The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-23 00:00:00

NAVAL and MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The following, until further orders, is to be the standard
height and chest measurement for boys admitted into the
Royal Navy —Between 15 and 14 years of age—height, sfl.
without boots; chest measurement, 301 n. Between 14 and
16. years of age--height, 511. lin. ; chest measurement, 30/in.
Between 16 and 14 year*—height, 511. 21in; chest measure-
ment, 311 in. _ _

. _
The greatest activity still prevails on board the armour-
plated ship Monarch at Chatham Dockyard, in order to
complete her for sea, and the workmen are still working
until half-past eight at night in order to forward the work.
She is to be commissioned on the 21st.

- The newly-acquired ironclad Balletsle, being fitted for
commission at Chatham Dockyard, is ordered to be supplied
with new sets of machinery, consisting of starting engines
and others for the fire-engine service. They are to be sup-
plied by Messrs. Mandalay and Co.
Drawings have been received at Chatham Dockyard for
the construction of an armouriplated ship on Admiral
Sartoun's plan. She will be 250 feet long, 2,600 tons burden,
and will have a speed-of sixteen knots. She will have no
guns, but will be fitted with the torpedo apparatus both
forward and amidships.

Measures are being taken for the immediate issue of a new
Henry-Martini carbine and an improved sword to the men
of cavalry regiments of the let Field Army Corps.
A train passed through London on Saturday conveying
100 wrought-iron cases from Newcastle to the dockyard,
Woolwich. These were torpedoes, each to contain from
15001 b. to I,ooolb. of gun-cotton, and when they have had
a coat of red paint they will be placed in the torpedo
stores at the dockyard, Woolwich, where thera are at the
present time torpedoes by the thousand of all sizes ready for
Issue, the stores, notwithstanding the recent demands upon
them, being almost full. The new torpedoes have been
manufactured by Sir William Armstrong at his Elswick
Factory under a contract entered into only a few weeks
since, and they were delivered on Saturday night on one of
the new platforms of the branch line running into the dock-
yard.
As most of the contrants entered into on the strength of
the six millions are terminable on the 31st inst., the deliveries
grow in number and quantity as the month advances. A
new set of rolling machinery, made by a firm at Leeds, at a
cost of Z 2,000 for the Royal Laboratory Department, Royal
Arsenal, Woolwich, arrived at Woolwich on Saturday, being
required for rolling the brass bands from which cartridge
cases are formed, and at the same time an additional crane
of the special kind used by the moulders in casting heavy
shell in the Royal Laboratory Department was received.
Shiploads of iron and bargeloads of lead continue to arrive
without intermission, and on Saturday a large quantity of
tin gave variety to the apparently endless supplies.

-
Large consignments o general stores are continually beisg
sent to the Cape of Good Hope by private ships from the
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
The 2nd Company Royal Engineers at the School of Mili-
tary Engineering, which is under orders to proceed to
Shorneliffe, was on Saturday medically inspected. This step
was taken in case the men should be required for active
service, it not being the practice to medically examine when
only moving from one home station to another.
The Army Clothing Department, says a correspondent of
the Western Morning News, has just settled further contracts
for woollen goods to be made with all speed. The delivery
of all stores is now exceedinAly rapid, and payments are
being made very quickly; permission has also been given to
the department to spend £lOO,OOO by March 31.
. . • •

