§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a sounding-bell has been placed at the head of the Admiralty Pier, Holyhead, and electric bells are about to be placed on the North Stack gun-signalling station which will be kept ringing continuously; and whether, as Rosslare is the first harbour encountered by the up-channel vessels, he will consider the advisability of providing Rosslare with a similar apparatus, which would be of benefit to vessels fitted with the submarine signalling arrangement?
Mr. TENNANTI am aware that a submarine fog bell has been placed at the head of the mail jetty at Holyhead, and that a submarine ground bell is to be placed as an experiment off the North Slack during next month. The cost of these will be384W borne by the London and North-Western Railway Company, and the Holyhead bell is only sounded during fog when the mail steamers belonging to that company and to the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company are expected. As regards Rosslare, the only vessels likely to be fitted with submarine signalling apparatus utilising this harbour are those belonging to the Great Western Railway Company, and I do not think, therefore, that the cost of fitting the apparatus at Rosslare would be a reasonable charge on the General Lighthouse Fund.