entertained until the year 1830, when terrible and repeated damage by lightning had ensued to H. M. ships. Thus in 1822 the Albion of 74 guns, at Portsmouth, lost her main-mast, and was otherwise severely dealt with by the electrical discharge; another ship of the line, the Ocean, was also damaged at Smyrna. In 1824, the Phaton, a large frigate was set on fire at Gibralter, and sent home under a jury fore-mast for refit. In 1828, the Thetis frigate, and Heron corvette, and which had been sent into the Pacific for the protection of our trade, were both disabled, so that convoys could not be granted. In 1830 a large frigate, the Madagascar, with other vessels was struck by lightning at Corfu, and severely damaged; the frigate was crippled in her fore and mizen masts, and was struck by destructive discharges no less than five times in an hour. In August of the same year, two ships of the line, the Gloucester and Melville, both lost their main-masts, beside other damage, when sailing out of Malta to join the Mediterranean fleet, after an expensive refit. In short not a year passed without some inconvenient and terrible loss to the Treasury and ships of the Navy by the unsparing power of lightning. A brig, the Clinker, when on the Coast of Africa was made quite a wreck; in another brig, the Sappho, ten men were killed outright, and the spars shivered. The Tamar of 26 guns had her sails set on fire and the masts shivered; such are a few instances only of the numerous cases of damage and destruction by lightning which continued to call for some redress at that time from the Board of Admiralty. (To be continued.) APPOINTMENT AND REPORT OF THE LATE COMMITTEE ON SHIPS LIGHTS TO PREVENT COLLISIONS. Admiralty, 14th February, 1852. SIR.-My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having been empowered by the Act 14 & 15 Vict. c. 79, dated the 7th August, 1851, to establish regulations relative to lights to prevent collision; and being desirous of having the opinion of certain officers practically conversant with the subject, have nominated a Committee, consisting of members mentioned in the margin, of which their Lordships request you will take upon you the office of chairman. The object to which my Lords more particularly desire to direct the attention of the Committee is, that of the feasibility of sailing vessels carrying and exhibiting lights; and if the Committee should be of opinion that it is desirable as well as practicable for sailing vessels to be • Capt. the Hon. R. S. Dundas, C.B.; Capt. F. W. Beechey, R.N.; Capt. W. L. Sheringham, R.N.; Capt. H. Nelson, one of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity. House. NO. 5.-VOL. XXI. 2 L compelled to exhibit lights, my Lords would be glad to be favoured with the opinion of the Committee as to the best mode of carrying the same into effect. My Lords have directed all the necessary papers to be at the disposal of the Committee, and every facility to be afforded them in inquiring into the subject. I am, &c., W. A. B. HAMILTON. Captain the Hon. R. S. Dundas, C.B., &c. &c. REPORT. Committee Room, Admiralty, THE Committee appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inquire into the Means of establishing Regulations for lights to be carried in sailing vessels at sea, having assembled on February 14th, and having continued their meetings from time to time until the 22nd of March, 1852; and having fully considered the subject on which their Opinions have been required, have agreed to the following Report, viz.: The instructions of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty dated 14th February, 1852, having been read, the attention of the Committee was necessarily directed, in the first instance, to the Act of the 14th and 15th Vict. c. 79, by which their Lordships have been empowered to issue directions for regulating the lights to be carried in sailing vessels at sea. The Committee have observed that it has been evidently the intention of the Act that some such regulations should be promulgated; but the fullest latitude and discretion appears to have been given to the Admiralty, to establish from time to time, to alter and to revoke, any regulations which may be thought necessary by their Lordships. A very cursory inspection of the papers which were furnished for the information of the Committee was sufficient to show, that in consequence of the authority thus given to the Admiralty, a general expectation has been raised among the shipowners in the country that some precise regulations would be issued, and many memorials have been presented to Her Majesty's Government, both before and since the passing of the Act, praying for a decision upon the subject, not only on the ground of the expectation created by the enactment, but also from the numerous collisions which are known to have taken place at sea, and are supposed by many persons to have been occasioned by the want of such necessary regulations. It was likewise observed by the Committee that the opinions of many competent persons, if not directly adverse to precise regulations, were, nevertheless, various