The most important novelty, however, is that introduced under Mr. Porter's patent of 1838, seeing that it is the basis which supports all the subsequent improvements of any note. The arms are pivoted to the stock, instead of being rigidly fixed ; and there is a projecting piece, called the toggle, on the convex part of each arm. These two addi tions or adjustments have a remarkable effect on the action of the A. The advantages of this A. over those of ordinary make are very considerable. There is less chance of "fouling" by the cable passing over the exposed fluke of the A. when the vessel is swinging in a tide-way; there is less danger of injury from the upper peak; the A. can not lodge on its stock-end; it is stronger in the arm than ordinary anchors; and it is very conveniently stowed on shipboard. On the ogler hand, it has the disadvantalge of increased complication over an A. made in one piece; itS taking the ground is not so certain as with the old A.; it is extremely difficult to sweep if the cable parts; and it is somewhat awkward to fish.
Among the modifications of Porter's A., since introduced, are those of Trotman and Honiball. Trotman's, to which most attention is at present directed, has several advan tages over Porter's, principally in the arrangement of the palms and toggles, but it possesses the same disadvantages. This A. was for long the subject of a bitter conten tion between Mr. Trotman and the admiralty. In 1852, in compliance with a requisition from numerous ship-owners and underwriters, the admiralty appointed a committee, consisting of eleven experienced and impartial persons, to make trial of a large another of anchors, with a view of determining the relative merits of various forms and modes of construction. The anchors were to be similar in weight, and were to be tested in a great variety of ways—on shore, and at sea, and in reference to the holding, stowage, sweeping, tripping, fouling, etc. Most of the recently invented anchors tried were found
to be better than the ordinary admiralty A.; and the one which appeared to possess the greatest number of good qualities was Trotman's. It is beyond doubt a very favorable A., and is largely used in the merchant service; but the admiralty—in spite of the favorable report of largely committee—have never yet felt justified in adopting any A. not made in one piece, and it is not used either in the British or (we believe) any other navy. The admiralty A. (often spoken of as Sir William Parker's) has been of late years greatly improved in many details, chiefly by Mr. Lenox, and is probably now as perfect as a solid A. can be.
The manufacture of anchors furnished, until recent years, the most formidable exem plification of smith's work anywhere presented, on account of the great dimensions and weight of the pieces of iron which had to be welded into one mass. The anchor-smiths wielded the most ponderous sledge-hammers known to our artisans: and the services of a large number were needed to weld the metal while in the heated and state. At the present time, however, the operations are rendered very much more easy by the steam-hammer, the force of which is both greater and more easily applied than that of any available number of sledge-hammers wielded by men. At some of the government dockyards, anchor-making is conducted on a great scale; but the larger portion of the supply for the navy is obtained by contract by private firms.
We have already spoken of the sizes of anchors, etc., prescribed for merchant vessels