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LITTLE PROBLEMS FOR YOUNG OFFICERS.-No. II.

ET A and B be at anchor as before, and let C be a steamship as before, lashed alongside of B. This time, however, we are only intending to refer to B and C. B is at anchor, the current is ten knots, and there is no wind. The current runs as before from N. to S. B and C will of course head N. C is of the same gross tonnage as B, and of the same form. In fact B and C are sister ships, both steamers. B remains at anchor; but C having got up her steam, casts off from B, and exerts just so much power in her engines as to stem the tide and to keep heading N and a-beam of B. What will be the difference between C and B in their relation to the current, and how must the current be regarded in reference to each ship? Is it to be regarded as a force acting on one of them only, or on both, and if so, does it act on both in the same manner, or does it not?

In the answers to the first problem the current is regarded as a force acting on C.

Amongst the answers as yet received to No. I. Problem there are two correct, viz., those from Fred. C. Green, and H. F. Holt. The answers and demonstrations of the latter are very good and complete.-ED.

[All answers should be addressed to the Problem Editor, "Nautical Magazine," 15, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. Those who answer the whole Six correctly will receive a written testimonial or certificate. We trust that some of the older members of the profession will encourage the sending of answers to these problems.—ED.]

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

LOSS OF THE BRITISH MERCHANT STEAMSHIP "BARLEY
BARREL," 5TH NOVEMBER, 1878.

HIS case was heard at the Mansion House Banqueting
Room, in the Borough of Mudford, on the 31st
November, 1879 (upwards of a year after the

casualty), and as it was a typical case raising many important points, our own special reporter has recorded it for the benefit of our readers. The Court consisted of several justices, and five assessors, two of them from the Royal Navy and three from the Merchant Service. It would appear from the statement of the learned gentleman who opened the case, that the vessel was bound from the Pitcairn Islands with a cargo of Siberian lentils in bulk; that the vessel was nearly new; that she was staunch, strong, tight, and well-found in every particular, &c., &c., &c. She was 340.7 ft. long, 32-2 ft. in the beam, 30.7 ft. in depth of hold. She had a top-gallant forecastle, and a poop or break-deck, and was fitted with double bottom, and water ballast arrangements. She was classed 1,000 A1 at Lloyd's, and 27 years and 7 months, in red, in the Liverpool Book, as fit and proper to carry any and every description of perishable cargo, from and to every and any part of the world. Her gross register tonnage was 2,145. Her engines were of 219 horse-power, and she carried 5,702 tons of Siberian lentils in bulk. She had two boats, two compasses, the usual chain cables, and was steered by hand from amidships. She carried the usual signals of distress, and five deck hands, besides engineers, firemen, and a cook. She had been reported as "missing" for some months, when the good news unexpectedly arrived that her master, officers, and crew, who had taken to their boats, had been picked up, almost starved, by one of the new Chinese gunboats, on her voyage out from this country, and taken into Hong Kong. It was, in this case, fortunate that these survivors were spared to narrate, though not by any means to account for, the singular circumstance that such a well-built,

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highly-classed ship, as was the Barley Barrel, should have disappeared as she did. The Court would, no doubt, with its usual care and acumen, &c., &c., &c.

The master stated that he held a certificate of competency, and had passed in steam. He said, in his evidence, that the Barley Barrel was a first-class ship; he would go anywhere in her, with any cargo, and in any weather, and with a crew however small. His wages, or salary, amounted to £7 10s. a month, and he found his own charts and chronometers, &c. The owners were first-class people, extremely liberal as well as careful in everything; the ship and cargo were, he believed, fully insured. He had lost everything but his watch or pocket chronometer, which had been presented him for saving life some years ago. He had not brought it with him. It was with his mother's brother at Liverpool, who had kindly found the money for his counsel in the case. He had never lost a ship before; had never been in trouble in any way. His sobriety and competency had never been questioned-and were not questioned now. His vessel was not at all peculiar in dimensions or proportions; she had three tiers of beams, but only two decks laid. This he believed was usual. There were shifting boards, very stout and well fixed; they extended some distance down; quite far enough in his opinion. He could have had more put in if they had been wanted. The owners did not instruct him to do so; but they would not have objected to his spending money for purchasing and fitting more shifting boards: at least, he supposed not. The water-ballast tanks were a good size; very fine tanks indeed; he regarded them as giving great buoyancy to the ship, and, therefore, as very valuable; perhaps the buoyancy might have been better placed elsewhere, than down at the bottom, be was, however, not at all sure. Is satisfied that an empty air space in the water-ballast tanks did give great buoyancy; knows this, because they happened to get full of water just before they started, through the cocks getting turned the wrong way, when the pumps, instead of quite emptying them, quite filled them with water. This brought the deck at the vessel's waist to a level with the water-line; when the tanks were pumped out again she rose up and presented a fair side; cannot say how many feet, or how many inches; but