The new armour-plated ship Nelson, built by contract,
which has just undergone her speed trials at Devonpart, is
ordered to proceed to Chatham this week to be got ready for
sr.
An extension of the order for packinghay for war purposes
has been received in Manchester. Fifteen thousand bales
have to be packed and witl be deposited at the Pomona-
gardens in readiness for shipment if required.
A cargo of torpedo sinkers was landed at the Royal
Arsenal, Woolwich, on Tuesday, by the steamship Sixty-six,
and was taken in charge by the District Commissary-
General. There are about 400 of them, part of a contract
which will be completed next week. The torpedo sinkers
are of iron, each weighing from newt. to a ton. Their use
Is to submerge the buoyant mines of gun-cotton with which
the entrances to rivers and harbours are protected during
hostilities.
The harness, dr.c., for the regimental transport for the
regiments at Chatham, have been prepared at the Gun
Wharf, and have been issued to the regiments. The stables
and waggon sheds which are now being built for the new
transport are approaching completion.
The commission recently appointed to purchase horses for
the Army manamvres has obtained 1,600 of the number re-
quired, £5O being the minimum price per head. Some of
the latest arrivals have been from Herefordshire and 'Wor-
cestershire, and the animals continue to be of good quality,
though some are rather rough in appearance. Only one of
the 1,600 has died, great care having been taken that every
horse purchased shall be sound and healthy. A further
consignment of them left Woolwich for Aldershot on Tues-
day morning with about 30 ambulance waggons.
_

Recruiting is still steadily imp-oving at Woolwich, and a,
larger proportion than usual of Militiamen are coming for-
ward to serve with the colours.

The newly-organised mounted band for the Royal Horse
Artillery at Woolwich are daily exercised in riding, in order
to accustom them to carry their instruments on horseback.
The band form a handsome addition to the mounted portion
of the regiment. The members are to wear the new helmet
with an ornamental plume as a substitute for the spike,
which issupplied with the ordinary helmet. A few of the
men have already been furnished with their new head-dress,
which has been approved by the Duke of Cambridge, Field
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief.
"We understand that the whole of the fleet properly be-
longing to the Mediterranean, which can be spared from
Malta and from police duties at Alexandra, Beyrout,
Cretan waters, and Corfu, will very shortly be present with
the flag of Admiral Hornby in the Sea of Marmora, or with
that of Admiral Sir John Commerell, V.C., in the Darda-
nelles. With Admiral Hornby at present are the Alexandra,
Achilles, Sultan, Tdmeraire, Torch, Flamingo, Cockatrice,
Helicon, and Antelope. With Sir J. E. Commerell there
have thus far been the Agincourt and Swifisure at Gallipoli,
and the Research in the Gulf of Saros. To these two places
it is now probable that the Hotspur, Devastation, Raleigh,
Ruby, Foxhound, Candor, Cygnet, and Cruiser will be sent,
leaving the anchorage of Besika Bay untenanted. At Malta
will be retained for the present the Channel Squadron, con-
sisting of the Minotaur, Black Prince, Defence, and Shannon,
and together with the Rupert and some smaller vessels re-
fitting there, these ships could give passage to some 4,000
troops if required."— Whitehall .Review.

A letter dated March 8, which has been received from
the Fleet in Toutla Bay, says :—" A steamer from London
coaled the squadron on Friday. The Admiral on the arrival
of The Flamingo from Constantinople gave orders to unload
the small guns, to stop the guard, and to knock off keeping
watch. This is a very unhealthy place ; ashore, I mean, where
the water is reported as being very bad. I was speaking to
a Greek who came aboard to-day, and he told me the
deathrate about here averaged 500 daily. On the even-
ing of the 6th we got orders to start our torpedo watch
again, owing to some intelligence the Admiral had re-
ceived from Constantinople. We are stil continuing it
and it causes our fellows to invoke anything but a
blessing on the heads of the Russians, to whom
they attribute all this extra trouble and work. All
day on watch, and on watch all night. Boats away all
night. It is very cold here now. The ships did not get their
supply of fresh beef this week. The tug came down at the
time appointed, but instead of the beef she brought the news
that the Grand Duke, accompanied by about 200 officers, had
entered Constantinople. 'Fp to the evening of the 6th, when
the Torch left Gallipoli. everything was quiet there The
Salamis Mt last night for Malta, the Helicon coming in her
place. It is now two o'clock in the morning; the men
are moving about to keep themselves warm, a rather diffi-
cult matter in iron ships. As usual, the guns are loaded
and the guns' crews are ready to work there. They are al-
lowed to break off every morning at four o'clock.