The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-16 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence

The Immortalite, 35, screw frigate, Captain George Han-
cock, was paid out of commission at Portsmouth yesterday
under the superintendence of Captain H. Caldwell, C. 8.,
commanding the steam reserve at that port. George
Hassell, boatswain's mate, received a gratuity of £lO and a
silver medal for long service, and a pension of £22, Wil-
liam Smith, boatswain's mate, received a gratuity of
£l5 and a silver medal, and a pension of £36. The
Immortalite was commissioned at Portsmouth on the
16th of November, 1860, and sailed from Spithead on the
7th February, 1861, for the Mediterranean. After serving
at the island of Majorca as escort to the Empress of Austria,
the Immortalite left Palma for Gibraltar and England on
the 6th of May, 1861, and arrived at Plymouth on the 29th.
On the 10th of August, 1861, she sailed from Plymouth for
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to join the British squadron under
Admiral Milne on the North American and West India
station. There she remained until ordered to England to
pay out of commission on the 15th of June, 1861, when she
sailed from Bermuda, arriving at Spithead on the 2d July.
During the time, the Immortalite was attached to the North
American and West India station she performed very im-
portant duties. Among those may be noticed her despatch
to Annapolis by the British Admiral on the arrest by Com-
modore Wilkes of Messrs. Slidell and .Mason, to communi-
cate with Lord Lyons, and her subsequent cruise and con-
voy of British shipping off the island of Bermuda. On the
ship receiving orders at Portsmouth to pay out of commis-
sion, a few days alter her arrival in England from the West
Indies, it was stated that her crew called for and gave three
cheers for the captain. We understand this is not literally
correct, as such a public expression of feeling on the part of
the crew of one of her Majesty's ships would be contrary to
Admiralty regulations, and further, that whatever expres-
sion of feeling was exhibited by the crew on their receiving
the news that the ship was to be paid out of commission in
lieu of being refitted to join the Channel fleet, which had
been her first orders, was manifested in the absence of Capt.
Hancock.

The Geyser, paddle, Commander illander Thrupp, sailed from
ieicyesterday,hen,
on the with
men from the Immortalite.
1 The encampment of the crew of her Majesty's ship Ra-
coon, Portsmoutho ,
Count
Forth, is to be broken up today, The Racoon arrived in
island of Inchcolm, Firth of
the Forth on the 29th June to
cruise on the coast of Norway coal before going out on a
ar-
riving there two malignant cases of
smallpox were reported,
with
Prince Alfred. On
and in two other cases the disease
seemed to be threatened.
The invalids were removed to the
Royal Infirmary of Edin-
burgh, where one of them died after
where the second still remains • four days' illness, and
'
not prove to be smallpox, and the two suspected cases did
proposal was immediately made
tothey have recovered. The
and thoroughly cleanse the ship, encamp the crew on shore
colm was selected as the campi., The small island of Inch-
procured from Edinburgh Castleg ground, and tents were
anchorage in the sound between the The Racoon selected an
coast, and about 30 men were left island and the Fifeshire
on board to purify and
fumigate the ship, Tie crew Were
the medical officers, and those who specially inspected by
marks of vaccination were subject did not show satisfactory
health of the men on shore based to the operation. The
ordinary sick list has daily been been excellent, and the
been reduced not only below the diminishing until it has
blank return. The steps taken ha average, but almost to a
what threatened Lobe a severe cuthrvee not only put a stop to
but greatly improved the general bak of epidemic disease,
realth of the crew. On
the re-embarcation of the men,
and
after the necessary pre-
paration have been made for sawn
the Firth of Forth and proceed to sailing
in Norway, where
the Racoon will leave
Prince Alfred, who has meantime
gene out in the Aurora,
will rejoin his ship.
In order to encourage the mechanics and other hands
employed on the Achilles, 20, 6,121 tons,
fitting for sea at Chatham, to use Query 1,250 horse power,
possible exertion in
hastening forward the internal fittnent
of that frigate, Capt.
W. H. Stewart, C. 13., superintendent 0
issued a minute to the officers and workrnf the dockyard, has
Workmen directing that
every possible exertion may be used,
and
stating that it will
afford him great pleasure to bring under the special
of the Lords of the Admiralty any of the notice
officials or work-
men who may distinguish themselves by
extraordinary zeal
or exertions on board the ironcla d frigate i
for sea. A special order has also been received
completing her
Admiralty directing that additional gangs 7ived from the
workmen and
mechanics are to be placed on the Achilles, e
employed until 9 p.m. each evening luau who are to be
further orders.
No exertions are to be spared to complet
plate the Achilles,
for sea by the end of the present month.
Notwithstand-
ing the extraordinary efforts which are now
being made at
Chatham to get the Achilles out of hand, it is probable
that some considerable time Will elapse after her completion
before her guns, which are now specially manufactured for
her at the Royal gun factory, are ready to be
According to existing orders received at °heti':ut on board,
however, are liable to important alterations am—.which,
the Achilles
will be armed exclusively with the new 100 -pounder
pounder smooth
bore wrought iroa gun, throwing spherical steel shot
a minimum charge of powder of 251 b. The mi , with
notaur, iron
frigate, now fitting in the Victoria Docks, will c
of 22 of the same description of guns, u additfarry a bat teryn
i
however, she will be furnished with four ol'tbeo3 to which,
300-pounder
Armstrong guns. It is not yet decided
.whether the
Achilles will carry any of the 300-pounders, but Ws probable
that a couple of those guns will be furnished to her before
she proceeds on active service,
On Thursday a numerous party of convicts arrived
Chatham, by express train, from Millhank, for the at
purpose
of being employed on the works for the
extension of
the
Chatham Dockyard and the formation of new docks
and basins, on which about 1,000 convicts are daily em-
ployed. They were conveyed from the railway station at
Stroud to St, Mary's Prison in a number of omnibuses and
vans, in charge of several warders.
The followi
ng appointments heve been
, made at the Ad-
miralty :—Capt. J. P. Luce, to the Esk, vice Hamilton—
Commander W. H. Fenwick, to the Harrier
Commander Edward Field, from the ' vice
TrincomaleeHaY—
to the
Da)dulus, vice Fenwick—Sub.Lieut. Chas.Scholefield
and Sub.-Lieut. Edward S. Evans, to the J.
Rev
B.
N.
Curacoa—th
. Jackson, Chaplain and Naval Instructor,e
Challenger—Frank Buckley,Naval Instructor, to the
• •
additional
to the Victory—Dr James Henry, surgeon, to the Aboukir'
—and W. E.
O'Brien, surgeon, to the Was mender
W. J. Pollard to the Trincomalee, viceliC°lll
Field—Lieut.
Albert Dent, to the Caracoa—Lieut. HenryF,
Y Crohan, to