The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-09 00:00:00

SMITH TESTIMONIAL FUND.
37, GREAT GEORGE-STREET, WESTMINSTER.
The superior adv ntages of screw propulsion being fully de-
monstrated by Its mineral ado;iticn for tile public service and for the
commerei 1 operations of almost all maritime natious,a favourable
time appears to have arrived for inducing a public
recognition of
the merit of its introduction.
Convinced that screw navigation—whoever may be regarded as
its o. inventor—must date its real commencement from the
successful teals and voya..e.- o; the" Archimedes" in 1839 and 18411 ;
and retling that all naval nations are indebted to the performances
•if that shi 0, for lie fir. t practical deVelopment .1 this great imp, ove-
n, M. is the mean,: of mare-ime enterprise; the foliowelf; genth hien ,
rie;:sonally co,nisatit of the facts co' tech-I with the pro4n,ss of the
system, are strongly imp ess•al wth 'h:.
,ju.tic, of the cl timi of M r
'Francis Pettit ho.e tali nes a d untiri g energy it is well
known the " Archimedes" owed li.•th h r origin and success.
can also bear record tc the steady perse!ve ate e with whith
that gentleman has continued to dev,te the bast years of las tie to
the pit .-pose to eta lie! ing the me ies en the .crew. Aral they know
that the national benefit thus eemerred by his labours—wieich wa -
first so clearly co. firmed by the per-orrnaoces of thelittler in lis4s,
then so strikin,ly d at the naval review of 1853, and whist;
is now so confide ntly re red on for stieee,s in aetu 1 war—ti no!
hitherto procured for him ei her pie blic ae,knowleesment or pecuniar!
reward.
They have thereore formed tllems'lves Into a Provisional Conamit •
tee, and have requested us most respectfully to solicit the honour en
yourn tine, and the adva'.tage of your influence and examp,e, in sup-
port of MI appeal to all cl :s-i s and interest- fora genera subscrip; ion
to rrennt a suitable 'estimoKifil to Mr. Francis Pettit Smith, for his
prominent services in bringing into practice the system of screw
navigation.—We have th honour to he your oheq. servants,
EDWARD PELLE W HALSTED,IHon. Sect.
JOHN scyrr RUSSELL,

PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE.
James Allan, Esq., Managing Director of the Peninsular and Oriental
Company
Charles Atherton, Esq., Chief Engineer lI.M. Dockyard. 'Woolwich
Joseph Iteardmore, E,(l , Manager of the General Steam Navigation
Compan 's Engine Works
11. Wollaston Blake, Esq., F.R.S., Engineer, London
Isairfbard K. Mune], Esq., F.R.S., C.E.
Edward Chappell, Esq., Capt. R.N., Secretary to the Royal West
India Mail, ompany
William t tiepin, Capt. R.W., the Royal Yacht
John Iftlay Ellis. Esq., Chairman of the General Screw-steam
hipping company
Joshua Fltld, Esq , F.R.8., EnglneeniLondon
John Fincharn, Esq., late master Shipwright, H.M. Dockyard,
Portsmouth
Sir Richard ilrant, Kt , Capt. R.N.
William EL Ihinderson, Capt. R.N., C. 8., Comptroller-General of
the Coast Goat,'
Edward iltimphrys, Esq., late Chief Engineer H.M. Dockyard,
Woolwich
:Met .regor Laird, Esq., Managing Director of the African Mail Com-
pany
Thomas Lloyd, Fse., Chief Engineer of H.M. Navy
Charles J. Mare, E, q., • hiobuilder, London
Joseph Miller, Esq • F. 8.5., Engineer, London
Itobiirt Napier, Esq., Engineer, Glasgow
James Nasmyth, Esq., Engineer, Manchester
John Penn, Esq., Eng neer, Greenwich
George Rennie, Esq , Engince-, London
Joseph d'a Samuda, E.g., Engineer, London
Roilerr Step! ens°n, EFq , M.P., F.R.S., C.E.
Isaac Watts. Esq., Asdstant-,urveyor lI.M. Navy
Money Wigram, Esq., ,hipbuilder, London
Joseph Whitworth, Esq., Engineer, Manchester

TREASURER
Charles Manby, Esq., F.R.S., C :iecretary of the Institution el
Civil Engineers

HONORARY SECRETARIES.
E. P. Halsted, Capt., h.N., and J. Scutt ICus,ell, Esq , Engi
neer.