and conflicting in regard to the effects likely to be produced by almost any system of lights that could be devised. The individual impressions of the members of the Committee at the outset were not less conflicting, and after comparison of the opinions entertained by each it was soon determined that no satisfactory conclusion could be expected unless with the assistance of the evidence of such practical persons as could be induced to favour them with the results of their experience. Communications were therefore forwarded to persons connected with Associations of Shipowners, and with Steam Navigation Companies, in the ports of London, Bristol, North and South Shields, Liverpool, Dublin, and Glasgow; and much readiness has been shown by all parties to furnish the evidence which was desired. Among the witnesses whom we have had an opportunity to examine will be found some of the most experienced shipowners, pilots, masters, and others, of trading and coasting vessels, as well as officers in the royal navy of different ranks, and of long experience in all parts of the world. From these persons many varieties of opinion have been collected, as will be seen on inspection of the minutes of their evidence appended to this Report. Several plans, not always well digested, have been proposed by some of them; but we regret to say, that except in the prevailing desire to establish satisfactory regulations, and a general impression amongst most of them that many lamentable collisions might be avoided if the motions of sailing vessels could be indicated at night, there has been scarcely a single practical suggestion upon which anything approaching to uniformity of opinion has been expressed. We have accordingly found great difficulty in forming a judgment upon the whole: and we are well convinced that the greatest possible circumspection will be necessary in any regulations which may be established. From the general tenor of the evidence of persons accustomed to the navigation of the mouth of the Thames and the east coast of England, there exists the strongest apprehension that the dangers of the navigation would be increased by regulations which might render it compulsory upon sailing vessels to carry lights constantly exhibited at sea; and similar objections, although not to the same extent, are entertained to fix lights in ships at anchor in crowded roadsteads. The same objec tions to constant lights have been stated by some intelligent witnesses connected with the navigation of the mouth of the Mersey and the Irish Channel; but we have observed in general that such objections have been less frequently and less strongly expressed by persons connected with the west than with the east coast of England; and that a considerable number of witnesses are favourable to fixed lights in ships at anchor in roadsteads and fairway channels. Great complaints are made on the part of the Steam Navigation Companies in general, on the ground of the injustice inflicted upon them in holding steam-ships responsible for damage done to sailing vessels in which no lights have been shown; and these complaints have been increased by recent legal decisions, which have caused much alarm amongst persons connected with these Companies. We are inclined to think that it may have been partly owing to these circumstances, and to the frequent neglect on the part of the smaller coasting- vessels when lights are required to be shown, that many strong opinions have been expressed in favour of constant lights to be carried by all sailing vessels. The wishes of the Steam Navigation Companies in this respect have been repeatedly stated in many urgent memorials. Although one remarkable exception to the prevailing opinion amongst them, in favour of fixed lights, is to be found in the General Steam Navigation Company of the Port of London. A very large proportion of the masters conducting the vessels of this Company are decidedly adverse to fixed lights for sailing vessels. A manifest distinction, however, will be perceived between the remedies which might be required to relieve the owners of steam-ships from legal responsibilities, which may be shown to have pressed unequally upon them, and the means which would be likely to prove most effectual for the prevention of disasters at sea. The Committee have considered that it is solely upon such questions of practice at sea that their opinions have been requested by the Board of Admiralty; and on mature reflection upon this very material point, they are not prepared to recommend that it should be compulsory on sailing vessels to carry lights constantly exhibited. They are bound to state, however, that they are not unanimous in this opinion. Much and anxious discussion has arisen upon the subject, and it has been thought by some, that the principal difficulties might be obviated by compelling the larger classes of ships only (say above 300 tons) to carry lights constantly displayed, leaving it optional with others to carry or show them when required. By this means the confusion to be apprehended from the display