sunday morning, the 13th of November Inst, ho 
and a number of other officers were fetched thero to suppress it, 
when a furious attack was made upon them, and they were 
obliged to take two of theirnssailanls into custody. The prisoner, 
who was there intoxicated, but was not one of those captured, 
expressed great indignation nt the others being tnkon, and 
threatened, with nn oath, that if the police attempted to tako their 
prisoner out of the court he would punish them for it. JIo had 
no sooner uttered this threat than u man ran up to tho prisoner 
and presented him with a heavy piece of wood above a yard in 
length and studded with nails, which the prisoner had no sooner 
received than he raised it over hiB shoulder and brought it down 
upon the witness’s head with such severity that the bldw must 
have dashed his brains out but for the thickness of the leather 
crown of his hat. Before ho could recover from the effects of this 
blow the prisoner denlt him a second, which completely crushed 
Ins lint and drove it down over his eyes. The prisoner then 
left him to attack another officer, whom he saw directly nfter 
with blood on his clothes, which had couie from his face. Ser- 
geant M'Querry deposed to assisting the other officers in capturing 
the prisoners referred to and the violent threats uttered by the 
prisoner in consequence; lie ultimately became quiet, and be left 
him, but bo soon became very outrageous, and, on witness return- 
ing to remonstrate with him, the prisoner seized a costermonger’s 
flat barrow, and, running full eburgeat him with it, pinned him with 
such violence against a brick wall ns to injure bun very severely. 
Neale and White, two other constables, also spoke to the out- 
rageous nature of the prisoner’s conduct, the former deposing to 
the extreme violence of the blows on the first witness’s head, 
after which the prisoner ran up to him, while assisting in 
pecuring the other assailants, nnd dealt him several blows with 
the bludgeon, in quick succession, “cutting his face both inside 
nnd out.” White also deposed to being similarly struck by him 
upon the mouth, nnd that it was only after a severe struggle and 
contest that the weapon was wrested from him. The prisoner 
then, in the confusion which ensued from the riot, succeeded in 
effecting his escape, nnd had contrived to keep out of the way of 
the police until a few evenings ago, when he ventured to return 
to his old quarters and was secured. When called upon for his 
defence the prisoner acknowledged that lie’ had been present on 
the occasion in question, but positively denied all participation 
in any of the attacks on the officers, and culled two slatternly 
women, who unhesitatingly swore to the 6omo effect. One of 
the women, however, wns nt once identified as the wife of one of 
the men whom the police hod been obliged to take for assaulting 
them, and for which bo was sent for seven days to the House of 
Correction, nnd slip herself rcluctontly acknowledged she hod 
bitten one of the officers sharply in her violent demonstrations 
to rescue her husband. Mr. D’Eyncourt said it was altogether 
a very bad case, and lie should not bo doing his duty if lie did 
not sentence him to a month’s imprisonment in the House of 
Correction for each of the three assaults ho had committed, one 
term to take effect nt the expiration of the preceding. 
$mmasonr)r anb gtasonie Intelligence. 
MEETINGS OF LODGES, &c. 
Monday, 23 — Royal Somerset Lodge, No. 4, Freemasons’ 
Tavern. The Brethren opened the Lodge in the usual form, and 
then proceeded to the election of W.M. for the ensiling year, 
when Brother LcVcan, G.S.B., wns unanimously elected to that 
office. — Old King's Arms Lodge, No. 30, Freemasons’ Tavern. 
The business of tho evening consisted of installing the W.M. 
elect. Brother Burnidge, into the elinir, which was most efficiency 
done by Brother l’.M. Barnes. The W.M. afterwards proceeded 
to appoint Brother Warwick 8.W., and Brother Pans J.W., Ac. — 
Bobert Burns Chap. No. 25, Freemasons’ Tavern, on which 
occasion Brother John Killick, W.M. No. 1GS, and Brother Lcb, 
No. 169, were duly elected and exalted to this sublime degree. 
The Companions then proceeded to elect the Officers for the 
ensuing year : Corup. Blackburn, Z; Comp. Newton, H ; Comp. 
Robinson, J ; Comp. Tomblcson, P.Z.. as E; Comp. Kirby, N; 
Comp. Carpenter, P.8. 
