| History: | 18th April 1875. A trial of one of these rafts was made at the yard of Messrs. Money Wigram and Co., Poplar, in the presence of a great number of interested persons, including Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, and one or two other representatives of the Admiralty. A raft was fitted up on the shore, to imitate, as far as possible, the bridge of a vessel, with a boat upon it. This boat was launched first, but, unfortunately (being one which had been selected at hazard, and not a life-boat) it capsized, the five men who were in it being thrown into the water. Four of them were rescued very quickly; the fifth, who was under the capsized boat, was not picked up for some minutes, owing to the difficulty of righting the boat. The launch of the raft itself was most successful. It was tested with the weight of sixty-five men, who also rolled it from side to side, without upsetting it.
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