24 OCTOBER 1874, Page 2

Captain Dicey's experiment, the twin-steamer ' Castalia, ' appears, in

one respect at least, to be a thorough success. On Wednesday' morning at 9 a.m., though the wind was blowing fearfully, and the sea so high that it swept a poor lad off the decks, she steamed from Ramsgate to Calais in two hours and fifteen minutes, no rolling' or pitching motion being observable. The outrigger' system, in fact, has been tested under severe conditions, and does prevent, if the Secretary's report is verified by subsequent ex- perience, any but the faintest chance of sea-sickness. Should all that may fairly be hoped from this trip be secured, there will be a, revolution in the structure of steamers for short passenger-tripe.