§ MR. FORTESCUE FLANNERY (Yorkshire, W.R., Shipley)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the modern improvements in refrigerating machinery on board ship, and the general adoption in the mercantile marine of such machinery; and, whether he could state the number and names of Her Majesty's ships on foreign stations in hot climates which have been furnished with such machinery, and with what results on the health of the ship's company?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYYes, Sir, my attention has been directed to the subject of refrigerating machinery, as the following statement will show. In future all ships above 3rd class cruisers will have refrigerating machines attached to their cold storage rooms, and ice-making machines will be supplied to all 3rd class cruisers and small vessels. Steam-driven machines are on order for, or fitted in, 49 ships, of which the following are in Commission abroad:—Hood (Mediterranean), Eclipse (East Indies), Powerful (China), Renown (North America and West Indies), Phœbe and Doris (Cape and West Coast of Africa,). With regard to the effects on the health of the ships' crews of such of Her Majesty's ships as have been fitted with steam-driven refrigerating or ice-making machines, sufficient time has not yet elapsed to enable the medical officers to form an opinion upon the results.