The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

AUXILIARY STEAM-POWER TO
AUSTRALIA.

LIVERPOOL, Dec. 14.—The question as to the appli-
cation of steam-power to vessels sailing to Australia has
hitherto proved one of difficulty, and at present the opi-
nion of nautical and scientific men is, perhape, in favour
of sailing-vessels for the voyage to the Antipodes. Nor
is this a matter of surprise when it is borne in mind that
up to the present moment the most rapid runs to Mel-
bourne have been made under canvas alone, while the
enormous cost attending the working of steam-ships, with
the loss of cargo accommodation, in consequence of the
space occupied by machinery and coal, has, in point of
economy, no less than in point of speed, given the advan
tago to sailing vessels. It is believed, however, that the
average voyage to Australia may be shortened by at least
10 days by constructing ships on the most approved
clipper-models, making them inferior to none for their
sailing qualities ; and by fitting them with the auxiliary
screw, with just sufficient power to carry them out of
or into port, and to keep them moving at a speed of six
or eight knots at times when, owing to calms or variable
winds, they would he making little or no progress.
The new iron ship Royal Charter, recently launched
on the Dee, and built fur the Australian Screw Steam-
ship Company, has. been especially constructed under
this principle, which a two days' trial trip has stamped
with undoubted success. She is a vessel of unusual mag-
nitude, being of 3,000 tons burden, and having an ex-
treme length of 320 feet, with a breadth of beam of 41
feet, depth 2G feet 6 inches ; while she is rigged with
double topsails throughout, her spread of canvass being
no less than 15,0011 yards. Her steles-power is extremely
small compared with the colossal proportions of the
vessel, her engines being only 200-horse power, 14 inches
diameter. She steamed out of the river a little before
noon. On getting over the bar the engines were put on
full speed, and she went steadily and gracefully through
the water at the rate of 9 knots an hour, on a pressure
of 1311 b., the engines making 75 revolutions per minute.
The trial was, therefore, considered to have proved more
successful than had been anticipated as far as the screw
was concerned, and it had been the intention to proceed
the same day under canvas alone, but owing to a heavy
fog it was impossible to do so, and she lay quietly off
the Bell-buoy during the night. Morning brought with it
a clear day, and a light breeze springing up no time was
lost in hoisting the screw and making all sail. Notwith-
standing the stiffness of new ropes, coupled with the
fact that she was sailing somewhat close to the wind,
she bowled beautifully along at the rate of 13.1, knots,
leaving no doubt in the minds of the practical men on
b-Yard that under a stiff breeze she will easily accomplish
17 or 15 knots. She answered to her helm in beautiful
style, and went if Puffin Island, was put about will
every stick of canvas set, without the necessity of touch-
ing a rope. Looking at the trial trip, therefore, in all
its bearings, the Royal Charter has given promise , f
being ju-t the class of vessel adapted for a rapid and
regular cominunicetion with Australia. She proceeds on
her first voyage on the 17th of January, and will, we hope,
sustain the expectations she has raised in commercial
and mercantile circles in Liverpool. She will effect a
complete revolution in the transit set vice to the Anti-
podes, and will lead to the introduction of the auxiliary
screw into all fast-sailing clippers trading to the Anti-
podes. The merit of the enterprise in this instance is
due to Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co., the Liverpool
agents of the company, under whose auspices the Royal
Charter has been constructed. She is commanded by
Captain Boyce, late of the ship Eagle, which has made
some of the most successful runs to Melbourne from
this port. Among the passengers by the Royal Charter
will, it is believed, be Dr. Scoresby, who is going out
for the purpose of thoroughly testing, in her case, the
alterations of the compasses, if any, owing to the mag-
netic influence exercised over them by the local attrac-
tions of the material of which she is built. Ire will re-
urn in the same vessel. It is confidently believed that
,he Royal Charter will make the outward voyage in less
,han 60 days.

CAPTURE OF A GANG OP TEIEYES.—Tveo men and
two women have been apprehended at North Shields on
suspicion of being concerned in robberies, and the two
men have been sent to York, one as an escaped convict,
the other a ticket-of-leave man, who is charged with a
robbery on a lady and cutting and wounding two police-
men. The names they give— but they have many aliases
—are James Robson, George Brown, Sarah Ann Robin-
son, and Margaret flack. They were apprehended at-
tempting to exchange Bank of England notes ; and the
history of those persons, as ascertained by extensive in-
quiries made by the police, and the admissions of the
prisoners, shows that there are extensive gangs of ruf-
fians in the country, mostly ticket-of-leave convicts, who
are organised for the purpose of plunder. Robson was
sentenced to four years' penal servitude at York a short
tine ago, but managed to escape out of the city prison,e
and came off to the north. Brown had been trantisopkoortt ofd
from Stafford in 1847, and had returned it
leave. As we have stated, he committewdahe a
police robbery in
York about two months ago ; and upon th
at-
tempting to take him, one of them
w that asit is considered
so beaten about
the head by him and a comp
anjohnd another officer was
he will not be fit for duty
stabbed in the thigh. Broawgnainlil escaped to the north,
and with the other prisoner ha
dho after became mem-
loined the two women—
also convicted thieves—
berm of a gang of thieveswhOsse depredations in the west
of Scotland have already whbeen recorded in The Sun.
Scotland had become too hot to hold them, and the gang
had escaped to Carlisle, where they divided, one half going,
through Lancashire tNO Liverpool ; the ethers, the pri-
soners, coming east to ewcastle. Their first robbery hail
been committed upon the master of an East Indiaman, who
having got tipsy,
had fallen in with the female prisoners,
who eased him of a considerable sum in notes ; but as he
bad to proceed to sea he was not able to look after hie
loss, and the prisoners came to Shields to dispose of their
plunder, when they were fortunately apprehended
by Mr. Mitchell, the superintendent of police, other-
wise, by their own admission, they intended to remain
in the counties of Durham and Northumberland during
the winter.
MEMORIAL TO THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.—There
has just been placed in the collegiate church of Wolver-
hampton a handsome memorial window to the late Duke
of Wellington. The window, which is an admirable spe-
cimen of art in stained glass, is about 11 feet wide and
18 feet high from the sill to the point. There are four
lights to the windows. The principal portion of each
was filled respectively by full-length figures of Moses,
Joshua, Gideon, and David. Below the figures a lead-
ing event in the life of each is delineated. The bottom
o; the window presents, in mediaeval letters, the follow-
ing
inscription :—" In memory of Arthur Duke of
BWel-
lington, K.G. Died September 14, 1853, aged .
And they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres.'
—2 Chron. xxxii. 33."
At the sitting of the French Academy, on Tuesday
last, M. Viennet read a Tartar tragedy, entitled Ze7
the scene of which was laid in the Crimea, and at com-
paratively a recent date.