The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-09 00:00:00

NAVAL and MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Prince Victor of Ifohenlohe, accompanied by Lord Elpin-
stone and Lord Skermersdale, visited Chatham Dockyard on
Saturday to inspect the vessels fitting out there. They
visited the Belleisle, the Monarch, the Superb, and other
vessels, and afterwards partook of luncheon at Admiralty-
house, the official residence of Admiral Fellowes. In the
afternoon his Serene Highness and the other visitors made
an inspection of the works still in progress for the extension
of the dockyard. The whole of the extension works are now
complete, with the exception of the fitting-out basin. This
is now getting well advanced, some hundreds of convicts
being employed upon the works daily, in addition to many
free men.

In addition to the 20 torpedo boats which the Messrs.
Thorneycroft are building at Chiswick, three other firms
have each received an order to construct a swift torpedo
boat of a new description.
The two ironclads recently purchased by Her Majesty's
Government, and renamed Superb and Belieiele by order of
the Board of Admiralty, are about to be supplied with the
necessary fittings for discharging the Whitehead or fish
torpedoes, and the work necessary to render them fit for
being commissioned is to be pushed forward at Chatham as
expeditiously as possible.

Detachments cf artisans from
.the Engineers and Army
Service Corp • at Woolwich have arrived at the Gun Wharf,
Devonport, to prepare the machinery that has for many
years lain idle for active service. War material daily arrives.
Five thousand Difartini-Heary rifles were landed during last
week; also 700 cases of small arms. At the Royal Victualling
Yard, Devonport, extra time has been commenced. Heavy
demands have been made upon the flour mills and bakery
departments, three months' provisions for 5,000 men having
to be prepared and held in reserve.

The horses which are arriving at Woolwich are of a
superior kind, and it is understood that the prioes which
are being paid for them range as high as £6O for artillery
draught horses, £56 for heavy cavalry, and £5O for light
calvalry. Even the ordinary transport horses cannot be
obtained for the regulation price of £35 a piece. Large
batches of sound serviceable-looking animals are arriving at
Woolwich, and to supplement the accommodation provided
for them at the Army Service Corps Barracks new stables
are to be built in the Royal Dockyard, it is found that a
few days' feeding aud grooming effect a remarkable improve-
ment in the genet al appearance of the least attractive speci-
mens. The commission which is intrusted with the duty of
buying the horses is composed of military and civil veteri-
nary surgeons, a few combatant officers, stud a gentleman of
great experience on the turf.
Another 150 of the Royal itugineers are ordered to Wool-
wich to aid in completing the new railway works at the
Dockyard, and in receiving the large quantity of electric
cable which is to be supplied for torpedo service.
There is such a demand for wheelwrights at the Carriage
Department at Woolwich Arsenal that a number of men,
who were some years ago tran,formed from wheelers into
fitters consequent on the general introduction of iron
carriages, have been reconverted to their old handicraft,
fitters be in greater abundance. The demand for. wheels
Is owing to the order for transport vehicles, and a large
extension of the workshops in which the order is being
executed has been made. In all branches of labour through-
out the Arsenal there is still increasing activity. The suns
paid for wages in the Royal Laboratory has gone up from
£2,500 to about £5,000 per week.
Owing to the difficulty of obtaining labourers in the
Ordnance Store Department, Woolwich, three companies of
the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, stationed at Woolwich,
have been ordered furnish men to form working parties
for employment on the wharf at the Royal Arsenal. They
will be paid 90. or is. per day working pay while so
employed, which will probably be until the end of the
present month. The low rate of wages in this department
and the uncertainty of permanent employment are the
reasons why labourers are difficult to be obtained.

Consequently upon the war preparations, several purchases
of white goods intended to be dyed scarlet and blue, have
been made in the Leeds cloth balls during the past week, and
several cloth firms in the town which received contracts
from the War Department two or three months ago for the
usual yearly supplies, have been requested to complete
them as early as possible. Orders for shells, torpedoes, and
cartiidges have also been reccived by two or three of the
large ironworks, and some felt mills have had commissions
for fabrics suitable for saddle cloths.

The authorities appear very desirous to get the forts at
Sheerness, for the defence of the Thames and Medway, com-
pleted and their armour plates in position as soon as pos-
sible Daring the past few da3s several heavy plates have
arrived at the forts from Woolwich, which have been placed
in position, and the War Department transport Petrel
is ordered to take on board other plates. The forte are so
strongly built laid the plates with which they are
protected are of . such immense thickness that when
completed they will be almost impregnable. They will
have very heavy guns mounted in them. The two
forts at Hoo Ness and Darnett Ness, on the Med-
way, for the defence of Chatham Dockyard and the
garrison, are now complete, all the heavy guns being
mounted and in position. In the army estimates for the
coming year a sum of over LIAO is provided for work in
connection with the large fort building at Borstal, ngar
Rochester, for the defence of Chatham. The work is bellig
executed by convicts, and the fort is one of a number
intended to be constructed for the laud defence of Chatham
and Londoh. A sum of amo will also be taken next year
to be expended in the construction of the new powder
magazines now being built upon marsh laud between
Chatham and Sheerness. The whole of the forts on the
Thames and Medway will be connected with this magazine
by means of lines of railway, so that, when required,
ammunition will always be at hand. The new magazines will
be most extensive, and, when complete, will cost nearly
£lOO,OOO. The greater portion of the work is being
executed by convicts, a large number of soldiers being also
employed. '
To snake up an army corps complete for service it will be
necessary to provide one general to take command of the
whole ; three lieutenant generals, for command of divisions;
one major general, to command the cavalry; six brigadier
generals, for the six infantry brigades (either major generals
or colonels with higher temporary rank); one brigadier
general of Royal Artillery; one colonel to command Corps
Artillery; one colonel as commanding Royal Engineers;
and one colonel, to command Corps Engineers. In addition
to this, staff officers have to be furnished. Indeed, before
an army corps could move the Horse Guards would be
called upon to find officers to fill from ninety to one hundred
appointments on the staff.
- - - - -

All officers will be required to rejoin their respective
regiments in the United Kingdom on the 14th inst. when the
annual leave season terminates. It is not considered at all
probable that any necessity will arise for the recall of
officers before that date.

