§ MR. ALLAN (Gateshead)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the nature of the repairs being carried out at Devonport Dockyard to the water-tube boilers of Her Majesty's cruiser "Highflyer," recently returned from the Mediterranean; what is being done to the water-tube boilers of Her Majesty's ships "Gipsy," "Fairy," and "Osprey," what report has he received as to the latter vessel, and what is the reason Her Majesty's cruiser "Argonaut" is still detained at Chatham; whether, on having only a basin trial of her machinery on Thursday last, the doors of her water-tube boilers leaked so badly that fully 100 tons of water which had been distilled by Her Majesty's ship "Champion" for the "Argonaut's" use was lost in the few hours' basin trial; and how many of the water-tube boilers of Her Majesty's ship "Diadem" were fit to be used on her return to Portsmouth, and what is the extent of the necessary repairs.
MR. GOSCHENThe "Highflyer" is having her machinery overhauled as a 931 preliminary to proceeding on foreign service. Only very trifling work has has been done on her boilers. The "Gipsy," "Fairy," and "Osprey" have water-till its boilers of the Thorneycroft type. The boilers of the "Gipsy" are being re-tubed. The boilers of the other two vessels are undergoing examination, but no report has been received as to their condition being other than serviceable. The leakage in the "Argonaut" was not from the doors of her water-tube boilers but from joints of steam and drain pipes. The "Diadem's" boilers wore all in working order on her arrival at Portsmouth.