IMPROVEMENT IN ANCHORS.

Southland Times, Issue 1525, 16 January 1872, Page 2

IMPROVEMENT IN ANCHORS.

Shipmasters and nautical men generally are interested in learning that a variety of improvements in that mainstay of their pursuits — the anehor--havejust been patented by Capt. Thomas Thomson, harbor master at the Bluff. Intimation having been received by last mail that the patent rights had been secured, further • reticence is unnecessary. List week Capt. Thomson openly experimented upon the value of his discovery, and we are glad to learn that the result was iti every respect creditable to the ingenuity of the inventor, besides being successful in respect of the promise it affords as a boon to the international trade of the world. The experiment was made in presence of Sir William Staweil, Chief Justice of Victoria, at present residing at Campbelltown, and other gentlemen. Captain Grreig, of the James Paxton, who was also present, writes to us as under. For the information of readers at a distance, we may explain that Capt. Greig has been long and favorably known to the shipping trade of this colony. He has been a shipmaster since the year 18-10, and for about eight years he was engaged trading between London and Scotland and the Baltic, and for upwards of 9 years he was similarly engaged in the coastal trade of Australia. We mention these facts to show that in giving his opinion on the subject we are giving the opinion of one whose practical experience is well entitled to public consideration. The communication is dated from Bluff Harbor, and reads as follows : — I hare just witnessed a series of experiments made with variously-shaped anchors as to their holding power on land and soft soils ; their power of taking hold and clearing themselves when fouled by the cable, and I have no hesitation in giving it as my opinion that the new anchor just patented combines properties superior to any anchor hitherto known to me. Its superiority I take take to be — Ist, the impossibility of the cable fouling the stock when it is being let go ; 2nd, the impossibility of the cable fouling the stock when at the bottom under any circumstances ; 3rd, the very small chance there is of the cable fouling the flukes, for in the experiments I have just witnessed the chain when wound round the flukes, cleared itself when the strain came on it ; 4th, the certainty of the flukes gripping the ground on hard and soft bottoms, and > thereby exerting a resting power eojial to

and I believe greater than, that of any anchor I know of ; sth, the simple and effective means by which the flukes may be set to any angle, so as to suit the nature of the bottom, the experiments Having shown that soft soil requires the flukes to be set at a different angle from, that required for hard ground; 6th, the almost impossibility of the stock getting bt>nt or broken, when dropped among rocks or when dredging in a tide-way. These I consider to be its main advantages, and on the other hand I cap see no corresponding dis Advantage ; for it could not inflict any more damage to a vessnl's bottom settling down on it in shallow water than Trottnmn's anchor would do. The shape is rather startling .at first sight, but after setting aside ideas which long habit gives one, and exercising the judgment alone, I see that the shape can in no way be inconvenient, but that the newly invented anchor may be catted, fished, aud taken on board as easily as an ordinary shaped anchor.