§ SIR ARTHUR FORWOODI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the total consumption of coal during the thirty hours' trial of the Powerful, how many boilers were used, and what was the average indicated horse-power and speed maintained during the trial; and what number of vessels, other than torpedo boats and destroyers, have been fitted or are being fitted with tubular water boilers, with the aggregate indicated power of their engines, and if any and which of them have yet been tried on an oversea voyage, and to what place?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover SquareThe number of boilers in use on the thirty hours' trial of the Powerful was 48, the whole number, the total coal consumption 453 17–20 tons, the average indicated horse-power 18,459, and the average speed 20–95 knots per hour. There are 39 vessels in the Navy, other than torpedo boats, destroyers, and small craft, fitted or being fitted with water-tube boilers. The aggregate horsepower of these vessels is 421,800. Of these, the Speedy and Sharpshooter have been employed on service with the Channel Squadron, the Speedy since February 20, 1894, and the Sharpshooter from September 15, 1894, to May 6, 1895. I may mention that the French man-of-war Alger recently returned from China after a three years' commission, and we have been informed that there were no defects in her boilers, which were of the Belleville type, and that they worked satisfactorily during the whole commission.