THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
27 
meut. * Once accomplished, the necessary improvements became 
more obvious, and by diligent application of the scientific prin- 
ciples involved the construction of engines and ships has been so 
greatly improved, that not only do steamships cross the ocean to 
New York, but even to Australia they can go without difficulty in 
good sailing trim, and on good paying terms • and now about thirty- 
six days is considered a good voyage to Melbourne. This has been 
brought about principally by the reduction of the consumption of 
coal with the simultaneous production of great increase of power ; 
and shortly it may be stated that where, less than fourteen or fifteen 
years since, to produce one horse-power per hour required 20 lbs. 
of coal, now 2 or 2|- lbs. will do the same work. 
In the earlier times the destruction of steamships by fire was of 
common occurrence, arising from the want of knowledge how to 
produce and apply heat. The boilers were so wrongly constructed 
that so much of the heat was developed in the funnel or chimney, 
and at its loss, (instead of, as it should have been, within the 
boiler,) that constantly the ships were being set on fire ; and this for 
want of knowledge of the chemical laws of combustion which were 
so ably taught by our own Hearder, and by Wye Williams, the 
author of the most practical scientific work on the subject ever 
published. 
Not only in this room, but in many parts of the country, 
Jonathan Hearder gave his beautiful lectures on combustion, and 
I have no doubt that he thereby largely aided in diffusing a know- 
ledge of the scientific principles involved, which have become, not 
only in the steamship, but also in the locomotive and stationary 
engines, and in fire industries, more valuable in proportion as they 
have been diligently and intelligently applied. 
Yet again, in connection with ships and with public buildings, 
do we find another of our scientific members, whose name is 
inseparably connected with them. At one time it was a very 
common occurrence to hear of ships and buildings being struck and 
destroyed or injured by lightning ; now we very seldom hear of 
such a case, because our Sir W. Snow Harris diligently studied the 
laws of electricity, elucidated them, and applied them ; and if in 
our visit to the Dockyard we will take the trouble to enquire for 
* Dr. Dionysius Lardner published a report on calculations which 
demonstrated the impossibility of practically making the voyage to New- 
York, saying that the attempt was as absurd as a voyage to the moon. 