Monday, 23. — No. 93, Globe Tavern, Royal Hill, Greenwich. 
Tuesday, 81. — No. 165, Gun Tavern, Pimlico. 
Wednesday, Feb. 1. — Grand Chap, ut eight o'clock, No. 233, 
Freemasons’ Tavern. 
Thursday, 2. — No. 53, Falcon Tavern, Fetter-lane — No. 158, 
Radley's Hotel, Bridge-street, Blackfrinrs — No. 275, King’s 
Head, Poultry — No. 281. Freemasons' Tuvern — No. 812, George 
Tavern. Cominerciul-road East — Chap. No. 2, London Tavern — 
Chap. No. 9, Freemasons’ Tavern. 
Fiiiday, 3.— Chap. No. 8, Freemasons’ Tuvern— Chap. No. 324, 
Tliatchcd-house Tavern. 
Saturday, 4. — Com. Boys’ School, ut four, No. 125, Free- 
masons’ Tavern. 
Wynn, was given by the noble chairman. Sir Ilenry 
returned thanks; and the noblo chairman having shortly 
afterwards retired, the party broke up. 
HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE, 1S54. 
uonx. ETEX. 
JJORX, KV*X. 
Jan. I«, Saturday 
„ VO, Sunday. . 
„ so, Monday .. 
31, Tuesday . 
n. *. n. M. 
1 » 1.62 
a 18 2.45 
am a aa 
3. S3 4.10 
Feb. 
n. ii. ii. u. 
1, Wednesday ... 4.37 4.08 
2, Thursday 8.19 8.38 
3, Frldav 0.88 11.18 
4, Saturday 0.30 8.87 
To fixd IIion Water at tho subjoined places, take the above time at London 
Bridge, nnd add or subtract the time in the following Tabic. 
SUBTRACT FROM 
LOXDOX nniDGE. 
ADD TO LOXDON DIUDOK. 
11. M. 
Brighton — 3 o 
Boulogne.... 2 41 
Calais 2 111 
Cheater Bar.. 3 37 
II. M. 
Harwich 2 37 
Ipswich 2 7 
11. Jl. 
Amsterdam. . . . u 63 
Antwerp 2 18 
n. M. 
Humber, mth. 
of 3 23 
Land's End , . 2 23 
Cherbourg .... 6 23 
Cardigan, 4 53 
Cork 2 23 
Downs 3 38 
Exmonth 4 18 
MilfordllavcnS 38 
Plymouth — 3 23 
Rotterdam . . . . o os 
Torbay 3 05 
Weymouth.... 4 23 
Dublin 2 83 
Dover Pier.. 2 67 
Dunnosc .... 4 22 
Gravesend... 0 37 
Oroenook. .... 2 22 
Oreenwich . . 0 20 
Havre 4 18 
Norc 0 58 
Osfccud 1 12 
Portsmouth .. 2 27 
Kama gate 2 47 
Shorehain — 2 52 
Southampton 2 27 
Spithend 4 37 
Guernsey 4 23 
H amburgh .... 3 53 
Wisbeaoh 5 23 
Youghal 2 S3 
CLUB MEETINGS, 1854. 
Feb. 1, Wednesday. Meetings of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, and 
of the Birkenhead Model Yacht Club. 
„ 3, Friday Meeting of the Prince of Wales' Yacht Club. 
„ 4, Saturday . .Meeting of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. 
,, C, Monday . . .Meeting of tho London Model Yacht Club, at the 
Essex Head, Essex-street, Strand. 
„ 15, Wednesday .Annual Ball of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. 
„ 15, Wednesday .Monthly Meeting of the Liverpool Yacht Club. 
„ 17, Friday .... Lecture before the Prince of Wales' Yacht Club. 
„ 20, Monday Meeting of the Royal London Yacht Club. 
Mar. 1, Wednesday .Meetings of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, nnd 
Birkenhead Model Yacht Club. 
„ 3, Friday ....Meeting of the Prince of Wales’ Yacht Club. 
„ 4, Saturday . .Meeting of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. 
„ 7, Tuesday . . .Meeting of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. 
„ 15, Wednesday .Monthly Meeting of the Liverpool Yacht Clnb. 
„ HI, Thursday,. .Ball of the Royal London Yacht Club. 
