The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-08-07 00:00:00

ten miles an Lout throe is din greierk isgetesste nt
of.isisitt and side." TX?: X. 7..'31.1a
Mr. Trulll states that-Ale-Majestic has performed
the voyage fronsGreenock' to Ltirrpoul, • dikluice
ur two hundred forty miles, in twenty-t,wo
boats; and that the St. Patrick came from Dublin
In Liverpool, one hundred suit thirty toiler, in thin-
teen hours and a half, agaui4t LI Ole breeze from
the east. The Lord Melville goes froth Loodosi-
! bridge to Calais in eleven or twelve hours. This
greet speed, with which the voyages ere made by
steam boats, adds considerably to their sunerioiity
over other vessels in point of safety; for in the sane
degree that the time occupied in performing a voy-
age is diminished, so is the risk of danger also to
which passenger* are exposed.
It is now evident that the failure of all the early
attempts to apply steam to sea boats was owing to
their being built too square; to their want of
strength, and to the want of a sufficient quantity or
steaming power. According as boats hove been built
with a form planned oti better sailing principles, with
greater strength of timber, end with engines of in-
creased power, the progress of their success bas
exactly corresponded with these improvements.
After having given some very important state-
ments respecting the structure of the vessel-, the
machinery, SM., the Committee pror'ettl :
• " Notwithstanding the great and rapid progress which
steam navigation has made, it is still considered by the ablest
engineers to be only in its infancy; experience suggests, in
every new vessel and engine, some improvement so be made,
or some defects to be removed. The numerous compasnis
that have be.n formed in so many parts albs, United King.
dom; have rsiablished an extent of competition whieh serer.
wetly excites all the scieuee or the country to seize on every
opportunity of making every thing better than is has been
chide before; and as the confidence of the public in steam
boats leads to the general use of ohms, there is that fair re-
liant fur enterprising undertakings which will effectually
sustain the general rp rit which prevails amongst all the
most scientific engineers, seamen and ship betide,,, to invent
farther improvements.
" It appears from the evidence, that rittemps• are now
making by very ingenious individuals to remove Sofas of
those defects which have been described to belong to the
engines now in nix.
"Mr. Brunel is engaged on a plan for making the mire
more compact and more simple. and at the SIMS tine
stronger; and to enable it, by certain mechanical cumbisa-
ions, to adapt cud accommodate itself to all the evrigencies
and to all the perturbations incident to its particular ser-
vices.

" Mr. Galloway and Mr. Perking feel confident that high
pressure balers may be on contrived as to be Ned wit► the
g. fittest advantage. Mr. Perkins, in his answers to dm
circular queries, gives- such strong evidence in favour of
them, from the actual use of them in 150 American steam
boats, as so go far towards removing the prevailing objec-
tions to them.

" Mr. Dunkin is of opinion that a rotary furnace, en Mr.
Breslau's priseiple, may be applied to steam vessels.
" Mr. OWliam, of the Batik of Ireland. has invested a
plan of revolving paddles, to avoid the defects of the fixed
paddles as now used. He slates, that the violent Mims of
the paddles of common wheels, io stetting the water in a
• rough us, is collies!, removed by the use of the revolving
paddles, as they enter and rise out of the wale► Isiah a pecu-
liarly soft and easy motion. • • •
" Your Committee have endeavoured to avoid all partia-
lity in the urangenseut they have made of the evidence os-
tler separate beads, stud in their observations upon it; their
object has been to bring as concisely as it was practicable•
snider the notice of the House, all the prominent advantages
and defects of steam navigation at sea ; with the opinions of
the most scirotific professional me■ upon the best means of
improving it. • • • • •
• " The merit of firm applying steam cosines to tea
sari-
gation is certainly due to the skill and easorprise of the en-
gineers and ship hailders of the Clyde; for it was tangoes.
tiunably the sumo +. of their steam boats on the Holyhead
station which led the Post-office to establish their boats fur
keeping up the croommuuicatmu brtaren t►e two countries."
The Committee, in conclusion, most truly remark, that—
" The great importance of a thorough acquaintance with
every thing belonging to steam navigatiou, for securing a
eertat■ and rapid conveyance of the public correspondence.
where seas are to be crowd, has induced your Committee to
take this (coeval view of the whole subject as a preparatory
step to comiog to that part of the order of the House which
requires your Committee to examine into the eunveyaace of
►is Majesty's mails between Holyhead and Houk
" Your Committee consider the i•formatio■ which has
been given by so many distioguished practical engineers
and shipbuilders al extremely valuable, and that every
praise is due to them for the readiness and zeal with
which they have coutributed to felicitr the iaquiry of your
Committee of mere! utility. Not only the Post•ufice,
but all private companies engaged in means boasis may
obtsi• great assistance from opiaions derived from such ex-
tensive unreal of science and experiment ; at the same time
that the public will be benefited by those various improve.
meats which they suggest, and which will be the natural
coos. quruces of the persevering efforts of the great tallest'
which distinguish these professions in Great Britain."
There me some valuable as well as interesting documents
in Ike Appendix to this Report. First, a list of all the steam
boats built since 1811; being near 200 in number; some of
them beingof 400 tout, with a seventy-horse power, particu-
larly the Rising Star, which is " gout to South America!"
Afterward., various pap►rs, illustrated wills plater, " on the
coostructiou of ships referred to by Sr R. Seppings."—
Whether we consider the national impoi lance of the subject,
or the scientific merit of the Report, we catgut omit the
opportunity of reputing, that we have seldom read a more
interesting rlfilanbrlslif y document 1111111 i Le use now noticed