The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-06-24 00:00:00

anup anti Nab°.

TNE BLACK PRINCE IN COMNISSION.-11118 iron-
plated frigate, aiater ship to the Warrior, haa at length
hoisted the pendant. Captain James F. R. Wainwright,
late of H.M.S. Shannon, has received the appointment
of commander.

Di.CRYANDS FOR IRON SHIPB. —The Spill:lead fort
question mist goon again occupy the attention of the
House of Commons, and with that subject it is scarcely
possible to overlook another=vis.„ whether the 'present
Hovel establishment at Portsmouth is novelle of being
enlarged and Improved, or whether another site for •
naval establishment must be selected elmwhere. The
forts and lines of defensive works which have been
executed, as well air thcee in progress around Ports-
mouth, were doubtless Intended for the protection of
the harbour of Portsmouth and the existing dockyard,
arsenal, ko., end if it be determined that Postrinouth
harbour cannot provide au efficient establishment for
the accommodation of our iron Beets, and that a new
establishment shall be formed elsewhere, then most of
the works of defence lately completed will be uneless,
and other defensive works will certainly have to be
oonstructed to defend the approaches to the new estob-
lishment. Wears infornied.however, that a very oom-
prehensive plan is now before the Admiialty, showing
what can and what cannot be done at Portsmouth in
, the way of enlarging the present doekyard,what ere the
, existing difficulties, and how they may be best over-
come. In considering this question care must be taken
I riot to overlook the value of the present estahlishmenr,
' and the importance of Soithead anchorage, whether
as regards position, space, hokiing-grouud, or security,
TIRE ACHILLES—Tie process of testing the iron de-
livered -by the virrions contractors at Chathnin Isock-
yard, for the Achilles, 50, building at thot estahlish-
meet, has been carried on fur the last few days in the
testing-house of the dockyard, and has resulted in
nearly 100 tons, chit fly of five.eiglitho lisle-iron, being
njected AS not reachiag the standard of axcelletess laid
down by the Admiralty. For seine time the iron re-
ceived at Chas ham was of very ruperior quality, but
lstely it has proved rather inferior. In consequence
consideroble quantities by, been rejected. by which
the works hove been greatly rettrded. This will cause
a Series. delay in the construction of the ship, as only a
v:ry small number of rioters are DOM employed, owing
to the searcity of good iron. There are rather less than
500 hands now employed on the Achilles, but at least
double that number of svorkinek will lie required to be
placed on her if she is to be completed by the time
originally fixed by the Admit miry. A rlight alteration
is to be made in the plans, so as to obtain increosed
strength, in order to enable the frigate to sustain the
additional weight which will be thrown on her is hay-
ing the ntastve saviour 'plates cerried from stem to
stern, and not simply along her broadsides ex was at
first intended, this arrangement rendering her com-
pletely invulnerable, as no part will be left exposed to
shot.