„ 17. Friday . . . .Lecture before the Prince of Wales Yacht Club. 
„ 20, Monday . . . .Meeting of the Royal London Yacht Club. 
April 1, Saturday ..Meeting of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. 
„ 5, Wednesday .Meeting of the Birkenhead Model Yacht Club. 
„ 19, Wednesday .Monthly Meeting of the Liverpool Yacht Club. 
SAILING MATCHES. 
March —.—Match between the Irresistible, Mr. Gardner, P.W. Y.C., and 
the Blue-eyed Maid, Commodore Tuckwell, L.M.Y. Club. Course, 
from Erlth to tho Chapman and buck. 
April —.—Match between the Idas, sailed by Mr. Gunner, and the 
Albatross, sailed by Mr. Berncastle. Course, Biackwall to Graves- 
end and back. 
HER MAJESTY’S NEW YACHT WINDSOR CASTLE. 
The arrangements for the construction of her Majesty’s 
new steam yacht at Pembroke yard are fast progressing. The 
slip on which the great Duke of Wellington was built has 
been prepared for the purpose, and, as it was not long enough 
for the yacht, it has been lengthened temporarily some 30 feet. 
The shed, likewise, is to be made long enough to cover her. 
It liasbecndecided that she shall be constructed of mahogany, 
and large stores have been provided for the purpose. The 
llhadamanthus, Master-Commander John Belam, brings 
round from the eastern ports a large quantity of converted 
timber. She is to be built upon the diagonal planking 
system, and will be named the Windsor Castle. As soon 
as possible, a great portion of the dockyard strength will be 
placed upon her, so as to expedite her construction as much 
as possible before the summer. Her lines, it is said, promise 
both speed and beauty ; the following are her principal 
dimensions: — 
Feet. 
Length over all 
. 315 
Length of keel 
. . . 300 
Breadth of beam . 
. 40 
Depth of hold 
. . . 22 
Her estimated tonnage is 2,340, and she is to be fitted 
with paddlewheels. Her engines are to be from the firm of 
Penn and Co., upon their new oscilluting principle, and 
they will realise from 26 to 28 revolutions, which will pro- 
duce a speed of 15 knots, or about 17 statute miles per 
hour. The cylinder has a diameter of 84 inches, with a 
pistou struke of seven feet, and the diameter of the paddle- 
wheel will be 30 feet. A large amount of horse power to 
tonnage is expected to bo given, in order to secure the high 
rate of speed calculated upon. 
PRINCE OF WALES YACHT CLUB LECTURES. 
Festival at Chesteh. — At the recent celebration of 
St. John’s-day, by the Cestrian Freemasons, under the 
presidency of their provincial grand master, the gallant 
Viscount Combermere, u new silk heraldic banner wu» pre- 
sented to the lodge by Lady Combermere. Her ladyship 
accompanied her noble and gallant husband to Chester, and 
before the business commenced received u deputation of tbe 
brethren, to whom she graciously presented her gift, ac- 
companying it with observations to (he following effect: — 
It is with the sincerest pleasure that I present this banner to 
the Brethren of the Grand Provincial Lodge of Cheshire, 06 
it small offering of gratitude for the kind and touching 
regard they ever have evinced for Lord Combermere. I 
trust the brethren will also receive it us a testimony of my 
esteem for the admirable institution of masonry, which, as I 
believe, inculcates and encourages every privilege that can 
promote social worth and domestic happiness. — Her lady- 
ship’s kindness was suitably acknowledged by I*. M. Brother 
Dixon, after which the deputation retired. Tho business of 
the lodge having been concluded, a grand banquet took 
place, to which a very large party sat down. After dinner, 
the health of her Majesty was drunk and enthusiastically 
responded to. Lord Combermere, in proposing the heulth 
of the Prince Consort, eulogised his Royal Highness in very 
warm terms, remarking that, ever since lie had been 
united to the Sovereign, he had shown himself in every way 
worthy of his distinguished position. He was a good hus- 
band ; and after studying farming had proved himself a good 
farmer. He had also attended military reviews and drills, 
and so far as time would admit, had made himself a good 
soldier. In short, in every respect he had made himself 
useful to the country to which lie now belonged. The toast 
was drunk with enthusiasm ; and after the usual masonic 
seatimenU had been responded to, the health of the visitors, 
coupling therewith the name of his Excellency Sir Henry 
Yesterday week (Friday) Mr. Ditchburne resumed his 
lectures on * * Ship and Yacht building” at the Freemasons’ 
Tavern, before the Commodore, Vico-commodore, and 
other members of tho Prince of Wales Yacht Club. The 
reading took place in the new club-room, and a great many 
members were present about nine o’clock, the hour when 
tho lecture commenced. The Commodore presided, and the 
Vico-commodore filled the vice-chair ; and many members 
of the other metropolitan clubs, and several naval officers 
attended as visitors. A vole of thanks was passed to Mr. 
