The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

NAVAL

_......
PonTsmotrni, MARCH 20.—The Duke of Welling-
ton,l3l. screw steamship, Capt. H. B. Martin,C.B., has now
nearly 500 men of different classes at work upon her cam-
' plating her equipm, nt, but it does not appear probable that
they will get her ready by the end of this month to go out
.if harbour to try her engines as was intended. The last
piece of her shaft, which is altogether 100 feet in length,
was fitted on yesterday. The Rhadamanthas, steam trans
port, arrived in harbour to-day, from the eastward, with
stores. The Tyoe, store-ship, arrived today from the east-
ward.
The Prince Regent, 90, and the Leopard, steam-
frigate, have received orders to proceed to sea. It is re-
ported that their destination is the Mediterr
The Fairy, screw tender to the Royal Yacht, returned
into harbour on Friday night, from Stokes Bay, having
made another trial of Oriffiths's patent propeler. The
trials hitherto made with the screw on this patent were
with •three blsded screw; but as the rule of the service is
to have all the screws to her Majesty's ships so fitted that
they can be lifted on deck through an opening construct, d
for that purpose, and ii rough which only a two-bladed
screw, with the blades olaced in a vertical positioo, win pass,
it was deemed necessary that an opportunity should be given
to ascertain if the same results could be obtained from a
two bladed screw on this patent, as was obtained from that
of three blades. Further trials are to be made with this
two-bladed screw, which has been fitted by Messrs. B will
and Smoyne, but the results of Friday's trial, are given in
the subjoined table, the pressure of steam in each trial
being Illbs., and the vacuum 284 inches :
&minnow Piece of Time. Steed Average
&inane. of faminesfaminesScrew. Screw. min. see, to Knot+. peed.
lat. itun with tide .. 37 ... Sit. ... 4 43 _. 13.721
Ind. Against tide and
""• ••• Bft. 610. ... 3 6 ... 11.7.341 11-242
strong head wind
3rd. With tide . 31i HOC 447 11.343
4th. Against tkie and I 10" I 11.741
'strong head wind •lOR ...3
Stk. With tido
6th. Against tideand 1 11R. s ... to.en 11.093
Wrong bend wind ..
Engineers are not yet, it appears, agreed as to the correct
diameter and pitch of screw required for a given•sised ves-
sel with reference to her engine power, in proof of which
the fact is instanced of the castiag on Thursday last in this
dockyard of an esperimeatal screw in wrought iron, weigh-
ing seven tons, for the Duke of Wellington. The perma-
nent screw for this skip, when the right proportions have
been ascertained, will haveto be made of brass. It is as-
serted in favour of Griffiths'', patent screw, that the perma-
nent one, if constructed on that patent, might have been
made in the first instance with the greatest certainty, as its
pitch can be varied to suit the requirements of the vessel's
form and her engine power under all circumstances of wind
aad weather.

