LIFE-BOAT. A life-boat in a boat constructed with great strength to resist rioleot shocks, and at the same time possessing sufficient buoyancy to enable it to float though loaded with men and filled with water. Such boats are maintained at most of the porta of this kingdom, always ready to put to sea when vessels are seen in danger of shipwreck, and provided with meant' for being conveyed to the shore and launched as rapidly as possible.
As early as the year 1785, a patent was granted to Mr. Lakin for a life-boat with projecting gunwales and hollow cases or double sides under them, as well as eir-tight lockers or enclosures under the thwarts : thesis contrivances increased the buoyancy of the boat, and the air-tight cases under the gunwales, by their weight when raised above the surface of the sea, and their resistance when depressed beneath, greatly prevented rolling. Mr. latkin's boat was strong and buoyant, but it was liable to be disabled by having the sides staved in. A better was Mr. Oreethead's, invented in 1789. This boat had five thwarts, or 'tette for rowers, doubled-banked, to be manned with ten oars. It was eased end lined with cork, which gave it such buoyancy that it would float and be serviceable though so damaged by hard knoeka as to be almost in pieces; and this is an accident which the softness and elasticity of the cork is well calculated to prevent. Great head's boat, by the year 1804, when the Society of Arta voted the Inventor their gold medal and 50 guineas, had saved nearly 300 lives from vessels wrecked near the mouth of the Tynemouth haven. In the year 1807 Mr. Wilson produced a life-boat, for which he received the gold medal of the Society of Arts, although in fact its principle did not differ much from that of Lukin's.
During the next forty years, numerous other life-boats were intro. duced or professed for introduction ; but all of them were wanting in some or other of the requisite qualities. In 1850 the Duke of Nor thumberland, as a means of lessening the terrible loss by shipwreck on the eastern coast. offered a prime for the best model of a life-boat. No fewer than 280 plans and models were sent in, which were all patiently examined by a committee appointed by his Grace for that purpose. About 50 of the models were afterwards sent to the Great Exhibition in 1851. The examiners drew up a list of all the good qualities of a life-boat, and noted down the rank of each of the 280 plans in reference to each quality; and then a summary of these partial results, gave an aggregate result for each boat, which determined the amount of its claim to the place of honour. Tested in this way, the prize was awarded to Mr. Beeching, of Yarmouth, GA the constructor of the life boat which combined the largest number of good qualities. It affords
a curious comment on this mode of arriving at a judgment by prizes and competitive examinations, that the exmnimmers did not really adopt any one of the 280 plans, although the prize was awarded to Mr. Beeching. 31r. I'eake, the master ehipwriglit at Portsmouth, who was one of the committee, designed a boat which comprised many of the features of the competitive boats, and added others suggested by his experience ; and this boat, gradually improved in later years, is the one which now constitutes the recognised English model : it is adopted, to the exclusion of all others, by that highly useful body, the "Life-Boat Institution ;" ninny boats on the same construction have been sent to Russia, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and the colonies.
We copy from the Companion to the British Almanac,' for 1860, a brief description of Peake's life-boat in the latest stage of its develop ment. The boats are of two sizes. One is about 82 feet long, 8 feet wide, 4 feet deep, weighs 40 cwt., costs 1561., and is worked by 10 oars; the other is about 28 feet long, 7 feet wide, 3 feet deep, weighs 25 cwt., costs 1261., and is worked by 6 oars. Although there is only one rudder, the boat is nearly alike at both ends ; air-cases and chambers are pro. vided in various parts of the interior ; while ingenious arrangements are made for getting rid of any water which may have entered the boat. It is generally allowed that the boat posserwes in a high degree these eight qualities—great lateral stability ; speed against a heavy sea ; facility for launching; ease in taking the shore; immediate self discharge of any water entering it ; facility of self-righting if upset; great strength of construction ; and stowage-room for a number of passengers. Some features of the construction may be understood from the annexed cuts. In fig. 1, representing a vertical longitudinal section of the boat, D D are the end air-cases; I, 2, 3, 4, li, are trans verse divisions; the dotted lines show the position and dimensions of the air-ehambere within-board, and the tubes through any shipped water is got rid of. In fig. 2, representing a deck-plan of the boat, A A, are the deck ; n s, the relieving tubes (0 Inches in diameter) ; o c, the dile sir-cases ; n n, the end air-chambers. In fig. 3, which is a midship transverse section, a A, nm sections of the side air-eases; as, the relieving tubes, bored through solid massive chocks of wood ; e, are mecca beneath the deck, filled near the midahip portion with solid chocks of light wood ; while D Is a section of a small channel, baying a pump in It, by which any leakage-water can be pumped out by one of the crew whilst afloat. In fg. 4, the exterior form of transverse sections, at different distances from item to stern, is shown.