A NEW FORM OF ANCHOR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 1392, 13 April 1876, Page 3

A NEW FORM OF ANCHOR.

The Lords of the Admiralty have decided to adbptarianonor.'thd invention 'of aMr Margin, for tbeieole.u^e pfthe Royal ;Navy. It'is ,pf novel form, differing m many respects from the ordinary anchor, and has at the same time vastly superior power,' greater light.ness, and far. less cost. In the report ordered to bo printed by the House of Commons', on the motion of Mr George Bentinck, St.P.', the results of some' severe tests "to which ; this anchor has; been, subjected, previous toi its adoption by the Government; are given I Last year a trial was made at Sheernese, ori board the ' Rupert, 4, ironclad ram, 5444 tons, and 4638-horse-power, -•- The anchor was let go m a tide-way ,' Of : about tihree-kiiotß, and the anchor biting the ground, instantaneously brought thelargoiironclod up.atonco.' The Rupert's engines were then turned slowly astern, ; increasing the strain ■ gradually, until she-.-vvas going half-speed astern. , From its form 1 , the ' greater 'the' strain the' deeper the anchor ' buries >itself ; and > with the -Spitfire, paddle-wheel ship, also being attached, the strain was 'so intense, that the anchor buried itself over seven feet m stiff clay mixed with "sand. : The 1 large chain -cables threetopihg to give way, the engines were stopped; and yet .the -anchor", directly .it : received an up and down strain, come out of the ground without 'the slightest' hitch, owing to. its peculiar.construction."; This trial, , -Which' is' recorded m a parliamentary repoifc, confirmed /tiie".nigh opinion already formed by the Admiralty, and the success of the anchor was complete. . The following instance still further illustrates- its

eficacy: — The Sultan, 12, iron ecrew-ship, armour plated, having started for Vigo last week, had to put back, owing to the heavy gale, . and she anchored under the Isle of Wight. With all her ordinary anchors down she dragged them, and was apparently m .such danger that the coastguard Bent for assistance to Portsmouth. Happily the weather moderating, she brought up safely. The Devastation, 4, turret ship, armour plated, during a heavier gale some time since, m the same anchorage, rode through it with only one of these new form of anchors down. The Russian, German, Italian, and other Foreign Powers hare also adopted it instead of the old form. The French Government awarded the invention a gold modal this year at the International Maritime Exhibition. 1 We are requested to notice that m connec-tion-with the sale of Mr Orammond'a horses this day, a coach will leave the office of the auctioneers, Messrs D. and L. Maclean, at half-past nine o'clock this morning.