An interesting experience is related by Commander W. H. Owen, R.N.R., who at the time of the following incident was in command of a screw steamer of about 1,200 tons. When about 600 miles south-west of the Lizard, his ship had the misfortune to carry away her rudder. A jury rudder was rigged up in the usual way by fashioning a big steering oar out of the heaviest derrick which the ship possessed, bolting together iron plates at the outside end, and weighted below so as to keep the blade vertical. From the end steel hawsers were led in through outriggers to the steam winch. This all took time, and it was a day and a quarter before the arrangement was fixed up. When it was finally put into place, it only lasted a few minutes, for the first scend of the ship smashed the whole thing. Other means had, therefore, to be employed, and the ship was eventually steered into Falmouth, where temporary repairs were effected, the vessel then proceeding to Southampton, where a new rudder was made. Commander Owen adds that he considers the best possible arrangement, if such an accident should occur, to be as follows:--A heavy spar should be lashed to as much chain cable as the spar can sustain while yet keeping afloat, the bights of cable being allowed to hang down in lengths of about two fathoms, thus forming practically a solid sheet of iron, the bights of the cable being lashed close together by smaller chain. The contrivance is then towed astern of the ship from the quarters, sufficient scope being given to allow the spar to clear the counter as the vessel pitches or scends, the controlling being effected by means of steel hawsers attached to the other end of the spar, and led through outriggers to a steam winch. Another kind of disaster which may overcome the steamship is that of fire. Owing to the frequency of this species of calamity, the committee of Lloyd’s some seven years ago instituted a special inquiry into the matter, and after examining no fewer than 627 cases of fire on ships, it was found that as many as 403 had occurred while the ship was in port; thus only about one-third of the instances happened while the ship was at sea. In most cases there was no evidence to show the cause of these fires, but since it was ascertained that many of the outbreaks occurred while the ship was discharging or loading cargo, it was thought that a closer supervision over the use of lights and a more stringent prevention of smoking in the holds would give more satisfactory results.