§ ADMIRAL FIELD (Sussex, Eastbourne)asked the noble and gallant Lord the Member for Marylebone (Lord Charles Beresford), Whether, in view of certain statements made at the recent Court Martial on the stranding of the Firm gunboat in the January gale, relative to her inability to take deep sea soundings owing to the state of the sea and the non-supply of Sir William Thomson's Deep Sea Sounding - Machine, now generally carried in all ocean - going steamers, he will confer with the other Naval Lords of the Admiralty as to the advisability of recommending that the said valuable sounding-machine be supplied to all Her Majesty's sea-going ships, irrespective of whether it has been applied for by Commanding Officers or not?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON), (Middlesex, Ealing)(who replied) said: Sir William Thomson's sounding-machine is only applied to the larger types of ships and to vessels with very high speed. Certain improvements in the machine have been suggested, and are under trial. Until these are completed there is no intention of extending its issue to the smaller classes of ships.