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quite enough-be was sure of that. The crew did not complain. He knew what "drowning Plimsoll" meant. Plimsoll was not "drowned" this time, but was well out of the water. Never inquired who settled the place of the disc, or "pancake as the men preferred to call it. He did not. As a matter of fancy, purely as a matter of fancy (and on being much pressed) he might, perhaps, have liked another two feet of clear side, or, perhaps, three feet; but only as a matter of fancy. having two feet more clear side. The ship was very strong. Did not think it strange or unusual that the pumps, valves, cocks, and pipes were so arranged that instead of pumping the tanks dry they might fill them. Thought it was a very common occurrence, even in classed ships. Was aware of the principle on which shore lifeboats were constructed. These boats turned over with great ease, and then righted themselves. They were very fine boats; they always righted themselves. The crew either kept in the boat with their cork life-jackets on, or jumped out and scrambled in again when the boat righted herself. Did not that those boats should roll over. As regards grain-laden ships, he constructed and loaded, were the same in principle, and gave the same results in practice, as the lifeboats referred to; he knew his ship was, and did. He knew nothing of centres of gravity. Was not aware that his ship had a meta-centre. Had circular lifebuoys. Had heard say that ignorance is bliss. Believed that the less owners or masters knew about some things the safer they were in Court. Supposed that this Court was no exception. Was quite sure he did not know how to calculate stability of a ship, or what treatment Siberian lentils required as to stowage. Had heard that a beer-barrel, if thrown into the sea and not ballasted, would roll over and over. Had never tried the experiment on his own account, and did not know for certain. The Barley Barrel was a first-class ship, very strong, nothing unusual about her, except that her deck fittings, coamings, and so forth, were very strong; the strongest and best he had ever seen; they would not let water down to the 'tween-decks or hold; that is, not unless the ship remained on her side. Did not see how the hold of a

The owner never objected to his

think it was at all surprising They are very fine boats indeed. thought they sometimes, as now

ship could be too deep to carry plenty of cargo. The Barley Barrel had a little difficulty in "standing up" if there was any wind at all. Perhaps her centre of gravity of displacement was wrong somehow, and the meta-centre may have been wrong. She certainly seemed always ready to sail on one of her bilges. Means by that that she would steam whether she was upright or not, but quite as well, he thought, when listed over to one side or the other; it did not matter which side. Thought it not at all unusual for ships like the Barley Barrel to behave like that. He expected to be master of another Barley Barrel soon. He believed the underwriters and all concerned agreed with him that ships of the Barley Barrel class will sail well on their bilges. Thinks it was an advantage that his steamer steamed well on either bilge; thinks it was a very great advantage. Has no doubt the Register Societies took that point into favourable consideration in giving her a very high class; he should do so himself. He thinks the reasons are good; those reasons are, that when the ship was upright she would hold 180 tons of water on deck, in what was called the "well," and could not get rid of it easily while upright, whereas, when steaming on her bilge, the deck gave a capital slant for the sea to run off; in fact, the water could not lodge at all when she had that steady list. The weather was bad, but not so very bad; had seen worse that was some years ago; it was before he was master of any Barley Barrel. The Barley Barrel eventually turned keel uppermost. They spent about six hours on the keel and bilges after she turned over. The deck fittings were very good; everything was first-class; that is how he accounts for the cargo not falling out at once. The ship was left floating bottom up and well out of the water. She was quite sound, and very first-class. Had seen a wooden ship float about bottom up, but had never seen an iron ship do so before.

The Barley Barrel was a nice easy roller, if there was a little wind or any swell on when she made way on her bilge. He had known the crew to get on the weather rail. Did not know that it was to be ready to run round her outside so as to scramble on to the bottom part if she should turn over; might have been, but

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