The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-12 00:00:00

InstituVon of Naval Architects.

The annual congress of this institution com-
menced its sittings for the present year yesterday
morning at the Society of Arts—the President, Sir
John Pakington, in the chair.
The proceedings commenced with the reading of
the report of the. council, which did not give a
flourishing account of the financial position of the
institution, though measures were said to have been
adopted to increase the income and reduce the ex-
penditure. It was stated that notice had been given
that it was intended to raise the rent of the rooms
now occupied by the institution, and that in con-
sequence it had been proposed to apply to the Go-
vernment to grant rooms for conducting their busi-
Deis in future years.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON then delivered his opening
address. He observed that though the report of the
council expressed some regret at the financial posi-
tion of the institution, yet as regarded its successful
and prosperous action there was ground for con-
gratulation, and he hoped the financial prosp9rity
would soon be restored. With regard to that part
of the report alluding to the leaving of their present
offices in Adelphi-terrace, and the expectation that
rooms would be granted by the Government for
their reception, he regretted he could not give much
satisfaction. A communication had been received
to the effect that there were no rooms at present
applicable for the purpose. Sir John Pakington
then alluded to the question whether the Institution
of Naval Architects had not a claim on the Admi-
ralty for an auntril grant, as was at present given
to the United Service Institution, and he thought
that it had a very fair claim for such assistance,
considering the impt,rtatte,l.of . the objects.it-had_in
view and the services it had rendered. At.. the
meeting last year the catastrophe of the
ship London, in the Bty of Biscay, and the
wrecks of other passenger ships about the same
period, had called especial attention to the subject
of the safety of passenger ships, and a recommenda-
tion was then made that the question should be
taken under the consideration of the council. The
council had consequently deliberated on the matter at
14 meetings, and had agreed to a report, which
would be read to the meeting. One of the points
under consideration was, whether some amendment
was not required in the law regarding passenger
ships, and a deputation from the council had within
the last few days had an interview with the Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade on the subject. He
thought there was little doubt the question would be
taken into consideration by the Government, with a
view to the amendment of the law, and it was pro-
bable a royal commission would be appointed to de-
termine the nature of the amendments in the law
required. Sir J. Pakington then noticed the pro-
gress that had been made in the school of naval
architecture, observing that the greater number of
private pupils were foreigners. He regretted that
the native private pupils were not greater, but there
was a large number of Government pupils, so that
there was every prospect of having a considerable
supply of competent men for the command of ships.
At the last meeting of the institution one of the
questions that gave rise to much discussion was the
comparative merits of turret ships and the broadside
system. That question was now on the point of
being practically determined by the. ships Monarch
and Captain, the former constructed by Mr. Reed,
and the latter by Captain Coles, who had received
carte blanche to carry out the system in his experi-
mental turret-ship the Captain. In conclusion, Sir
Joh-a congratulated the members of the institution
on the progress they had made, and the benefits
their exertions had conferred on naval architecture,
and expressed cmfidence in their future prosperity.
The special report of the council on the safety of
passenger shipswas then read. Itcontained 15 con-
elusions, of which the following were essential
points. In the first place, it was affirmed that no
general rule can be safely Lid down for regulating
the proportions of length and depth to the breadth
of a ship, end a great variety of proportions of
length and depth to breadth may be. safely
adopted, and the ship made sound and seaworthy,
by judicious form, construction, and lading ; that
the construction load water line of every ship
and her scale of displacement from light to load
waterline, should be appended to every design of a
ship, showing the extreme draught to which she
should be laden, and measures should be taken to
insure that this information be recorded on the
ship's papers ; that there is a minimum height of
freeboard which cannot be safely reduced in sea-
going ships of ordinary fitment, and it is desirable
to fix this minimum height; that it would add much
to the strength and security of steamships if trans-
verse and longitudinal bulkheads, coal.bunkers, iron
lower decks, and screw alley were all so connected
with the hull of the ship and with each other as to
form independent cellular compartments, water tight,
and having all their communications with the decks
and each other by water tight doors worked from
the deck; that double bottoms are to bo, regarded
as a great element, both of safety and strength, in
the structure bf a large iron ship ; that it is very
desiral le that sufficient ventilation should always
be provided in passenger ships to admit of closing
all side scuttles and battening down, or otherwi
enc!osing all hatches iu bad weather ; that in
regard
to hatchways and openings in the ;leek it is desirable
to carry the beams of the ship
t all steam
interruption wherever practicable;
barrelledtha hand
vessels, if of iron, should have a bra-si
acros them without
after ones—the former to hale ,
pump to every compartment ex! oplt tsliueiefeenevoaerk,l,aioldr
'cotnhneercetas'ohnosutldo
tbheapt,ataesnat
psunbuslptistt.;ltae,finorg thesed e p epaudienipi
ts
of
m t
this extent. They shouumld also have a donkey engine
and pump capable of pping
from the sea, of feeding the boilers, and of throwing
water on deck. All vessels should have one or morn
bilge pumps, worked by the large engines, with bilge