PREFACE.
Maritime Engineering is a science of peculiar and vital importance
to the national and commercial welfare of an insular people.
The subject, however, in its entirety, is much too extensive to
be dealt with witbin the limits of a single volume, and, even in
treating that section of it relating to docks, the author feels that
lie is but touching on the fringe of a theme fraught with manifold
possibilities and capable of great future development.
His aini throughout has been to deal thoroughly rather than
extensively, and to investigate in detail rather than in general,
leaving nothing undone, in order that premises and conclusions
alike might be presented in their completest and most intelligible
form. And here it may be remarked that, while the book has
been written largely, and even mainly, for the student, it is hoped
that it will not be without some value for reference purposes to
the expert and, indeed, to all who are in any way concerned with
this branch of engineering and its cognate interests.
The compilation of such a work has naturally entailed, in
addition to a basis of long personal experience, much correspondence
and research, and the author takes this opportunity of acknow-
ledging his indebtedness to many professional friends, who have
contributed valuable information and who have otherwise rendered
him assistance in a task of no inconsiderable difficulty. To the
Councils of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Naval Arcbitects, the
American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Liverpool Engineering
Society, he tenders his thanks for permission to reproduce diagrams
and to make extracts from papers published in their respective