§ MR. GOURLEYI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether H.M.S. Barham, on her preliminary trial, with her engines working at only a moderate speed, and much below what she is expected to develop, even with natural draught, had to return to port owing to the dangerous vibration of her bearings, especially her thrust blocks: whether it is true that the hull is of steel, and the plates so thin, that difficulty was experienced in rivetting them; who is responsible for having designed and built this vessel without a double bottom, in consequence of which the engines are bolted right on to the thin skin of the ship; and what measures the Admiralty intend adopting to stiffen and make the vessel seaworthy?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONThe Barham and Bellona are experimental vessels, being practically torpedo gun-vessels on a large scale, with locomotive boilers, and built to attain a high speed on a limited displacement. The Barham made a preliminary trial on May 19th. This was her first trial under way. It was made for the purpose of giving contractors the opportunity of observing the working of the propelling machinery and making any necessary adjustments before proceeding to the official trial. This preliminary trial continued the whole day, the maximum power developed being about 3,000 horse power, and the contract natural draught power being 3,500 horse-power. There was no dangerous vibration of the bearings to the main engines; in fact, they were practically rigid. The thrust block bearers moved slightly, indicating the desirability of stronger attachments to the hull proper. The work is now practically completed. The hull is built of steel, but no difficulty in riveting the plates has been experienced. The responsible designer of the Barham is MR. W. H. White. No vessel of such small size as the Barham has been constructed with a double bottom; in fact, the arrangement is impracticable in association with such light draught and the due protection of the machinery. The engines are not bolted right on to 839 the skin of the ship, but carried on exceptionally deep and strong girders. Beyond the additional fastenings to thrust bearers, no change in structure has been shown to be necessary so far as trials have gone.