The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-15 00:00:00

The Achilles.

rn E SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 15, 1864.

however, oannot be justly laid on the Admiralty, as
it must be fresh in the minds of everyone who pays
attention to such matters that the majority of people,
naval- officers included, were smitten with the idea
that our long ships required more than three masts;
and this idea was cherished and promulgated right
and left without perhaps due consideration being
given to the effect such an addition to a ship's masts
ing would have upon her balance when under sail.
The Achilles is the first vessel we have treated in
this way, and as her efficiency has been seriously
impaired, the sooner we revert in her case to the
wisdom of our forefathers the better for the ship. The
hull of the Achilles when seen in close proximity
has a handsome sheer well out of the water at her
line of ports, a clean round stern, and a very hand-
some bow, over which project her light bowsprit
and jibboono. In board she has a floe roomy upper
deck with a topgallant forecastle, the latter very
much in the way when work is going on uader the
direction of the officer in charge forward, and should
be taken out of the ship with the bow mast.
The general fittings of the upper deck have
-been executed in a manner that reflects the
highest credit on the officials of Chatham
Dockyard. Among the most noticeable of these
fittings is a braes standard counter, with a dial
which gives the direction of the engines and the
number of revolutions they ere making, and a very
cleverly executed light line of railway between and
round the funnels, for transporting the ashes when
hoisted from below. The ship's armament on the
upper deck consists of four 110-pounder breech-
loading Armstrong guns. The main deck fittings
have been executed with the same care and efficient
arrangement as those of the upper deck. On the
main deck the ship carries 16 smooth-bore guns
(coil built Armstrongs) of 9.22 inch calibre, throw-
ing round shot of 100 lb. weight. These are the
guns which have been, as a compliment to his Grace
the Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Admi-
ralty, termed the " Somerset" gun, and certainly
they possess good smashing powers for smooth.
bores when firing steel shot with their full powder
charges. On deck and below the ship is in excel-
lent order, and a great amount of work must have
been expended by her captain and officers to have
got her and her crew into their present condition
during the comparatively short time the ship has
been in commission.

To-day the ship will make her trial with half-
boiler power, weather permitting.

Railway and other Companies.

CRYSTAL PALACE.

newal of some of the external statues with substan-
tial materials. The heating apparatus must be re-
placed, and everything had to be kept up in a sound
state and in good order. As to the season tickete,
they hoped to make an arrangement with the Chat-
ham and Dover Company, as suggested by Mr Goez.
With regard to asphalting the walks, he considered
that as a luxury, and not a necessity. Ho would,
however, give every attention to his suggestions
respecting the orchestra. the directors were most
careful of t xpenditure, but everything must be
done in that establishment in an efficient manner,
and worthy of a great company. They had
not yet got the individual leases for the Dulwich-
wood property, but they hoped soon to be able to
sell the houses on it. They had recently let a part
of the land for £2OO a year. The directors had
now ten years' experience, and were beginning to
understand their busines; they hoped, with the
able astistance and guidance of their excellent ma-
nager, to accomplish in future more satisfactory
results.

The report was then unanimously adopted, and
on the motion of Mr. PETTARD, seconded by Mr.
PUNCHER, a special vote of thanks was given to the
directors, to Mr. Bowley, the manager, to sir.
Groves; the secretary, and the heads of departments,
for their constant exertions in promoting the inte-
rests of the company.

tickets, which were given up and handed to the guard, with
directions to deliver them to the stationmaster at Hitchin,
and get the right names of the parties. Mr Martin said they
had threatened to do for him when he got out of the train.
John Eaton and William Bamford, the guards of the train
on the 13th of November, confirmed the evidence as above
given of a complaint having been made that a gentlenan in
the train had been insulted, and the two defendants were
also identified as having been at the station at Irchester and
wanting to smoke in a carriage, and also as having been seen
on the platform of Oakley station walking from the direction
of the carriage in which Mr Martin was seated towards the
third class, where they were found. Mr Jeffery, addressing
the Bench, said that the guard had reported the occurrence
in the u,,ual way. (The report was handed in.) As Mr Scott
was not able to attend, that was all the evidence he had
to bring forward. Mr Shepherd, for the defendants, urged
that whatever had been said was only in "chaff," arising
cut of the defendants considering that Mr Martin made
himself disagreeable by objecting to smoking or having the
windows open. The defendants were men of the highest re-
spectability, and would never be guilty of using the dis-
gusting and disgraceful language which Mr Martin had
detailed. If the Bench would allow his clients to give evi-
dence one for the other, the real facts would be manifest,
which certainly at present was not she case. The Chairman
slid,—We are quite satisfied that the case is distinctly
proved, and we are sorry to find that people of such good
character and position should have been brought hero having
been guilty of such foolish conduct, not to say worse. We
inflict the full penalty and full costs.