§ MR. C. T. GOURLEY (Sunderland)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty (1) if he can state how many and which of the torpedo catchers, built or being built, are constructed with tubular boilers; (2) whether any and which are fitted with copper tubes; (3) whether those with copper, have proved not only a failure but dangerous; and (4) will he, for the information of Members, have drawings of and a description of the Belleville and other types of tubular boilers placed in the Tea Room?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON(1) Of the 42 torpedo-boat destroyers completed and building, all except six are and will be fitted with water-tube boilers. (2) The boilers of nine of these ships were fitted with copper tubes throughout by the contractors, who were responsible for the design and preferred to use that material. (3) In three of the last named, on the Contractor's preliminary trials, failure of the copper tubes occurred in positions most exposed to the fire, and in one case was attended with fatal results. It was consequently decided to avoid further risk by substituting—entirely in some of these vessels, and to a large extent in others—steel tubes for copper. (4) With regard to the last paragraph of the question, arrangements can be made to meet the wishes of the hon. Member.