The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

It has been announced at the headquarters of the
Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham, that Col.
11. D. Harness, C.C., will resume his command of
the Royal Engineers and director of the Engineer
establishment, at the expiration of his lengthened
leave of absence, which has been extended to the
Ist of January next. The statement of his inten-
tion to retire from the corps is therefore premature.
In the absence of Col. Harness from headquarters
the daties connected with the director of the Royal
Engineer establishment are carried out by Lieut.-
Col. T. B. Collinson, the second in command.
Yesterday a detachment of nine officers and 50
non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal
Engineers, under the command of Lieut. Bell, ar-
rived atheadquarters, Chatham, from Milton,where
they were stationed for some time to go through a
course of ball practice previously to embarkation
for colonial service.
In accordance with instructions to that effect re-
ceived from the Horse Guards, detachments of
Sappers and Miners have been selected from the
several depot companies of the Royal Engineers at
headquarters, Chatham, to augment the 23d come
pany of Royal Engineers, which has recently ar.
rived at headquarters from Aldershott camp. They
embark, it is understood, early in the approaching
year for the Mauritius, to relieve the 25th com-
pany, which has been absent from England nine
years. The nonecommissioned officers and men of
the 23d company since their arrival at Chatham
have been placed on the fieldworks for the purpose
of going through a course of military engineering
previously to embarking for colonial service.
In consequence of the companies of Royal En*
gineers employed on the ordnance trigonometrical
survey of Great Britain and Ireland having been
recently reduced below their proper strength a
number of noncommissioned officers and men
have been selected from the depot companies of