Ditchburne at the close of the lecture, the subject of which 
on the present occasion, and which we give in the lecturer’s 
own words, was — 
STABILITY. 
The celebrated Swedish naval architect, Frederick 
Chapman, supposes two forces to act on a ship when afloat, 
one being the ship’s woiglit pressing downwards at its centre 
of gravity ; the other, the pressure upwards of the fluid in 
which she floats through the centre of gravity of displacement. 
The concurrence of these two forces in righting a ship, after 
it has inclined, lie culls the stability. 
It is, however, to be observed, that the weight of the ship 
acting at the centre of gravity, cannot produce any effect in 
making the ship move round that point. The whole re- 
volving power arises from the vertical pressure of the fluid, 
which is equal to the weight of the ship, and takes pluce 
upwards on the side of the vessel that is immersed further 
in tho fluid by heoling. The ship is thus turned round an 
axis passing through its centre of gravity, uud is also sup- 
ported by the same buoyancy. 
It is well known that the concentrated force of the water 
in supporting a ship and in resisting Its heeling, passes 
through the centre of gravity of displacement, and that the 
direction of this force or effort is perpendicular to the surface 
of the water ; for this reason, if a vessel be at rest, and 
unconfined, its centre of gravity must be in the mean direction 
of the concentrated force of the water which supports it. 
When a ship or vessel heels, it ought to have a tendency 
of itself to recover or return to tho position it had when 
upright and at rest; that is to say, that the centre of gravity 
ought to bo so situated, that tho effort of the total weight 
of the ship may concur with the effort of the water to right 
her. 
This union of efforts, as we have observed, is called 
stability, and the point of stability, or meta-centre, is that 
point below which tho centre of gravity of the ship must bo 
situated to insure its upright position when afloat. 
A most palpable instance of the ignorance of the funda- 
mental principlesof naval architecture amongst tho authori- 
ties who had tho important charge of designing our royal 
navy at the end of the last century, is recorded in the papers 
on naval architecture by the late Mr. Wilson, of the navy 
office, a gentleman whose judgment, talents, and sokrnd 
professional knowledge surpassed all I have had the pleasure 
to know in my profession. 
Mr. Wilson, speaking of the cutting down of, or the razee- 
ing the Anson, a sixty-four gun ship, to a frigate of thirty- 
eight guns, says, “she was cut down in the year 1794; 
and although in all other maritime states tho science of 
naval construction was pretty well understood, yet so culpa- 
bly ignorant were the English constructors, that this opera- 
tion, so well calculated, when properly conducted, to produce 
a good ship, was a complete failure. Seven feet of the upper 
part of the topsides, together with a deck and guns, making 
about 160 tons deadweight, were removed, by which her 
stability was greatly increased ; but by a complete absurdity 
the sails were reduced one sixth in area. In her first voyage 
the rolling was so excessive that she sprung several sets of 
top-masts. To mitigate this, in 1795 her masts and yards 
were increased to their original size ; but as there was no 
decrease of ballast, she was still a very uneasy ship, and as a 
necessary result, her wear and tear was excessive. 
“ Other sixty-fours were cut down, masted and ballasted 
in exactly the same manner, and it need scarcely be added, 
experienced similar misfortunes ; and although they were 
improved by enlarging their masts and yards, they were still 
bad ships. Had their transformations been scientifically 
conducted, a class of frigates would have been continued in 
the navy, capable from their sizo of coping with the large 
American frigates ; and thus the disasters we experienced in 
the late war, from the superior force of that nation, would, 
without doubt, have been not merely avoided, but turned 
into occurrences of a quite opposite character.” 
