MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether Her Majesty's first-class battleship Resolution, of 14,150 tons, which left Plymouth for Gibraltar on the 18th instant, in convoy 329 of H.M.S. Gleaner, a gunboat of 735 tons, was so damaged by the gale she encountered off Ushant that she had to bear up and return to Queenstown; whether the Gleaner was able to continue, and did continue, her voyage without convoy; whether, during the 19th and 20th, the Resolution was kept hove-to, head to wind, because it was deemed that to bear up and run back would be dangerous and involve risk of capsizing when she came broadside on to the sea; whether, on the 20th instant, the Resolution rolled her rails under the water; whether she rolled 45 degrees each way; how many degrees it is calculated that she can roll without capsizing; whether he can say what damage she has received; and whether Her Majesty's Government propose to continue to allow vessels of this class to go to sea in bad weather?
§ MR. WOLFF (Belfast, K.)Al the same time, I may ask the right hon. Gentlemen whether the reports as to the accident to H.M.S. Resolution, published in the newspapers, are substantially correct: whether the damage done is confined to the boats and fittings, or whether the leakage reported is due to the straining of the main structure: whether any mail or merchant steamers were obliged to return damaged by the gale which was encountered by the Resolution; and whether any explanation can be given why a man-of-war, built to go to any part of the world, should be unable to cross the Bay of Biscay in winter?
§ COMMANDER BETHELL (York, E.R., Holderness)And perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will say if he can state how many degrees H.M.S. Resolution rolled in a recent gale in the Bay of Biscay; if it is true that she shipped a, great deal of water; that the water got below in considerable quantities; and how it got below; and, generally, if he can give, any information as to her behaviour, both when laid to, and when proceeding during this gale, which will allay any uneasiness caused by reports in the Press?
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I will take this opportunity of asking the right hon. Gentleman a question, of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether it is true, as stated in a letter written by an officer of the ship, which appeared 330 in The Times of December 28th, that the Resolution was not tested for stability before she loft England, and that her maximum angle of stability had been estimated to be 38 degrees?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLE-WORTH,) Lancashire, ClitheroeThe Resolution experienced very heavy weather on her passage, and her commanding officer, in the exorcise of his discretion, determined to return to Queenstown to re-coal and make good defects. The Report of Captain Hall shows that the ship rolled heavily, especially when a very steep and high sea was on the beam. Her behaviour was greatly improved when she was brought bow on to the sea. At present there is no accurate information respecting the extreme angles of roll. A further Report has been called for as to the manner in which those angles were measured—by pendulum or otherwise. The careful survey by experienced officers shows that there has been no straining or damage to structure, no leaks through sides of ship, and only small leaks through decks. Fittings above the upper deck and outside the ship have been broken by the blows of the sea. These defects are in hand at Devonport, and it is reported that they will be completed in a few days at au expense of about £350. This is the best measure of the trivial nature of the damage. It is not an unusual thing for ships to roll heavily in gales of wind and high seas, and there is no question as to the Stability of the Resolution. Her range of stability exceeds 60 degrees. In reply to the hon. Member for the Ecclesall Division, I have to say that the Resolution was not tested for stability before she soft England. She was built from the same design as the Royal, Sovereign and five other ships. Two of these have been inclined with identical results, confirming previous estimates. Consequently, any experiment on the Resolution was unnecessary. Her stability admits of no doubt. It is not usual or necessary to incline every ship of a class. The maximum righting moment occurs at an inclination of 37 degrees to the vertical, and exceeds 30,000 foot tons. The ship continues to have righting power up to an inclination exceeding 60 degrees from the vertical.
§ COMMANDER BETHELLThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question. I asked whether it was true that considerable quantities of water got below decks, and whether it was the case that the Resolution only rolled very heavily when the sea was on her beam and not when she had been "brought to." This is very important in the opinion of those who understand the matter, and if the right hon. Gentleman can give an assurance to that effect it will remove a good deal of uneasiness.
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHI have already stated that the behaviour of the ship greatly improved as soon as the bow was brought on to the sea.
§ COMMANDER BETHELLMay we take it that she did not after that roll heavily?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHNot so heavily, but there was a tremendous sea. The heavy rolling related to the time when the ship's side was exposed. No doubt a considerable amount of water got below owing to certain battening down precautions not having been taken earlier.
§ MR. DARLING (Deptford)Were there no means of repairing this trifling damage of £350 nearer Queenstown than at Devonport?
§ MR. DARLINGIs Haulbowline not nearer?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThat is not a yard where repairs to great ships can be done. Some of these repairs might possibly have been done at Haulbowline, but it was very desirable to move the Resolution to a yard where she could be surveyed by officers such as those who have made the Report to which I have alluded.
§ COMMANDER BETHELLThe right hon. Gentleman said that Captain Hall acting on his own discretion brought the Resolution back; is it not the case that she left Plymouth full of coal, and that she had to return partially on account of want of coal, she having run short in that brief time?
* MR. GIBSON BOWLESIs it not the fact that the Resolution was kept 332 hove-to because it was feared that if she was brought broadside on to the sea she would capsize? Were there five feet of water in the engine-room? Did not H.M.S. Gleaner weather the gale in the Bay of Biscay?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHA further Report is being prepared, and that must be taken as an answer to several of the questions. There is reason to believe that the amount of water which had got into the engine-room has been exaggerated. The Gleaner behaved admirably, and proceeded to Gibraltar.
* MR. GIBSON BOWLESWill the Report be laid on the Table of the House, or shall we have to elicit further information by means of questions?
MR. WOLFECan the right hon. Gentleman tell mo why a man-of-war, built to go to any part of the world, cannot cross the Bay of Biscay in winter time?
§ MR. WOLFFYes; but I am sure he would not have returned unless serious damage had been done to the vessel.