Class VIII.] CONSTRUCTION OF SAILING-SHIPS, PADDLE-WHEEL STEAM SHIPS, &c. 211

hooks and rigging, llope-making is likewise improved.We owe to British ingenuity the obtaining of equal ten-sion amongst the threads of which the largest ropes andcables are now made, and the operation of laying theropes, by mechanical power, with mathematical precision.The commercial marine of France exhibit cordage madein this manner, which is certainly much better than anyshown on the English side of the Exhibition. Bothcountries have improved the texture of their sail-cloths,as will be seen by the Report of the Jury entrusted withtheir examination.

We shall conclude these general remarks upon NavalArchitecture, with some interesting documents relativeto various classes of ships, which we have before ad-verted to.

The Admiralty and merchant builders having contri-buted a large number of models of ships to the Exhibi-tion, for the purpose of illustrating the forms and othercharacteristics of ships of the most recent construction:we conceived that some record of those ships should hepreserved, in order to indicate the present state of navalarchitecture in Great Britain.

With this view we present a series of tables, con-taining the principal dimensions, and such other mathe-matical elements, relating to the construction of theseships, as could be obtained.

Table I. (page 212), contains the dimensions andcalculated elements of a complete series of sailing-ships,from a first-rate man-of-war to a small brig.

Within the last twenty years, ships in the navy havebeen constructed with greatly increased width, orbreadth of beam. To some extent, this increase ofbreadth may have been necessary, to enable them to sus-tain,—without too great inclination under sail,—the in-creased weight of armament now placed on board shipsof M ar by most naval poAvers. But the general opinion,founded on the result of experimental trials of theseships, with those of former years, is—that breadth ofbeam, when carried to excess, contributes to make theships roll quickly, and in some cases deeply also.

As this is a most serious evil in ships of war, materiallyaffecting their efficiency in the use of their guns, ships ofmore recent construction have had increase of length aswell as of breadth given them; but the latter to a lessextent;—thereby obtaining the requisite amount ofstability -without rendering them liable to those suddenimpulses produced by great breadth at the water’s sur-face alone, which causes the side to round greatly in-wards, both above and below the M ater-line. The shipsreferred to are, nevertheless, a very fine class of ships;and in the “Queen” we see a first-rate ship, combiningwith great speed, stability, easy motion, and every otheressential property of a man-of-war.

Table II. (page 213), contains the principal dimensionsand other elements of a number of frigates constructedby different persons Avith a view' to competition. Severalof these frigates have been attached to the late experi-mental squadron under the command of CommodoreMartin, for the purpose of fully testing their sailing andother properties as ships of Mar. The results of thesetrials, in so far as they have as yet been determined, havebeen indicated in a Report ordered to he printed by theHouse of Commons , on the 1st July, 1851. The supe-riority of sailing Avas in favour of the “ Phaeton” overother frigates similarly fitted. Her superiority was main-tained notwithstanding variotis changes in the trim ofthe rival frigates, the “ Leander ” and “ Arethusa;” hutthe “ Arethusa” had the advantage over the two othersin respect of stOM-age, and she sailed better than the“ Leander.”

Table ITT. (page 214), gives the principal dimensionsand other elements of several brigs which have beentried together at sea for the purpose of ascertaining theirrelative merits in regard to sailing and other necessaryqualities for vessels of this class.

The results of the trials of the brigs, in Table III., aregiven in Captain Corry’s Report, published in Parlia-mentary Paper, No. 394 (A), Session 1845.

Naval architecture, as far as it concerns ships movedby M’ind and sails, has thus presented to us many im-

provements. But we have now* to speak of progress, byfar more complete and important, in ships moved by thepower of steam.

A. Paddle-Wheel Steam Ships.

Many persons, in various countries, claim the honourof having first invented small boats propelled by steam.But it is to the undaunted perseverance and exertions ofthe American , Fulton, that is due the everlasting honourof having produced this revolution, both in naval archi-tecture and in navigation.

When the general peace took place in 1814, there Masnot a single steam-ship in the ports of England; Scot-land , hoM-ever, had one small vessel of this kind. Forseveral subsequent years, steam-boats, of small size andwith very insignificant engines, were employed in riversor along the coasts, but the idea of going far out to seaM'ith them Avas considered very presumptuous.

In 1818, however, an American captain tra\’ersed theAtlantic in a steam ship, the “ Savannah, ” touching firstat England, and then proceeding up the Baltic to St.Petersburgh.

About seven years after this steam was applied to railwaytra\‘elling on shore; and then it was that most importantattempts were made to extend the poAver of steam tolong voyages by sea, and to the passage across theAtlantic from England to the United States . In accom-plishing this, liOAvever, far more poM erful engines, andmuch larger ships than had yet been built, were abso-lutely requisite. The examination and judgment ofsuch engines will be found under the Report of anotherJury (Class V.).

Steam Avas soon applied very generally, both to thecommercial navy and to ships of Avar ; a main objectbeing—the application of such velocity combined Avitheconomy and safety as Avould induce persons to travelby sea.

To procure such a A-elocity, it M as not enough toincrease the propelling poAver; it Avas also indispensablethoroughly to modify the forms of the vessels, to dimi-nish the bulk of the prow and stem, to reduce thebreadth, and proportionally increase the length. In thisway the forms of steam-ships have been made very simi-lar to those of the galleys of ancient times; Avhen,instead of steam power, human labour was applied topropel the vessel by means of oars; Avhcrcus, hoav, themechanical force is transmitted by the paddles of wheelsor screws acting longitudinally.

Such is, at present, the empire of man upon the sea,that calms, contrary winds, and adverse currents, for-merly so detrimental to speedy navigation, are quite over-come. Periodical steam-ships start and arrive on fixeddays, and almost fixed hours, at the ports of LWerpool orHavre and New York; as well as from London or Mar-seilles to Constantinople and Alexandria ; and from Suezto Bombay, Ceylon, Calcutta, Singapore, and Hong Kong .Contracts are made betAveen the Admiralty of GreatBritain and steam NaA'igation Companies, obliging theA’essels of the latter to cross the Atlantic and the Mediter-ranean, at the rate of at least 9 miles an hour, taking allthe chance of contrary Avinds. Great Britain, ever atten-ti\e to the preservation of her maritime power, looksupon the great steam-ships, built by prAate Companies,and under contract with the Government, as a A'aluablereserve in case of war; with this vieAv, special articlesof the contracts Avith the Companies oblige them to buildtheir ships of wood and not of iron, because, M'ith thelatter material, they Avould not be so fit for defence, aswe liaA'e already explained. At the first signal of Avar ,the Admiralty Mould, from this source alone, ha\*e anauxiliary steam navy of 20,000 horse power! The ex-ertions of private speculators, and of the English Go\'ern-ment, during the last fifteen years, in securing theconveyance of letters, valuable goods, and passengersbetAveen Europe, America, Africa, and Asia , are deserv-ing of the highest admiration. The many rich andpowerful Companies engaged in promoting similar under-takings, by ordering steam ships to he built of greatdimensions, either of wood or iron, so as to be at oncevery solid and sufficiently light, have greatly advanced