§ MR. WILLIAM ALLAN (Gateshead)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, seeing that the original tubes in the condensers of H.M.S. "Spartiate" were tested to Admiralty requirements before being fitted, whether he will state what was the nature of the subsequent test which decided the Admiralty to discard the original tubes; further, were four defective tubes sufficient to condemn the original 12.578 tubes.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER,) Belfast, W.The Admiralty test and examination of condenser tubes involve the destruction of two per cent of the tubes in any consignment for the purpose of ascertaining the quality of the material, and to examine the manufacture; each tube is also water-tested. The original tubes of the "Spartiate" passed these tests on examination satisfactorily, but, in view of the failure of four tubes under steam, 100 were drawn from different parts of the condenser for examination and test to destruction. The internal surfaces of five of these tubes proved on examination to be defective owing to lamination or cracks, and, in view of these imperfections and of the failure of similar tubes under steam, it was decided to replace the whole of the tubes of the condenser.
§ MR. WILLIAM ALLANDid the second supply of tubes undergo the same examination as the first?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI presume they did. The tests are the most exhaustive and complete that science can suggest.