The following is a complete list of the infantry regiments
to which it has been decided to attach a regimental trans-
port, viz., the 2nd Battalion 4th Foot, 2nd Battalion 10th
Foot, 2nd Battalion 14th Foot, 26th Foot, 29th Foot, 30th
Foot, 41st Foot, 52nd Foot, 58th Foot, 3rd Battalion 60th
Foot, 78th Foot, 86th Foot, 93rd Foot, 99th Foot, and Ist
and 3rd Battalions Rifle Brigade.
Field-Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, accompanied by
General Lysons and General Taylor, arrived at Aldershot on
Monday morning and inspected all the recruits of the
division that have joined the army during the past twelve
mouths. His Royal Highness had placed before him a
roll bearing the names, age, weight, and chest measure-
ment of each corps. About 4,000 smart young men paraded.
The Director-General of Clothing has given particular
attention to the item of boots for the Army, and there are
at the present time at the stores at Pimlioo more than suffi-
cient for an army of 200,000 men, with provision made for
renewing or increasing the stock at short notice as occasion
may require. The articles upon which the tailors and
seamstresses have during the last few days been principally
engaged are garments of light texture for fatigue duties the
provision of uniform clothing for the entire army duties,
already ample.
The Navy Estimates for the ensuing financial year show
that the maximum salary of the constructors at the dock-
yards has been raised from £4ao to £5OO, to be reached by
yearly increments of £l5, and that the maximum salary
attainable by foremen of the yards has been raised from
£250 to £3OO, to be reached by yearly increments of £lO.
It appears' however, that the salaries of the 13 1` acting "
foremen of the yards, who pass through precisely the same
coral), titive examination and who, when appointed, perform
exactly the smile duties as the " established " foremen, are
to be allowed to remain at £lBO.
Vice- Admiral Sir W. King Hall, K.C.B , the Commander-
in.Chief at the Nore, accompanied by other naval officers,
arrived at Chatham on Tuesday, and made an inspection of
the two new irouclads, the Superb and the Belleisle, over
which they were conducted by Rear-Admiral C. Fellowes,
C. 8., Admiral Superintendent.
It is understood that the Lords of the Admiralty are about
giving a rise of pay to the leading-men of shipwrights in
the v.trious dock) ards. The leading-men are a most re-
sponsible body, as upon them falls the principal work of
superintending the construction of war vessels.
Col. Noble, It,yal Engineers, Inspector 'of Works, Royal
Arsenal, Woolwich, is making provision for storing 2.500
tons of compressed hay at the Royal Dockyard, Woolwich.
and a space of about 100 yuds long has been marked out for
the necessary erections, which will be carried out by the
Royal Engineers, of whom another detachment of 150 more
has just arrived at Woolwich. The sheds which are being
constructed at the dockyard as commissariat stores are
making visible progress, and a number of men, both
soldiers and civilians, are at present engaged in receiving
and storing away in available places the supplies which
are reaching the dockyard. The stores are arriving
In such quantities that the roads are sometimes
blocked with waggons. Among the consignments received
aro several hundred cases of port wino and brandy,
arrowroot, and other medical comforts, extract of meat and
tea by the ton, and several waggon-loads of baking-powder.
The commissariat preparations will absorb a considerable
share of the vote of credit, and there are many contracts
made on account of which no delivei yr has commenced.
One of them is for the supply of 700 tons of oats, which, has
been taken by a Lonion firm, and another London firm has
also undertaken the supply of the compressed hay, though
the hay is of foreign growth.
Twenty patent field ovens, each capable of cooking for a
thousand men, ale in course of delivery at the Royal Dock-
yard, Woolwich. They are so constructed as not to require
a special carriage, such as is provided for the 50 others in
the same store. They can be mounted on a general service,
waggon, aud almost any other vehicle of suitable size.
The manufacture of ball cartridges at the Royal Labora-
tory Department, Woolwich, has now reached an average of
two millions per week, which has been hitherto regarded as
the maximum capacity of the departments ; but it is certain
that this could, if necessary, be doubled by the simple ex-
pedient of working double shift. There has, so far, been no diffi-
culty inobtaining boys of the necessary age, auda duepropor-
tion of them continue to attend school for the regulation num-
ber of hours. The proof of cartridges, which consists of firing
a certain percentage from fixed rests at the long-range tar-
gets in the Government marshes adjoining the Royal
'Arsenal, Woolwich, is employing double the ordinary staff,
and notwithstanding the rapid production there is, it is
satisfactory to state, no falling-off in the quality of the
work. One hundred tons of copper, valued at £74 per ton,
is now being delivered at the Royal Laboratory Depart-
ment, Royal Arsenal.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH Colls7.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending March 2, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 50s. 10d. ; barley, 435. 6d.;
oats, 235. 10(1. per iu(pei ial qr. Correvponding week
last year :—Wheat' 50s. lid.; barley, 40s. Od. ; oats,
Vis. 3d