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DRooNPORT, MARCH 20.-The St. Jean d'Acre,
101 guns, new screw ship, will be launched at this dockyard
on Wednesday next. The ceremony of christening will be
performed by Him Ommanny, the daughter of Admiral Sir
J. A. Ommanney, the Commander-in-Cbief at the port.
The occasion will be observed with much interest, and a
large number of visitors are expected from • distance. The
South Devon Railway runs an excursion train between
Exeter and Torquay and Plymouth t n that day. The St.
Jean d'Acre has been built in 18 months. Sbe is to carry
101 guns, and engines of 600-horse power. The following
are her principal dimensions Length from fore part of
figure to after part of taffrail, 273 ft. ; depth from upper
pert of figure to lower part of false keel, 52 ft.; ditto tar-
frail, 56 R. 6 in.; length for tonnage, i'.o2 ft. 5 in. ; breadth
extreme, 55 ft. 4 in. ; ditto for tonnage, 54 ft. 8 in. ; ditto
moulded, 63 ft. 8 in.; depth in hold, 24 ft. 5 in. Burthen in
tons, old measurement, 3,200 ; do., new measurement, 2,084.
The Ssnspareil, block-ship, Captain S. C. Decree, h.s had
her masts her armament, and the number of ter crew re-
duced. her masts are much lighter than those taken out,
and are the same as were serried by the Dublin. Her
armament by the new order of things will be 40 guns, two
32-pounders, 66 cwt. each, from her lower deck, and eight
32-pounders, 25 cwt. each, from the upper deck, with •
proportionate quantity of shot and shell, and the shot at
present stowed in the fore part of her orlop dark are to be
removed and placed in the lower part of the vessel; 51 tonal
of ballast will be put into her hold to the loss of weight
taken from her in the reduction of the number of guns.
The complement will also be reduced 100 men, thus making
her a third instead of a second rats. The Vengeance, 84,
Captain Lord Edward Russell, was towed into the Sound
on Friday by the Ayes and Confianee steamers, and has
since received a supply of powder and five shells. The
Vulture, Captain Glass*, has not yet returned from her
cruise to the Chops of the Channel to relieve homeward-
bound vessels. The Leander, Capt. G. St. Vincent Ring,
sailed yesterday for Scotland. The Valorous, Captain
Buckle, was paid advance yesterday, by Commodore Sty-
moor. The Brisk, having been rigged, and hal. engines
put is order, was removed from the dockyard yesterday.
Tits Queen, Argus, Megicienne, Vengeance, Valorous, and
Arrogant, are still in Plymouth Sound.
Mr. Charles Seeley, chief clerk in the storekeeper's office,
is the Devoeport dockyard, has been superannuated at
3301. per annum, being the amount of his present salary, he
having been more than fifty years in the service.
PRIZE MONEY.-THE Rsrrims.-Notice is given
to the officers and crew of her Msjnty's ship Battler, A.
Cumming, Req., ooramander, that the sale proceeds of vessel
and cargo and bounty on the tonnage of the Esmeraldo,
slave-vessel, eaptured on the 7th July, 1860; and also of
the sale proceeds of the vessel and cargo and bounty on the
Wattage of the Voluaia, slave-beiganues, captured on the
2nd July, 1860, will be paid to those wha were on board at
the time of capture, or to their representatives duly
authorised to receive the same, an the 6th of April, at No.
3, Clifford's-inn, and the shares not then claimed will be re-
called every Wednesday and Thursday for three months to
come, agreeable to act of parliament. Proportions due to
each clam :-Esmeraldo : Commodore, 681. Ps. 4fd.; open-
mender, 1281. 7s. lid. ,• third close, 331. Oa. 5d.; fourth
class, 191. 165.34.; fifth class, 111. Ils. ltd. ; sixth close,
91. 18s. 14d. ; seventh class, 61. 12s. lti. ; eighth class,
31. 6s. Oid. ; ninth class, 21. Is. 31d. ; tenth class, 11. 4s. 9d.
Voluaia: Commodore, 351.135. 01d. ; commander, 661. 16e.
Ild.; third class, 171. 3a. 9d.; fourth class, 101.65. 3d. ; fifth
class, 61. Oa. 31d. ; sixth clan, 61. 3e. lid. ; seventh class,
31. es. 9d. ; eighth class, 11. Hs. 41d.; ninth class,
UAL bt4. ; tenth class, 12a. 100.-W. and Z. CHAIAD,

THE MILITIA.
(From Friday's °antic)
The following commissions have been signed :
John smart Colon, Esq., to be captain, in the Royal
Cumberland Regiment of Militia.
Edmund Lionel Welles, Esq., to be captain, in ditto.
Nathaniel Whitehurch Sloper, gent.,to be lieutenant, in
the Royal Wilts Militia.
Lieutenant Edward Scott, to be captain, in the King's
Own 2nd Regiment of Staffordshire Militia.
Lieutenant John Capel Philips, to be captain, Ties Oar-
nett;resigned, in ditto.
Charles Richard Leven, gent., to be lieutenant, vice
Scott, promoted, in ditto.
Charles James Ashton, gent., to be lieutenant, vim
Philips, promoted, in ditto.
Thomas Dicken, gent., to be cornet, vice Knight, re-
signed, in the Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Stafford-
,shire Yeomanry Cavalry.