The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-14 00:00:00

HARBOURS OF REFUGE AND DEFENCE.

Yesterday, Mr. W. H. Smith, of London, whose
name has been for some time prominently before the pub-
lic, in connection with his invention of the flexible recoil
breakwater, for which he has obtained medals from the
Society of Arts and some other institutions of a similar cha-
racter, was introduced to the Manchester Commercial As-
sociauon, to explain before that body the principle of his
invention.
. . .

Mr. Smith explained that all attempts to construct
breskwaturs had hitherto proved abortive. The one at
Cherbourg had given way twice; that at Plymouth
three times; and Kingstown had required constant and
heavy repairs. Doneghadee and Portrush had been much
damaged, the latter forming a reef across the river. At
Dunmore the same thing occurred, the sea making clean
breaches through the breakwater. Ardglsas and its light-
house were • mass of ruins, now buried in the sea. Such
had been the fate of harbours with stone breakwaters. He
had also paid much attention to the subject of floating
breakwaters, the objection to which was that they were
like a ship broadside on to the sea. His own plan consists
of a series of upright frames of open woodwork, strengthened
by means of iron tie-rods, and restiug vertscally upon the
ends of piles, to which they were connected by
means of iron shackles, which allow them to move freely
backwards and forwards. These are ranged side by aide
to form a breakwater, and connected with their principal
ends are iron or wooden rods, moored oat to seaward, each
rod having a joint at half its length, to which is attached •
heavy weight, so that when the sea is at rest one half the
rod hes flat at the bottom, while the other extends in •
diagonal direction to the top of the breakwater. The
effect of this arrangement is to allow the breakwater to
yield to the pressure of the sea, and to bring it back to its
place after the force of tiv• wave has been spent. Mr.
Smith referred, in illw.tration of his principle, to
the comparative harmlessnesi of the sea in strikiog a ship
when she was adrift. As long as she was adrift, and
yielding to the intermittent action of the water, she
was safe. Precisely so it was with his breakwater.
As to the strength of hie breakwater, hundreds of
ships might be moored to the screw piles and be perfectly
secure. There was another point which deserved to be
looked at. Stone harbours were liable to fill up, and form
so many artificial reefs. The plan he proposed offered no
interference to the tidal power. It would act in the same
m the piers of bridges, narrowing the channels, and
thereby increasing the scouring effect of the water. With
regard to cost, it might safely be said that as much money
as would erect • dozen of these harbours had beea lost
during the lest two gales.
The association, after Mr. Smith had given his explana-
tions, resolved that a letter should be sent to that gentle-
man, en behalf of the members, expressive of their satisfac-
tion with the simplicity of the proposed arrangement, its
great economy, and its applicability to the purposes in-
tended. Before going to Manchester, Mr. Smith had
visited Liverpool, where he had laid his plans before the
committee of underwriters, before the dock committee, and
before the Chamber of Commerce, each of which bodies
had passed resolutions expressive of their high opinion of
the invention.