It is, however, fair to state that our neighbours, tho 
French, have committed similar blunders. M. do Romtne, 
in his book which he published and called the “ Marine 
Art,” relates that in 1779 the Frencli built three 74 gun 
ships all from the 6ame moulds or plan, neither of which 
when equipped could put to sea in fine weather. The three 
ships were found so crank that to use the lower deck guns 
was dangerous. They were ordered to be remedied. 
Opinions varied as to the cause of the defect ; some 
persons imagined it to proceed from the form of tho hull, 
others from the ill arrangement of the stowage. The first 
engineer was ordered to attend at Rochefort, and direct the 
choice of measures to give the three ships the stability they 
wanted. He judged that new stowage would remedy the 
defect, and his opinion was adopted by the Marine Council. 
One ship was unloaded anil again stowed under the direction 
of the chief engineer. In her first stowage she had 84 tons 
of iron and 100 tons of stone ballast, and wus reloaded with 
198 tons of iron and 122 tons of stone ballast ; and as her 
draught of water or displacement, could not be increased, it 
was necessary to take out 130 tons of water, in order fo pre- 
serve the same load water line. By these means 136 tons 
were placed in the second loading eight feet lower than in 
the first, yet when the ship was completed with the new 
arrangement of stowage, she was found precisely as deficient 
as before, inclining 24 inches with the men at quarters] and 
guns out at one side. She was afterwards doubled (with 
light wood to the thicknes3 of a foot at the extreme breajdth, 
and ten feet under water, decreasing to four inches iu? the 
length and depthways, which corrected the defect. | 
M. de Romme lias judiciously observed that the defect 
of instability was not so much owing to want of extr erne 
breadth, as several other 6eventy-four gun ships had itlie 
same, or even less, but in diminishing the breadth at <tho 
plane of flotation ton quickly, fore and aft, which atoiice 
reduced the capacity, and became injurious to the linr^ of 
support. 
1 will here attempt again to explain the fundamental 
principles of stability, and then consider the effect of iflif- 
ferent forms of the floating body in relation to ships a ud 
vessels. I would here claim your attention for a moment Ito 
the stability of bodies on the ground. By the laws of motioXp 
and of rest, a body will be in motion if its centre of gravitw 
be not sustained and nt rest, which cannot be until its centi o 
of gravity is sustained. Suppose, os an example, a block < >f 
wood or stone to be resting on the ground as A, of which ' j 
is the centre of gravity sustained ; now suppose the 6ain o 
block to be inclined as B, iu which the centre of gravity i « 
not sustained, it having shifted to one side of the line o^f 
support, in this position the body will not remain, but witfl 
fall back into the position A; and this will always be th\o 
case while the centre of gravity falls within the vertical lin^) 
of the base; but let the body be inclined to the inclination ntf 
C, where the centre of gravity is without the vertical lino or) 
the base, passing boyond tho lino of support S, then over it. 
falls. This illustrates the stability and oversetting of ships.* 
Vessels may be inclined or heeled over by the force of thel 
wind on their sails to u certain extent, and regain theiri 
upright position when the wind abates; but should they be| 
inclined so far over that their centre of gravity comes to thof 
same side of tho line of support that the vessel is heeled to, 
she will then inevitably overset. • 
It must bo borne in mind, that although the various l 
centres here alluded to ha v e no visible existence or resting ' 
place in the hull of a vessel, yet they represent forces that] 
have a tangible locality in the natural world ; and whoever, 
from wuut of knowledge or otherwise, misapplies or disre * 
gards their dictates will assuredly not escape the penalty 
consequent upon the violation of nature's laws. Science® 
has admitted that in setting out the proportions of a ship or 
vessel that shall navigate with safety, stability ought to bo a 
first consideration, and practical knowledge beurs its testi- i 
mony to the fact. 
For general referenco certain rules have been laid down > 
with regard to the increase of stability under ordinary cir- 
cumstances; stability, thus circumstanced, increases as the ] 
• The diagram* exhibited on the walls of the lecture-room are here 
omitted, as unnecessary to the general reader, and we have not space 
to insert them on a sufficient scale to satiify yachtsmen.— E d. 
