In executing the job, my early
experience of all sorts of handiwork came serviceably to my aid.
After many a whole night's work--for the evenings alone were not
sufficient for the purpose--I at length completed my model; and
triumphantly and confidently took it to sea in an open boat; and
then cast it into the waves. The model either rode over them or
passed through them; if it was sometimes rolled over, it righted
itself at once, and resumed its proper attitude in the waters.
After a considerable trial I found scarcely a trace of water
inside. Such as had got there was merely through the joints in
the sliding hatches; though the ventilators were free to work
during the experiments.
I completed the prescribed drawings and specifications, and sent
them, together with the model, to Somerset House. Some 280
schemes of lifeboats were submitted for competition; but mine was
not successful. I suspect that the extreme novelty of the
arrangement deterred the adjudicators from awarding in its
favour. Indeed, the scheme was so unprecedented, and so entirely
out of the ordinary course of things, that there was no special
mention made of it in the report afterwards published, and even
the description there given was incorrect. The prize was awarded
to Mr. James Beeching, of Great Yarmouth, whose plans were
afterwards generally adopted by the Lifeboat Society.
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