§ MR. GOURLEY (Sunderland)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if it is correct that the machinery of the new third-class cruiser Mohawk, when recently under trial at Sheerness, was unsatisfactory, and that she broke her port eccentric rod; whether the guns originally fitted on the fore sponsons have been removed and replaced with others of lighter calibre, for the purpose of avoiding the danger attending the plunging of her bows under water; and whether it is correct that vessels of this and the Sandfly class are all overweighted, thus limiting the utility of their guns even in a moderate sea?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord G. HAMILTON, Middlesex, Baling)The port "eccentric," not "eccentric rod," of Her Majesty's ship Mohawk was found cracked at the recent trial underway. This accident was due to an old flaw. The purpose of these trials is to discover such defects as may have escaped observation during repair. No change has been made in the armament. As the result of experience at sea it is not considered that vessels of the Mohawk and Sandfly classes are overweighted with armament to an extent which limits the utility of their guns in a moderate sea, or prejudices their seaworthiness.