The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-06 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLWICH, MAY s.—Commander F. N. K. Waspy
(1850) to study steam at the factory at Woolwich Duck-
yard, vice Commander Bowyear, passed.
Commander Michael de Courey (1848) to study steam
at the factory, vice Captain Cospatrick B. Hamilton,
passed.
Commander Philip de Saumarcz (1845) to study
steam at the factory, vice Lieutenant Richard Moore,
passed.

Cumnactuder Henry I. L2c3n (1842), to study steam
at the factory, vice Lieutenant Macdonald B,:,ucehier,
passed.
Lieutenants Macdonald Bourehier and Richard Moore,
having completed a curse of study of steam, were
severally examined as to their knowledge of steam and
marine steam engines by Mr. Charles Atherton, chief
engineer at Woolwich Dockyard, and on passing satis-
factorily received their certificates accordingly.
The Herald, 28, Captain Henry Mangles Denham, was
visited to-day by a great number of ladies and gentle-
men, who were conducted over the vessel by Captain
Denham, who showed them the arrangements which have
been made for the long atey of the Herald on the sur-
veying service in the South Seas, and the numeruus pre-
sents intended for the natives of the islands in that part
of the Pacific Ocean,

LOSS OF THE BIRKENHEAD.
A court-martial, consisting of Roar-Admirel H.
Pre,c3tt, C. 13., prosidsnt; Cip•ain Chads, C. 8., of the
Excallent; Captain G. B. Marcie, C 13. of the Victory;
Captain, Scott, of the Neptune ; Captain '
tein Henderson,
GB., of the Biei:heim; Captain S. T. Innes, of the
Sampson; Captain Robinson, of the Arrogant; Captain
Loch, C. 8., of the Winchester; Captain Warden, of the
Retribution; Captain Symonds, of the Arethusa; Cap-
tain Harris, of the Prince Regent; Captain Matson, of
the Hightlyer; and Sir G. L. Greetham, Deputy Judge-
Advocate of the Fleet, assembled yesterday morning at
nine o'clock, on board the Victory, to try Mr. It. B
Richards, master's assistant; J. Bowen, 'l'. Dunn, able
seamen; A. Stone, ordinary seaman; and John Ashbolt,
stoker, for the loss of the Birkenhead, or rather to in-
vestigate the conduct of the survivors of that awful wreck.
The witnesses called when our report left were Thos.
Coffin, who had the first middle watch on the night of
the wreck; Thomas Daly, of the first wa'cb, and look-
out man on the forecastle; Colour-Sergeant Drake, on
the poop when the ship struck; John Archbold, gunner,
in bed when the accident happened; and Mr. W. Cal-
hane, assistant surgeon, in his cabin at the time.
All these witnesses were subjected to close and
lengthened examination, and deposed to a great num-
ber of facts connected with the disaster; but nothing
calculated to alter materially the main incidents
already before the public. Ono of them stated,
that had the boats remained near the wreck, and not
pursued the schooner, more lives might have been
saved; but all teemed to egree that both on board the
ill-fated ship and after she had sunk every effort was
used that, under the circumstances, was practicable.
The cc:wants of the boats stated that they could not,
without danger, take in more than they held; that they
heard no cries and saw no oases of distress which they
did not seek to relieve; that the heaviness of the surf, in
their judgment, rendered landing impossible; and, in
short, that they acted for the best in the trying emer-
gency. As to the course which the ship was steering, it
was proved that she was some three miles .from shore,
which, however, was not visible in the darkness; that
the soundings were taken; that the rate of speed at the
time was 71 knots; that a light had been discerned
shortly before the catastrophe took place, and that the
sound of the surf was not distinguishable. It was also
shown that the boats were in perfect order for launching
had time permitted; that the captain was perfectly col-
lected, and that the orders which he issued were obeyed;
that the engines were backed for two minutes after the
ship struck, and that she yielded to them; that in ten
minutes the fires were completely extinguished, and that
she went down in less than half an hour. Questions
were put to the witnesses, not only by the members of
the court-martial, but by .the prisoners, and at six p.m
the Court was adjourned till to-morrow morning.

