No doubt most readers of The Lifeboat possess a copy of Britain's Life-boats, by Major A. J. Dawson. They will find in Appendix A in that book a list of the works of Sir William Hillary, whose Appeal to the British Nation, published in 1823, led directly to the founding of the Royal National Life-boat Institu- tion in the following year.

A work not included in that list has recently come to light. This is a pamphlet, published in London, and dated 29th September, 1824, and en- titled A Plan for the Construction of a Steam Life Boat, also for the extinguish- ment of Fire at Sea, etc. In a later publication Sir William mentions that "an extensive edition " of this pamphlet was published, and that he distributed it to " all departments connected with the shipping interests, and amongst numerous individuals at home and abroad." It is -such an interesting document, and throws so much light on the character and foresight of its author, that no apology seems needed for the following notes and extracts.

The copy before me is one- of two which were in the possession of Mr.

W. J. Oliver, who was Honorary Secre- tary of the Sunderland Life-boat Station from 1900 to 1926. His son, Captain W. J. Oliver, now Organizing Secretary for the North-Eastern District, who followed his father as Hon. Secretary at Sunderland from 1926 to 1928, has kindly lent the pamphlet to the Secre- tary of the Institution, and has supplied much of the information which follows.

Bernard Ogden, of Sunderland.

The pamphlet is inscribed in Sir William Hillary's hand : "To Bernard Ogden, Esq., from the Author." From the following facts, the result of much research in old documents by Captain Oliver, it may be inferred that Mr.

Ogden was one of the pioneers of Life- saving work at sea at Sunderland, and that his activities extended far beyond that port.

In 1794 he obtained from the Royal Humane Society a complete apparatus for rescue from the shore, and became Treasurer of the Sunderland Humane Society which was formed in that year.

He was certainly also instrumental in building Life-boats, and the first annual report issued by the Isle of Man District Association in 1826 records that a large Life-boat, built by Mr. Ogden of Sunderland, was then on service, at Douglas, while an entry in the accounts reads : " To Bernard Ogden, Esq. : Remitted him a bill for £112 Os. Od.— Life-boat." It was through the efforts of Sir William Hillary, who had been living in the Isle of Man since 1808, that the Life-boat Association for the Isle of Man, with its first Station at Douglas, had been established, so that it is not surprising that he should have presented his pamphlet of 1824 to Mr. Ogden.

Amazing Foresight.

The pamphlet makes it clear that Sir William foresaw the coming of the power Life-boat, with all her evident advantages. Space will not permit of my quoting, the pamphlet at length, but the main interest of it lies in the amazing foresight of the author, and the number of essential attributes of the power Life- boat, many of them only fully achieved within the last few years, which, a century ago, he realised.

I propose to take these points in the order in which they occur in the pam- phlet.

1. Size and Weight of Boat.—Sir William writes : " The important point will consist in ascertaining the smallest- sized vessel calculated to receive an engine that, in proportion to her bulk, would have a commanding power over her." He realised the difficulty in designing a steam engine sufficiently small and light to be suitable for a Life- boat of reasonable size—the same difficulty which modern designers en- counter in adapting the heavy oil engine of the Diesel type for Life-boat work. He adds, "Perhaps the boat might be about forty feet long "—not so bad an estimate of the length of a modem Motor Life-boat, though smaller than any Steam Life-boat ever built by the Institution.

2. Believing Valves.—" She should have valves, or small ports, opening outwards only, that any sea she might ship would readily discharge itself; and, being so constructed, water could not force its way in." I know no better general description of the relieving valves or ports fitted in modern Life- boats.

3. Power Capstans.—" She might have a windlass ... so framed that the power of the steam engine might with ease be applied to it instead of manual labour." The larger modern Motor Life-boats are fitted with power capstans on the principle outlined above.

4. Protection for Propellers.—In the modern Motor Life-boat, the propeller is housed in a tunnel for protection. Sir William did not foresee the screw propeller, and to him the paddle wheel was the natural means of propulsion.

He foresaw the necessity for protection, and writes : " Strong curved timbers should come round from the bows to the quarters, in which the outward axle of the water wheels should be fixed ; they would defend the paddles when running alongside a vessel in distress, or near to rocks, which protection would be of the utmost consequence to save them from injury at the time when everything depended upon them." It is interesting to compare these particulars with the actual description of the first Steam Life-boat, built by the Institution sixty-four years later, in 1888. She was 50 feet by 15 feet, and built of steel. Her most interesting feature was the method of propulsion.

Not only was the paddle-wheel rejected, but also the screw-propeller. The latter was felt to be unsuitable, both because of the danger of racing the engines and of the difficulty of protecting the screw itself against injury from sand-banks and wreckage. The hydraulic system was therefore adopted, although it entailed larger engines, greater consump- tion of coal, and, consequently, a shorter steaming capacity. With this system the boat was propelled by means of a powerful pump which drew in water through an opening at the bottom, and discharged it at the sides. At full speed this pump, which was driven by hori- zontal engines, would take in a ton of water per second, and it gave a speed of over 9 knots. Three Steam Life-boats were built with this method of propul- sion, but the screw-propeller was then adopted, the screw, as with the modern Motor Life-boats, being housed in a tunnel.

That, very briefly, is the Steam Life- boat, as finally designed and built. I should like to add to it the record of what Steam Life-boats have done in the Institution's Fleet. Altogether six were built. The first was completed in 1890.

The last was withdrawn from service in 1928. Thus, for thirty-eight years, there were Steam Life-boats in the Fleet.

They went out on service 468 times.

They rescued 673 lives.

5. Means of Propulsion other than Steam.—Perhaps the most interesting of all Sir William's suggestions is the recommendation that " every discovery which, through the use of gas or other means, may prove a substitute for steam "'should be taken advantage of.

The first practical gas engine had been built at Cambridge in 1820, by W. Cecil, who used a mixture of hydrogen and air. In 1823 Samuel Brown had pro- duced a more advanced type (one of which was actually installed in a 36-foot boat in 1827) ; and it is evident that Sir William was fully abreast of the latest developments of invention in internal combustion engines. The first practical petrol engine was Daimler's engine of 1886, and it was not until 1904 that a petrol engine was fitted in a Life- boat.

I have only been able to touch on a Eew of the points made by Sir William in his pamphlet. Much of it, dealing with the extinction of fire at sea, is rather outside the scope of the normal work of the Institution he founded.

But I hope I have been able to show iow this pamphlet throws a fresh light on the genius and vision of a very great man..