The Hon. Charles Parsons read a most interesting paper before
the Royal Institution on Friday week on steam turbines. which, as adapted by him for marine propulsion, seem destined to revolutionise naval construction and sea- borne traffic. The new torpedo-boat destroyer, Viper,' built to Government order, and propelled by turbines, can be manceuvred like an ordinary twin-sarew vessel, and attained on her second trial a mean speed of 34.8 knots, her fastest trial being over 35 knots, or about 41 miles per hoar, which eclipses all records, Mr. Parsons contended that his system could be applied to a. cross-Channel boat with a speed of 30 knots as against 19.22 now attained, while if applied to a small un- armoured cruiser of 2,800 tons with eight propellers and engines of 80,000 horse-power, a speed of 44 knots, or say 51i miles, could be maintained for eight hours. Mr. Parsons's remarkable achievements afford a pleasant instance of heredi- tary talent, his father being the Lord Rosse of telescope fame.
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