EXPERIMENTS WITH ANCHORS.
WOOLWICH, MAY 5.--Two anchors, in addition to
those previously described, were delivered at Woolwich
Dockyard on Monday last, one by an American named
Isaacs, which has an arrangement to prevent what is
technically termed " fouling." The other, by Brown,
Lennox and Co., Admiralty contractor, differs only
slightly from Sir William Parker's plan in section and
in length of shank, and with a palm more epeer-shaped.
The testing the seven anchors for trial with the usual
strain applied to anchors of similar weight when de-
livered for service commenced on Monday afternoon by
placing one of Lieutenant Rogers's anchors, weighing
19 cwt. 81bs., in the testing-frame, and applying a strain
of 19/ tons, when the first tented arm was found to have
deflected 5-16ths of an inch, and the other s.l6ths, both
returning to their original position when the strain was
withdrawn. On Mr. Mitehoson's anchor,
.weighing .1
cwt. 141 b., being subjected to a strain of nln tons, it
de-
fleeted the point of the palm extending * wheenzaoly
mea-
sured from the shank, and the other arm gavie.
the same result, the palms returning to within_
original position from the deflection sad
the shank.
original position when measurendc. fromor,
the strainshank,bebioetgl,
rictto theirofentht"irier
of 20 cwt.
Brown, Lennox, and Co's.
aof 213- tons applied,
3 qrs. 10Ib., on having
deflected and from a
similar result, and on the strain wairtinhelsragwivningthae
and the arms resumed
Isaac's anchor,
deflection was entirely ri3ninoTvueeds,daayn
their original position.
of 21 cwt. 141 b., d and was found to deflect of
was placed in the testing-frame, and a
strain of 211 tons applied,
an inch, and the distance of the point of the arm 1-16th
and. the. other anchor gave a similar
from the shrink,arms re-
result. On
the strain being withdrawn both
position. Mr. Trotman's anchor,
re-
named their original
weighing 21 cwt. 1 q *r., had a strain of 21i tons
ap-
plied, and deflected , the point of the arm extending
3.16 from the shank ; and on the other arm being
tried the deflection was , without any extension
of the arm, and on the strain being withdrawn the
deflection returned to * and the arms to their origi-
nal position.
3 qr. 71b., had a strain of 21 tons applied, and the
deflection
was in and the extension of the arm
and the other -arm gave exactly the same result. On
the strain being withdrawn the first tested are returned
to its original position, and the deflection of the other
to within *, and to its entire original position when
measured from the shank. Lieutenant Rogers's kedge
anchor, weighing 20 cwt. 1 qr., was placed in a
testing-
frame, and on a strain of 21* tons being 1. %V , the
deflection was 1 inch, the point of the arm extending 4 of
an inch from the shank. The deflection when the other
arm was tested was 1 3-16th inches, and the extension
I of an inch, and on the strain being withdrawn,
deflection on the one side returned to 6.16 andthe arm
to its original position. The deflection on the other side
returned to + of an inch and the arm to its original po-
sition. The anchors are now lying on the
wharf, reay
to be transferred to Sheerness to contend for the palm
of superiority as regards their holding properties, and
will subsequently be brought back to Woolwich dockyard
to undergo an ultimate or breaking strain, in order to
determine the greatest degree both of maximum strength
and holding properties, the two great essentials for an
anchor. A committee of six naval officers and six of the
most eminent shipowners, assisted by Mr. Atherton, chief
engineer at Woolwich dockyard, have consented to act as
jurors on this occasion. Out of rather more than 30
persons who exhibited anchors at the Great Exhibition
in Hyde-park last year, 6 have responded to the invita-
tion to submit their inventions to actual tests and prac-
tical trials for superiority. The anchors were weighed
and tested without their stocks.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East
India House, when Lieutenant-General Lord Frederick
Fitz-Clarence, G.C.H., was appointed Commander-in-Chief
of the company's forces on the Bombay establishment.
LINCOLN'S INN, MAY s.—The following members
of this society have been called to the bar, and were swornO.
in this evening in the Hall :—John Buck, M.A.; Richt,At!.
Turner, B.A. ;•William J. Potts, Esq ; Charles Lees, D
Francis 0. Adams, M.A.; John Smith, B.A. nu
Augustus A. Vansittart, M.A. His Royal
PRINTERS' DRAMATIC SOCIETirt.IOI. to the secre-
Highness the Duke of Cambridge hosen
in aid of an amateur
tary of the Printers'
performance at St. janinreasm'saTtiheertrei'et
Society,
Society and the Almshouse
Endowment Fund.