of numberless lights in very crowded channels would be obviated to some extent. It being the opinion, however, of the Committee, that it will be difficult in the smaller classes of vessels to fix lights, in any positions in which they will show and be certain to be seen in the desired direction in all descriptions of weather, it became necessary to consider in the next place, in what manner the lights for these classes could be regulated with good effect. It must be evident at this point, that if any system can be devised which could be worked effectually for the smaller vessels in narrow channels, it might be considered desirable, for the sake of uniformity to adopt the same system for ships of a larger class, either in wider channels or in the open ocean. Many suggestions have been made in the course of the evidence to provide for the exhibition of coloured lights as occasion may require, to distinguish either the side of the vessel or the tack on which she might be steering; or, lastly, the direction in which she intended to alter the helm on the approach of another ship in an opposite direction. The Committee are of opinion that this latter suggestion would be liable to frequent and very dangerous misapprehensions; but some weight is due to the suggestions by which the tack or the side of sailing vessels might be indicated to others on their approach. In dealing with this part of the subject it is to be observed, that while the Committee hesitate to recommend the adoption of fixed lights as a general practice in all vessels, it becomes indispensable to consider the effects to be produced by the occasional exhibition of such coloured lights on sailing vessels: and among the various points which have divided the opinions of the Committee, the following may be particularly enumerated, viz.: 261 Firstly, It has been urged that all the reasons which may be advanced as to the inefficiency of lights which are only kept ready to be shown, and not constantly hoisted, must be applicable also to coloured lights when not fixed, with the additional disadvantage arising from the possibilities of confusion in the hurry of the moment, or from want of intelligence, or carelessness in the display of the proper colour. Secondly, That there is apprehension that coloured lights for sailing vessels may tend, in some measure, to destroy the distinction now established with good effect for indicating the motions of steam-vessels on their approach. as 66 Thirdly, That, in the regulations issued by the Board of Admiralty for fitting the lights of steam-vessels, it is announced to be a principle first introduced with the plan" that "important" the lights should be fitted with screens, without which they "would be ineffective"; and a question arises, in consequence, of the difficulty of properly directing screens for lights intended to be shown by hand, and liable to be exhibited either on the side, or near the quarter, or on the bow, acccording to the discretion of those using them, whether intelligent or otherwise. Fourthly, That coloured lights, intended to be shown only occasionally, and for the purpose only of indicating the tack of sailing ships, if exhibited on the sides to which the particular colours do not now properly belong in steam-vessels, would often indicate a direction of the ship's head in sailing vessels directly contrary to that which is now indicated in steam-vessels by the same colours, and thus tend to create confusion. Much perplexity has arisen from the discussion of all the considerations involved in these several particulars; and the Committee have again to express their regret that they have failed to arrive at a common agreement upon the subject. The confusion apprehended, on the one hand, by the introduction of coloured lights when not fixed; and the recognized difficulty, on the other, of fixing them in the smaller and most numerous classes of vessels, have led principally to this embarrassment. Under these circumstances, and being unwilling to separate without advancing, as far as possible, to a definite conclusion on a subject which has been discussed with a full sense of responsibility, the Committee deem it proper to state, that in any combinations of lights which might be adopted they think it will be essential to indicate within definite limits the direction of the ship's head in every sailing ship in which lights are to be exhibited. Two of the members of the Committee are of opinion that this object may be accomplished by the introduction of a red and a green light in sailing vessels to be either fixed or shown by hand, as occasion may require on the sides to which these colours respectively belong, in the existing regulations for steam-vessels; and the adoption of this arrangement is strongly insisted upon by them as a simple, practical, and sufficient indication of the direction required to be shown. The remaining members of the Committee are of a different opinion, and are persuaded that the indication required will not be really afforded by such means, but will be much too vague and indefinite; and, in |