Royal Engineers, Chatham, to augment the aura
veying Companies. They will leave the garrison on
Monday next for Southampton, the headquarters
of the surveying department. The men-selected are
those who had completed their instruction at the
topographical and surveying schools at the Royal
Engineer establishment. The companies of Royal
Engineers employed on surveying duties are the
13i h and 19th in Scotland, the 14th in London, and
the 161,h in Ireland.
An extraordinary accident happened yesterday
in the Laboratory department of Woolwich Arsenal,
soon after the men had resumed their work after the
breakfast hour. The establishment was alarmed by
the report of an explosion in the upper room of the
cartridge bag and paper mills, used for filling per-
cussion caps for the service. The method of opera-
tion is by the use of thin copper plates, somewhat
resembling perforated cardboards. These are filled
with caps ready to receive the fulminating compo.
sition prepared for that purpose. When the whole
are filled the superfluous composition is gently and
cautiously removed with a piece of paper. It appears
that James Watson, a man about 25 years of age,
was performing this process when the composition
exploded with a loud and terrifying report. Wat-
eon's hand and face was severely burnt, and he was
taken to the local infirmary. The cause of the ex.
plosion is a matter of much perplexity to those
concerned.
The War Department steamer Balaclava, William
Pellett, commander, having completed repairs, yes-
terday commenced shipping Armstrong guns end
sundry stores for the western stations. In addition
to the above, she will fill in her magazines with 100
tons of ball cartridges, consisting of 3,450 quarters
barrels, for Bull's Point, Devonport.
Her Majesty's gun-vessel Landrai', after under-
going thorough repair, yesterday went down the
river from Woolwich on trial of her engines, which
were found in good working condition. The Land.
rail is now ready for commission. Like the Niger
she is without a pennant, but she is coaled and pre-
pared for sea at any notice.
The War Department transport Petrel landed at
the Government powder magazines, Upnor Castle,
Chatham, yesterday the powder and shell from her
Majesty's paddlewheel steamer Barracouta, 6, 1,053
tons, 300 horse power, Commander J. D'Aroy,
which has arrived in eke Medway, from the West
Indies, to be dismantled and put out of commission,
after being nearly four years in active service. The
War apartment transport Bomarsund arrived at
the Ordnance Wharf yesterday with the guns from
the Barracouta. The customary inspection of the
steamer has been made by Vice-Admiral Sir Chas.
Talbot, naval Commander in Chief at the
Nore, who visited the various portions of the vessel
and mustered the crew and witnessed them exercise
at quarters. Considering the length of time the
Barracouta has been in commission and the station
to which she has been attached the vessel is in very
good condition. The petty officers and crew are a
smart and active body of men. Tho steamer is
being dismantled, and the crew have commenced
returning her stores into the dockyard.
The following is the list of the vessels of the
Royal Navy which will be armed, and are now be-
ing armed, with the new description of 300 pounder
and other grins in course of issue. The figures
after each vessel specify the number of guns of the
description mentioned she will carry. To mount
the 12 ton 300 pounders :—Bellerophon, 10—Royal
Sovereign, s—Minotaur, 4—Scorpion. 4—Wiveren,
4—Prince Albert, 4—Agincourt, 4—and Northum-
berland, 4. To be armed with the 6 ton guns :
The Achilles, 20—Black Prince, 20—Warrior, 20—
Lord,Warden, 20—Lord Clyde, 20—Royal Oak,2o—
Consort, 20—Royal Alfred, 20—Caledonia,
20—Ocean, 20—Minotaur, 18—Agincourt, 18—Va-
liant, 16—Zealous, 16—Hector, 16—Defence, 10—
Resistance,lo—Eady mion, 6—Messey, 4-0 rlando,
4 —Pallas,4—Favourite, 4—Hesearch, 4—Enters
prise, 4—Amazon, 2—Viper, 2—and Vixen, 2. To
mount the 64-pounder muzzle-loader t—The Bristol,
12—Melpomene, 12—Liverpool, 12—Severn, 12—
Arethusa, 12—Phoebe, 12—Shannon, 12—Octavia,
12—Constance, 12—Sutlej, 12—Undaunted, 12—
Imperiense, 12—Aurora, 12—Leander, 12—Bas-
chante, 12—Emerald, 12—Pbaeton, 12—Narcis-
sus, 12—Forte, 12—Euryalus, 12—Topaz, 12—
Newcastle, 12—Lilly, 12—Immortalite, 12—Glas-
gow, 12—Clio, B—North Star, B—Racoon, 8—
Challenge, B—and Menai, 8. The followinglwill be
supplied with the 64 pounder breech-loaders :
The Scout, B—Rettlesnake, B—Cadmus, B—Scylla,
B—Barossa, B—Jason, B—Charybodis, B—Wolve-
rine, B—Pylades, I—Orestes, B—Pearl, B—Pelorus,
B—Satellite, B—Acheron, 4 —Shearwater, 4—Va.
lorous, 4—Furious, 4—Bittern, 4—Magicienne, 4
and Columbine, 4. A supply of the 61.t0n smooth
bore 100-pounder wrought iron guns has already
been received at Chatham, and it is understood that
the first supply of the 300-pounder rifled 12-ton
Armstrong gun may shortly be expected at the
Ordnance wharf.
The screw steamship Donegal, 81, Captain James
A. Paynter, left Plymouth yesterday for Liverpool
to do duty in the Coastguard service. Her tender,
the steam gunboat Goshawk, will follow shortly.
Some alterations are to be made in the rig of the
iron-cased screw steamship Prince Consort, 35,
Captain George 0. Willis, C. 8., and the iron ship
Defence, 16, Captain Augustus Phillimore, at
Devonport. They are to be fitted with single
topsail yards and fidded topgallantmasts.
The Iron-clad frigate Valiant, 24, 4,065 tons, 800
horse power, attached to the Chatham steam reserve
in the Medway, is being altered in her rig, so as to
enable her to spread a larger amount of canvas.
Instead of carrying only topsail yards, as at present)
Bbe will have both topmasts and topgallautmasts.
Paddle yacht Osborne,
Th© Prirce of 'Wales's
Staff Commander Geo. K. Bower, arrived at Ports-
mouth yesterday from Woolwich and the Baltic.
The Victoria screw three decker, Capt. James G
yesterday in Portsmo-ath
Goodenough, was swung
harbour to ascertain the deviation of her compass.
According to present arrangements the Victoria will
go out of harbour to Spitheed on Thursday next
and will sail for the Mediterranean on Saturday the
19th inst.

Mr H. C, C. Childers, M.P., one of the Lords of
the Admiralty, attended to his official duties yester-
day at Devonport. He was present when the arti-
sans of the dockyard were paid wages.
Sab-Lient. Francis Main, serving on board the
iron screw steam ship Black Prince, 41, Capt. Lord