There were boats designed upon the principle of Pontoons, of Catamarans, of Rafts, Steamers, Paddle-box Boats, North Country Cobles—every possible modification of the whaleboat, and of the ordinary boat; boats made of wood, of tin, of galvanized corrugated iron, boats with cork linings, with air-boxes, with water-ballast, with no ballast, tubular boats, boats a series of tubs, a series of boxes; to be propelled by oars, by sails, by paddle-wheels, by screws, to be worked by hand power, by steam power, by atmospheric air.
The Committee might well feel overwhelmed at such a perfect rush of ideas and designs thus suggested for their consideration; and as they began to go into details, they found it almost impossible to decide which model was best, where the elements of excellency were so varied and so numerous, especially as they found that so large a number of the boats presented such excellent combinations of different good qualities.
The committee therefore deemed it necessary to organize a regular competitive examination, assigning marks to different necessary qualifications, that they might thus be able to arrange the boats presented in an order of merit, dependent upon their respective combination of good qualities.
The following is the list of qualities that were required in the boats, with the number of marks apportioned to each.
| 1st | Quality. | Rowing boat in all weathers | 20 |
| 2nd | " | Sailing boat in all weathers | 18 |
| 3rd | " | Sea boat, i.e., stability, safety, buoyancy forward for launching through surf | 10 |
| 4th | " | Means of freeing boat from water readily | 8 |
| 5th | " | Extra buoyancy nature, amount, distribution, mode of application | 7 |
| 6th | " | Power of self-righting | 9 |
| 7th | " | Suitableness for beaching | 4 |
| 8th | " | Room for, and power of carrying passengers | 6 |
| 9th | " | Moderate weight for transport along shore | 3 |
| 10th | " | Protection from injury to bottom | 3 |
| 11th | " | Ballast, as iron 1, water 2, cork 3 | 6 |
| 12th | " | Access to stem and stern | 4 |
| 13th | " | Tumbler heads for securing warps | 2 |
| 14th | " | Fenders, life-lines, &c. | 1 |
With their mode of examination thus fully organized, the Committee patiently and carefully set about their interesting task, and after much labour it was decided that the model presented by Mr. James Beeching, of Great Yarmouth, possessed the best combination of necessary qualifications, and to it was awarded eighty-six out of the one hundred marks; and the inventor had the gratification of receiving the following letters from the Duke of Northumberland, and from the Chairman of the Life-boat Committee:—
Alnwick Castle,
13th August, 1851.Sir,
It gives me much pleasure to send you a cheque for £105, as the prize for the best model of a life-boat.
And I must thank you for the assistance you have given me and the Society for Saving Life from Shipwreck by that model, which will enable us to establish a better life-boat on the coast than those at present in use.
Yours, &c.,
Northumberland.To Mr. James Beeching.
Somerset House, London,
14th August, 1851.Sir,
I have the gratification to acquaint you that the Committee appointed to examine the life-boat models sent to Somerset House, to compete for the premium offered by His Grace the Duke of Northumberland for the best model of a life-boat, have awarded the prize to your model.
I am therefore directed by His Grace to transmit to you the enclosed cheque for £105, and the report of the Committee upon which the award was founded.
Yours, &c.,
J. Washington, R.N.,
Chairman of the Committee.To Mr. James Beeching.