Extract from the Report of Baron CIURLES DUPIN to the Academy
of Science., Paris, on the p, izes awarded by the French Govern-
ment to DCPUY DE LoaIE, and M. 1401 x, Officiers superieurs
du Genie Maritime, et Ingeoieurs de la Marine delere 'lassie, and
M. Bomtoms, Captaine de Fregate, for the successful application
of steam.and screw p-opulsion to sat, ing vessels of war:--
"En 1835,-,nn fermier de Middlesex, M. Francis Pettit Smith, en-
cadre ht:Ttzontaiement une vis d'Archim tde a l'arriere et dans la
partie la plus pincee de la carene; cette vis est continue; elle a deux
revolutions completes. l.'autear prend son brevet le 3l Mai, 1836."
Revenenx au fetmi7r Smith. Aussi peu savant dans le
principe que le barbkr Arkwri ht, II avait la meme perseverance et le
meme tricorn ptable courage Ces deux qualites morales l'ont fait triom-
pher de t ais 'es obstacles. M. Smith, pendxnt deux annem, essaye son
bateau cur la Tamise et sur l canal de Paddington. Dan 4 ce canal,
par un accident heureux, une rev,lutton de ea vis d'Archimede est
hrisee, et le navire marche plus vite qu'auparavant. C'est un trait
de lumiere, et l'on llnira oar n'employer qit'une moitie, qu'un tiers,
et meme une nmindre partie de rev, lutirm d'hellce. Par ce moyen,
lon pourra loger le propulseur dans mic etroite ouverture verticale,
en avant du gouvernail, entre deux etambots.
" D'essais en CSSaii, ii. rmlth se hasarde a hitter contre lee dlffi-
ciiltes de la mer. Avec un extr,m,rnent petit, ii s'ave•iture
dans la Manche, et bravo un mer touf tuts si dure, en essuyant des
temps manvait= ; son courage inspire une taveur univ
['Amirante d'Angleterre prepd un vif interet a des estate tentes
Si ennrageusement, et couronnes par le sticces. Ell, demand, aM.
Smith un es.al plus conside•able, et la construction d'un navire a
Ice do 200 tonneaux, avant de conclure a l'adop.ion du nouveau
systeme. En consequence, I'Archiniede, de 237 tonneaux, est con-
st, nit et mis ala men L'Amiraute s sernit montree satisralte, at
dais ks experiences demandees, le batiment eut parcouru 5 nceuds
par heure ; it en parcourtit pres du climb e. AI-,litre le vent et la
'payee, mit quo vingt heures pour aller de Gravesend a Ports-
mouth.

"Convaincu par ces epruves, l'Amiraute d'Angleterre accepte
l'holice pour ses prowes ty,vires En 1,41, elle fait commencer a
Sheo• ness son pretsner batiment a propulsenr haicoide, le Rattler
(In port de 888 tonneaux, batim-nt qu'on mit als me an printemps,
de 1843. On multiplint les experienc, our ee navire, et l'Amiraute,
cvnpletemeot edifieo, ordunna de construire ala lois, ving bat-
meuts de l'Etat, a prupul curs helicoides."

Letter from the Richt II n. the Earl of Minto, G.C.8., &e.
(First Lord of the Admiralty, 1835 to 1841 )
" Lond n, June 13. 1854
"Dear have not a doubt that Mr. Smith may justly clam
the rn. tit of having been the first to introduce the us , of the screw
propeller ; and t was owing to his success in its application that
shortly betore I left the Admiralty I felt myself justified in °Net ing
the Rattler to he built, for the tonn) c of testing the comparative
advantages of the paddle and the screw —Bel'eve me, dear s'r, yours
taithfully•, (Signed) " MIN TO.
"(Charles A. Cal 'well, Esq.
" I can have no objeotio whatever to your making any use of my
letter that can b • serviceable to Mr. Smith."
Letter from the Right Hon. the Earl of 11addington, &c.,
(First Lod of the a dmirolty, 1841 to 1846)
tt i yningliame, Pre-to, kirk, N.B August 24, 1854.
" is imom,sibie for me t) tae upon myfiolf to offer an
onininn as to which of the claimants is to he attributed the merit of
the first invention of the screw propeller; but I be'leve that
s'igticss of" tile Archimi der," followed by the trial i.f" the Rattler,"
( Mit raider Lord !V? into's Board), led to the adoption of the screw in
H M.'s Navy, and in the merchant service.
"It is admitted, I believe, that to Mr. Pettit Smith belongs the
credi of the s cc, ss of tit.. Archimedes," consequently he is en-
titled to be col si 'end as the introducer of a most valuable improve-
ment in steam navigalon.
" He wa• employed generally under the steam Department of the
Admiralty in my time, and I have every reason t • believe that his
services we-e found to M. v bitable.
But tne profes Iona; names ,-.ttached to the attestation vouhave
furnisho me with, as well as those of the most eminent engin ers,
are of fsr great, r va,ue to %Ir. Smith, thin any testimony of mine
can possibly be.—l have the honour to ba, :it, your obedient hum-
ble servant, (Signed) " H,A DDING
"Captain Halsted, R.N.
" I enclose the answer to your letter, of which you may make
any use you may think fit."