UNSINKABLE SHIPS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 47828, 18 January 1884, Page 4

UNSINKABLE SHIPS.

The following is an extract from a letter received by the Postmaster-general from the Agent-general, dated London Bth November : — Sir, — I observe that in the debate which took place in the house of Representatives when the report of the joint Committee on the direct steam service was brought up the recommendation of the Committee respecting unsinkable ships was received with some doubt. The j question of building such ships has been seriously considered in this country, as will be seen by the following extract from a paper on the " MercantSe Marine of England," which appeared a few days ago in the " Contemporary Review," by Sir Edward Reed, M.P., who, as you are aware, is a famous authority on shipbuild-

ing. "I am satisfied," says Sir Edward Reed, " that it is possible and compatible with every reasonable commercial requirement to construct iron and steel steamers of an unsinkable type — unsinkable, that is, by all but the most extreme accidents, and certainly unsinkable by causes which are now continually sending fine and costly ships to the bottom. But this result must be brought about by much longitudinal as well as tranverse subdivision, and the resort to watertight decks, communicated with from above by watertight tanks to an extent scarcely yet thought of. Nothing would tend more to enlarge ocean traffic, and to enable it to compare and compete with land traffic on more equal conditions than at present, than the general resort to unsinkable ships." I have called Sir Edward Reed's attention to Mr lsbister's scheme of a " sectional ship," which the Government lately sent me at the request of Mr Macandrew, M.H.R., because its design of dividing a ship by a wall of steel, forming an entire longitudinal section, meets the requirement specially insisted on by Sir Edward in his paper, and if he thinks fit to express any opinion on the design, I will take care to let you know. In the meanwhile I am calling the attention of the two shipping companies to Sir Edward's remarks."