"COLLISION DRILL" IN THE BRITISH NAVY.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, 15 February 1879, Page 5

"COLLISION DRILL" IN THE BRITISH NAVY.

? Our Navy (says the London Times correspondent from the Sea of Marmora) is, as it ought to be, far in advance of any other nation, even to the effects of collision. " Collision " drill is now as much a recognised part of the exercise of the men a3 "general" or "fire " quarters, and the thrum matting is hauled over the side to cover imaginary holes, and the pumps rigged just as if the ship had been really run into. The "collision" mats supplied to our vessels are about 17 feet square, made of number one canvas, the stoutest manufactured, and well thrummed with rope yarns. It is spread between two yards, the lower one being fitted with a span, for hooking on the tackle by which it is lowered into its place. The general reader is probably not aware that so much foresight has been exercisad in respect to the safety of our ironclads, and it may interest him, therefore, to hear a little abut how these " collision-mats " are supposed to act. The mats, which form a tolerably thick roll, are kept one on each side of the ship in a convenient position for being rue along the deck towards any part of the ship's side which may have suffered from collision. The nearest yard at the same moment is braced up, so as to plumb the damaged spot, and with a tackle the mat is hoisted aver the side. While this ia going on, other men are getting a rope under the ship's bottom, by passing the end weighted with a round shot at the bows. The weight carries the end of the rope below the keel, when, by means of a light hauling line attached, it h hauled up again on the other side. The end of this rope is quickly seenred to the lower part of the mat, and then, by hauling upon it and lowering away the tackle, the hole is covered, the pressure of the water, once the mat is in position, keeping it in its place. With the present arrangement, too much time, however^ is .required to get the mats over the side for it to be considered as anything like perfect; from seven to eight minutes with the best trained men being considered a

fair average of the interval between i giving the order and receiving the report, i and this when only carrying it out for '. exercise. To facilitate the hauling of the i mat under the bottom, the bilge-pieces of i our ironclads, which extend nearly the 1 whole length, fore and aft, have now a i number of holes in them fitted with rollers, through whioh the chains are rove, their ends being brought up en opposite sides of the ship. The direction in which improvement should be made in the present system is towards reducing the time required for getting the mats in a position for being hauled over the holes. Running the mats along the deck, and bracing up the yards, however smartly done, allows the "enemy" two much headway, and many tons of water would be taken in before the leak could be reduced to dimensions which would place it under the control of the pumps.