450 
ME. E. J. REED ON THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF 
between these parts, on a length of about 160 feet amidships, the buoyancy is 405 tons 
in excess. The resulting maximum strains are as follows : — Shearing-force 220 tons, 
bending-moment (hogging) 16,400 foot-tons. In still water the maximum shearing-force 
is 140 tons, and the maximum hogging-moment about 5080 foot-tons, this moment being 
experienced by a section considerably before the middle of the length, whereas on the 
wave-crest the section of maximum moment is comparatively near the middle. 
This leads me to mention a point of some importance in the regulation of the longi- 
tudinal strength of ships. The ordinary assumption is that for both still-water strains 
and the strains of ships at sea, the midship section is that which has to bear the maxi- 
mum moment, and that in moving from that section out towards the extremities we 
tind the bending-moments continually decreasing in amount. I have already shown that 
this view is not correct so far as still-water strains are concerned, and that the position 
of the section of maximum moment may lie far away from the middle of the length — as 
it actually does in the ‘ Victoria and Albert ’ and in the ‘ Bellerophon.’ The question 
arises, therefore, is the section of maximum moment generally near the middle when 
a ship is supported on a wave-crest or in a wave-hollow \ or may that section be 
ordinarily expected to lie away from the middle in ships not of the 6 Minotaur’ type 1 
tSo far as these investigations go, the answer to the question is, that the midship section, 
or some section comparatively near it, has to sustain the greatest bending-moment in all 
three types and in both the extreme positions of support. Hence it follows that the 
popular view, although incorrect in some respects, leads on the whole to conclusions 
that very properly influence practice ; and general experience confirms the soundness of 
the opinion that, after keeping up uniformity of strength throughout a considerable 
length of the middle body, it is advantageous, from this point of view, to reduce the 
ship’s scantlings as we proceed towards the extremities. What laws should regulate the 
reductions is a question upon which I shall not now enter. 
When the ‘Victoria and Albert’ floats in the hollow of waves of the dimensions just 
stated, her condition of strain is, of course, entirely different from that in still water 
and from that on the wave-crest. The strains brought upon her are very remarkable. 
The excess of weight amidships (210 tons) existing in still water becomes exaggerated 
to 785 tons, and instead of having excesses of weight at the extremities w r e have con- 
siderable excesses of buoyancy, no less than 390 tons forward and 395 tons aft. The 
result of these changes is to produce sagging-moments throughout the ship’s length, 
gradually increasing in amount as we proceed from the extremities towards the middle, 
and reaching their maximum at a station near the midship section. The maximum 
moment under these circumstances amounts to 31,000 foot-tons, and the maximum 
shearing- force to 395 tons. 
From these figures we obtain the following approximate summary: — 
